Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
If you enjoy the feeling of a metaphorical sack of sunshine, color, sparkles and a healthy dose of glitter hitting you in the face while pop music is blaring through your ears like a SWAT team is trying to force you out of a home you've barricaded yourself in for multiple days ... then I have great news for you.
"Trolls Band Together" is in theaters, and it's ready to assault all of your senses with glitter and earworms.
I have to be honest, when my deskmate Lisa showed up with an ugly toy called a Troll one day in second grade, I never dreamed I'd be sitting here writing a movie review on the third film about those goofy-looking, naked Trolls with the wild hair, but here we are. And you know what? This movie isn't great, but it's entertaining, and I'm about to tell you why.
The music is infectious
These movies have been successful thanks mostly to the music. There are plenty of songs in this third chapter of the Trolls saga, and each one is as sappy and frustratingly catchy as the next. You'll recognize many songs, and the boy-band nostalgia will hit hard. Some new songs will get your toes tapping whether you want to or not.
The movie reveals that the character Branch has multiple brothers, and they used to have a boy band until bad blood broke them up. It's years since the breakup, and they must get the band back together one last time. The boy band makes for some great songs and harmonies. Pop is not necessarily my regular go-to, but it's popular for a reason. Justin Timberlake and the rest of the music team have done their jobs well to keep your head bopping and your shoulders swaying.
The humor actually lands
"Trolls Band Together" takes the easy way out plenty of times when it comes to humor. There are plenty of fart and diaper jokes, but there are some clever ones as well. The banter between Branch and his brothers makes for some solid comedy. I'm a fan of Kenan Thompson, so I chuckled at Tiny Diamond more than once.
I don't think I ever laughed out loud during the movie, but there were enough good jokes, I was engaged. I also appreciate the multiple nods to various boy bands. These jokes went over my kids' heads, but they worked for me.
What parents should know
Have you seen "Trolls?" What about "Trolls World Tour?" If you have, you know what you need to know. The third movie is just like its predecessors.
Conclusion
I didn't love "Trolls Band Together," and it is not nearly as good as some of the great animated movies out there, but I don't think that's why they make these movies. These flicks are meant to be bright, energetic, optimistic and fun — and that's precisely what they are.
I struggled to make it through "Trolls World Tour," but this one was better. The jokes are stronger, the story a bit more interesting and, again, it's the music that makes the movie worthwhile.
You don't need to rush out to see the latest Trolls offering. There will be some parents out there who may get nauseated with all the pink and glitter, but the kids will have a good time. I took my three kids, as well as my 7-year-old's friend. They were dancing in the aisles, laughing all the way through, repeating lines and singing songs on the car ride home, and that's the point. This movie is for them, not us.
"Trolls Band Together" is rated PG for some mild rude and suggestive humor.
