The Animated Addict: "Trolls" (2016)

Growing up as a teenager in the 1980's, did you ever think to yourself, "You know what would be cool, dude? If 30 years from now, Hollywood would take an ugly looking doll popular right now and turn it into a movie! Awesoooooome!"

Well... it happened. It's a thing.

Bergens eat trolls to be happy. After a tribe of trolls are captured, it's up to Princess Poppy to rescue them... unless the surrounding flora and fauna eat her... which would make the flora and fauna happy, I guess?

I'm not often puzzled by an animated movie... but "Trolls" by Dreamworks managed with this premise. The story is pretty simplistic- like, Saturday Morning Cartoon simplistic. But... there are some elements that break that mode- such as dealing with grief in the case of Branch, and the use of self-medication/addiction to combat depression in the case of the Bergens. Too bad those elements are ultimately hand waved away with simplistic solutions and platitudes. The messages themselves aren't negative, but the delivery doesn't do those topics justice.

Other than the two protagonists- Princess Poppy and Branch, the others (including the antagonist, Chef) are bland, shallow, and simplistic to the point of not being at all memorable. I honestly didn't care for any of them very much. Princess Poppy and Branch weren't bad characters- they certainly had more depth and nuance than everybody else, but it wasn't enough to make me invest emotionally in the fate of the survival of the village.

Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake did great jobs in the roles of Princess Poppy and Branch. The rest? Meh. I enjoyed the songs they did as well. But sadly, the Disney formula for musical cartoons didn't quite carry this film.

I will say though that I loved the art direction. The use of felt-like textures gave the movie a unique, interesting scrap booky feel that I really enjoyed. The Bergen town also was a visual treat with it's crooked, almost-gothic appearance. The odd creatures that existed in this world though were a bit off-putting.

Ultimately, while it had potential in terms of it's art direction, and the deeper story elements I mentioned above, "Trolls" fell flat and made me wonder if a movie based on an ugly 1980's figurine was really the best idea for a franchise. I'm going to have to put it in "The Ugly".

Comments

Justin Cider welcomes a Homewrecker to the Fanily

COVID-19 has impacted pretty much everything and, although some industries have slowly been able to get rolling again, sport is one that remains in limbo. This holds true for the world of Thrash Wrestling, which we in The Basement are a proud sponsor of. But the men and woman of Thrash Wrestling continue to challenge each other, and entertain fans, in a creative way. Which is why Jason and Shawn welcome Thrash Wrestler Justin Cider into the ring... err, Basement, when From The Basements takes over the Radio NL 610 AM airwaves at 6:05 tonight! Cider will update listeners on how Thrash Wrestling continues with social distancing in place. And he'll shed some light on the future of the sport, how people can support his Fanily, and more! And stick with us, as Justin joins The Basement Boys for a review of the new horror/comedy Homewrecker starring Alex Essoe and Precious Chong. Does this female-focused comedic thriller deliver the goods? Tune in after the 6 o'clock news ...

Top 5 quotes from the Rambo franchise

It's Rambo Day, which means it's a day we celebrate all things Rambo. And no, we didn't make that up. It's a real thing, and part of the lead in to Rambo: Last Blood coming out on Friday. We were going to celebrate by doing a Top 5 favourite Rambo kills, but the fine folks at Arrow in the Head already did something like that, so I figured why not share our favourite Rambo quotes. I like quotes. Quotes are good. Anyway, here we go with our Top 5, in no particular order: 5) "They drew first blood." - John Rambo, First Blood (1982) Because it's always cool when the hero references the title of the movie in a quote. 4) "Live for nothing, or die for something. Your call." - John Rambo, Rambo (2008) Because it's 100-per-cent truth, and is the exclamation mark on a great monologue by Stallone. 3) "I could have killed 'em all. I could kill you. In town, you're the law. Out here, it's me. Don't push it, or I'l...

Grace Victoria Patterson returns

What's this? Two podcasts From The Basement in less than nine months? Has the world gone mad!?! No, but when past Basement guest Grace Victoria Patterson asked nicely if she could return to this fine podcast, Jason and Shawn -- agreeable sorts that they are -- said yes. Hence we have this new episode for your ear holes! Grace provides an update on her career, which has seen the cheerleader-turned-actress appear in no fewer than eight films plus a TV series, with more projects on the way. She and Jason talk all about this, plus some other stuff. What kind of stuff? Stick with us! And stay tuned, as The Basement Boys discuss a whole slew of movies and television, including the Netflix Jimmy Savile documentary, The Batman, the horror romp The Cellar and more! It's podcasting that's so awesome, you'll be awesomed out by its awesomeness! What are you waiting for? Push play and enjoy!

Search This Blog