Trolls

Movie Title-- Trolls

Release Year-- 2016

Running Time-- 1 Hour and 40 Minutes

Director-- Mike Mitchell

Cast-- Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, James Cordon, Russel Brand, Zooey Deschanel, Gwen Steffani, Jeffery Tambor, Ron Funches, Icona Pop, Kunal Nayyar, John Cleese, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Christine Baranski, Walt Dohrn

After twenty years in hiding, Princess Poppy must go on a quest to save her friends from being eaten by the Bergens, who one day a eat trolls to make themselves happy.

The Trolls are small creatures that live their lives by singing, hugging and dancing, keeping themselves always happy. One day their Troll tree is discovered by the Bergens, a race of large, ogre type creatures that are never happy but they realize that they can be happy, if only for a moment, by eating a Troll. The Bergens put a cage around the Troll tree and one day a year they celebrate “Trollstice”, where they eat a Troll to be happy.

On this particular, very special Trollistice, Bergen prince, Prince Gristle Jr. (Mintz-Plasse) is to have his very first Troll, all the Bergens gather at the Troll tree and Chef (Baranski) gives Prince Gristle a very special Troll; a princess for a prince. However, when Prince Gristle eats the Troll, they learn that it is a fake. The Bergens then go on a mad dash to find the Trolls who at that very same moment are being led by their king, King Peppy (Tambor) through underground tunnels to safety. Furious that the Trolls have escaped, King Gristle Sr. (Cleese) banished Chef from Bergentown.

Twenty years later King Peppy's optimistic and extremely happy daughter, Princess Poppy (Kendrick) is getting set to throw a large party in honor of their heroic escape, although she has been warned against it by Branch (Timberlake) a gray and grumpy Troll.   Branch believes that by throwing a large, loud party, it will attract the Bergens.

Branch's fears are realized when Chef, who has been searching for the Trolls since she was banished, sees the fireworks from the Troll's celebration and follows them to their hiding place. Chef collects a handful of trolls to take them back to Bergentown so she can be accepted back.

Poppy, feeling like the kidnapping of her friends is all her fault, is determined to follow her father's motto from 20 years previous “No Troll left behind!” and to save them, she recruits a very reluctant Branch to help her, since he knows the most about the Bergens.

Once they arrive in Bergentown, they learn that Chef has presented the once Prince Gristle, now King Gristle with the Trolls and they are preparing to have a Trollstice dinner the following night. As a show of good faith, Chef encourages King Gristle to eat one of the Trolls and she picks out Creek (Brand) at random. Poppy and Branch watch as Chef pops Creek into King Gristle's mouth.  After this, Branch believes that Creek is a goner but Poppy has hope that he is still alive and knows that they only way she can try to find him is to free the rest of her friends.

Poppy and Branch learn that the castle scullery maid Bridget (Deschanel) is guarding the remaining Trolls and when they find them, they see that Bridget is in love with King Gristle. Determined to show Bridget that happiness can be had without eating Trolls, they all work together to transform her into Lady Glitter Sparkles, in order to get her a date with King Gristle while getting close enough to find out if Creek is still alive.

This movie is GREAT!!  Let's just be serious, it is basically a movie musical and the music is just awesome. Yeah, most of it seems to be revamped versions of older songs but that doesn't matter because they are all done so well.

After being so long winded in the summary, I don't really have too much to say about this film. I have watched this more than a dozen times (that's what happens when you have a 4 year old!) and it doesn't get old. Sometimes the music gets stuck in your head (even for days...) but it gets stuck in your head in a good way. Sometimes when we need a pick me up, we will turn the soundtrack on and just dance.

I say pick this film up, it is a great watch and a great sing/dance along kind of film. Grab your favorite little people and Don't Forget the Popcorn!!!