Plot
Poppy learns that Branch was formerly a member of her favorite boy band, along with his four brothers. Branch and Poppy go on a terrifying and emotional trip to reunite with their sibling Floyd after he is abducted by two evil men. Floyd’s situation is worse than being forgotten in popular culture.
The film has a lot going on visually, but generally in a positive way. Everything is vivid and animated on screen. You could practically feel the texture of the trolls’ hair and skin. These movies have the benefit of allowing animators to express themselves freely. In addition to the bizarre world of the Trolls themselves, there are parts with characters who resemble puppets and some mind-altering situations that change into traditional 2D sceneries.
Review
While “Trolls Band Together” may not appear to have much in common with Vin Diesel’s Fast & Furious films, both films center around family. The calmer, more poignant moments are endearing and wholesome, even though the majority of the film is an explosion of wild sensations. For instance, there is true depth in the interaction between Poppy and the Branch. When they disagree, instead of dwelling on it, they apologize, reaffirm their trust in one another, and move on with a refreshing absence of pointless drama. In addition, the relationships among some of the other family members offer much-needed depth to balance the hectic show.
To free a member of their boy band who is being kept captive, the brothers from the once-popular group must set aside their disagreements. Although there is very little real action, it’s a fun notion. There’s a recurring theme in the film: find a brother, work out their issues, perform a pop song together, find the next brother, repeat. The main trolls and the villains don’t even interact until the last act.
So much of the heavy lifting of maintaining interest is left to comedy and music. The humor is delivered quickly, making it challenging to follow along. Several of the jokes are very funny. However, a lot of the jokes are meta-comments about the music industry, so while parents might find them funny, younger viewers won’t get it. The fact that there are a few offensive jokes and suggestions that children will hopefully not see is more troubling.
Rating: 3/5
The theme of “Trolls Band Together” is coming together as a caring and supporting family. When Branch and Poppy are reunited with their long-lost brothers, they are both forced to deal with the wounds from their past and modify their expectations. The movie was rated three out of five stars after taking all of these things into consideration.
