I remeber when the first Trolls movie came out I was a little curious as to see how it would turn out. The thought of making a movie about Trolls seemed weird but boy was I wrong. The story had a lot of heart and humor in it that it became of one my family’s favorite movies. We have seen the specials and the sequel and these movies are a lot of fun. One of the aspects that make these movies fun to watch is the music. The mash-ups they do are very catchy and Trolls Band Together continues in that vein and expands on this.
The movie begins with a flashback to the group BroZone, which consists of Branch (Justin Timberlake) and his four brothers: Floyd (Troye Sivan), John Dory (Eric André), Spruce (Daveed Diggs) and Clay (Kid Cudi). We see how that group was trying to hit the perfect note and due to the pressure of the brother John Dory. This cause the band to fall apart and they all go on their own ways. BroZone is no more.
Flashforward to a catchy pop mash-up in preparation for the marriage between Bridget and Gristle. Poppy is the troll-of-honor and is helping Bridget get ready. As the wedding is commencing it is interrupted by John Dory and Branch’s secret is revealed to Poppy. Poppy is a huge BroZone fan and tries her best to not geek out in front of Branch and his brother. John lets Branch know about the kidnapping of their brother, Floyd and his plan to get the brothers together to rescue him. What this leads to is an adventure of finding the brothers and trying to convince them to go along with the rescue.
As you can probably tell from how the brothers last saw each other, the reunion does not go as planned by John Dory. There is plenty of convincing to do and we learn how each brother has changed since the break-up. The entire story is something that we have seen before but obviously what makes this one different is that it is animated and the songs are pretty catchy and help move the story along. Ther are basically 5 stories going on at once in this movie and a strange addiction subplot that feels weird for a kids movie.
Now this may seem like a lot of stories for one movie and I feel some of these are not fully developed. The main story about the brothers getting together to rescue Floyd is the main story and even at times that one feels a little disjointed. The entire lost sibling idea kid of feels forced when it comes to Poppy and her lost sibling. I do understand that this movie is made for kids and that I should not be overthinking some things but that is just how my mind worked while watching this move.
All quirks a side the music from Trolls Band Together are really the highlight of the movie. It is always great to see what songs they mash-up and which ones become earbugs. I think the main song that everyone is excited about it the new N*Sync song that is in the movie. Yes, this song bought about some cheers in the audience and it did get stuck in my head as I was leaving the theater. Trolls Band Together is a fun movie that the family will enjoy and will have you dancing in your seat.
Final Thoughts: Trolls Band Together is a fun, toe-tapping continuation of the Trolls story. While the new family element extends what we already know, some of the notes don’t always hit. The songs new songs are really catchy and the mash-ups that they do are always great to hear. The missing sibling story does feel rushed for Poppy but the overall story of family does help the movie out a little.
Kid-Friendly: The movie is very kid-friendly. There are some scary moments involving a putt-putt course. Also, the draining of Floyd’s essence by the Velvet and Veneer might be scary for the smaller kids.
Violence: The is a scene where some of the trolls are about to take revenge on the Bergens that feels a little violent but doesn’t go the way we think it would. There are some questionable addiction issues with Branch and Tiny Diamond regarding a ring pop.
This holiday season, get ready for an action-packed, all-star, rainbow-colored family reunion like no other as Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake return for the new chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s blockbuster musical franchise: Trolls Band Together.
After two films of true friendship and relentless flirting, Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake) are now officially, finally, a couple (#broppy)! As they grow closer, Poppy discovers that Branch has a secret past. He was once part of her favorite boyband phenomenon, BroZone, with his four brothers: Floyd (Golden Globe nominated electropop sensation Troye Sivan), John Dory (Eric André; Sing 2), Spruce (Grammy winner Daveed Diggs; Hamilton) and Clay (Grammy winner Kid Cudi; Don’t Look Up). BroZone disbanded when Branch was still a baby, as did the family, and Branch hasn’t seen his brothers since.
But when Branch’s bro Floyd is kidnapped for his musical talents by a pair of nefarious pop-star villains—Velvet (Emmy winner Amy Schumer; Trainwreck) and Veneer (Grammy winner and Tony nominee Andrew Rannells; The Book of Mormon)—Branch and Poppy embark on a harrowing and emotional journey to reunite the other brothers and rescue Floyd from a fate even worse than pop-culture obscurity.
Featuring Trolls’ signature psychedelic joy-bomb of new and classic pop hits, Trolls Band Together stars a dazzling cast of musical superstars and comedic powerhouses as new franchise characters, including four-time Grammy nominee and Latin Grammy winner Camila Cabello (Cinderella) as Viva; Zosia Mamet (The Flight Attendant) as Crimp; and 12-time Emmy winning drag icon RuPaul Charles as Miss Maxine.