1/13/2017 - Trolls (2016) – 4+/10

Dumb and kiddy, but not all together un-fun. The songs and positivity made it somewhat palatable, despite the glitter farting, cringey jokes, and gag worthy plotting. Believe me, I planned on hating this, but as a purely throwaway kids positivity film, it somewhat works.

It hovers on the precipice of stupidity and annoying from the off. The capriciousness of the past storytelling (in the form of elaborate moving scrapbooks) hinted at ingenuity. It almost played itself out, but survived. As the story goes on, it is simply nigh-hallucinatory “good times” Smurfs vs. Gargamel-goblin-things, where music & dance “will to power”. As simplistic, gaudy, and pugilistic it is, in every aspect, they never lose the plot or devolve. It stays light in the right way and consistent in its core.

Kendrick and Timberlake (who played against type) were tolerable to likable, depending on the moment… In all honesty, I wanted to hate this movie, but he overall experience left me non-hate filled. Weird, but these are the truths we must confront within ourselves, however wrong they may feel. Trolls is not good, but it isn’t downright awful. You, and most certainly kids, could do much worse.