The Trolls franchise, based on the brightly colored dolls with tall, fun hair, returns for a third cinematic adventure in Trolls Band Together. The previous two films followed Princess Poppy (voiced by Anna Kendrick) and hercurmudgeon-turned-friend Branch (Justin Timberlake) as they discovered new musical lands and defeated enemies with positivity. This latest installment aims to tug on nostalgic millennial heartstrings by revealing Branch was once part of a 90s-esque boy band with his brothers.
When Branch’s estranged eldest brother comes seeking help to rescue their kidnapped sibling Floyd, Poppy and Branch must journey across new Troll worlds to reunite the family band. On the way, they square off against glittery villains Velvet and Veneer (Amy Schumer and Andrew Rannells), while also searching for Poppy’s own long lost sister. With original songs and classics like “Push It” and “We Are Family,” Trolls Band Together promises the franchise’s signature bright colors, madcap humor, and love of music.
Does this third Trolls movie recapture the freewheeling fun and visual innovation that made the first film a hit? Or is it an overstuffed glitter bomb of corporate IP mining without enough substance? We’ll review the story, characters, music, animation, and humor to see if Trolls Band Together is a sweet family treat or a cynical sugar rush. Read on for an in-depth look at the latest musical journey from Dreamworks.
A Quest to Save Family and Find Harmony
The film opens with a flashback to Branch’s childhood as the baby brother in a boy band called BroZone, alongside his four older siblings. Though popular, the band breaks up acrimoniously after a disastrous performance where they fail to achieve “perfect family harmony” – a mythical musical feat capable of shattering diamond.
Years later in the present day, Branch’s estranged eldest brother John Dory (Eric André) crashes a royal wedding begging for help – their brother Floyd (Troye Sivan) has been kidnapped by the villainous pop duo Velvet and Veneer (Amy Schumer and Andrew Rannells). Through unexplained magical means, the dastardly duo has imprisoned Floyd in an atomized diamond cage, using his musical talent as their own personal spray-on skill.
To save their brother, Branch, John Dory, and loveable girlfriend Poppy must reunite the broken boy band on a quest to rediscover their lost family harmony. This launches them on a classic adventure to recruit the other bandmate brothers: Spruce (Daveed Diggs) and Clay (Kid Cudi). Along the journey, the group explores wonderfully weird new Troll worlds bursting with inventive design styles and colors, mashing up animation techniques in inspired ways.
There are subplots aplenty, including Poppy shockingly discovering she has her own long lost sister named Viva (Camila Cabello). Like Branch’s family drama, Poppy’s new sister deals with past musical trauma and fear of leaving home. Meanwhile, Velvet and Veneer’s abused assistant Crimp (Zosia Mamet) factors heavily into the madcap rescue mission climax.
Through the eccentric characters and obstacles along their quest, Branch starts to confront his resentment towards his scattered siblings. A message of sibling forgiveness and acceptance starts to emerge, suggesting that rediscovering their harmonious family bond could save Floyd while healing emotional wounds. Of course, being Trolls, it ultimately comes back to the power of music and believing in yourself to overcome adversity…glitter sold separately.
A Kaleidoscope of Color and Creativity
Visually, Trolls Band Together is an absolute explosion of color, glitter, and textural delight. Staying true to the aesthetics from previous films, there is nary a dull moment for the eyes across the landscape of Troll civilization. This time however, the animators have flexed their creative muscles even further to depict the wildly different worlds that Poppy and Branch encounter.
As the quest progresses, Branch reconnects with each of his estranged brothers who have settled into distinct musical realms. When the group lands on a tropical island paradise to locate reclusive brother Spruce, they traipse through water that bounces and ripples like gelatin shapes. Palm trees sway as pool noodles in the breeze as Spruce strums beach rock on his ukulele. The flat, 2D background textures resemble a child’s lite-brite creation come to life, with occasional leanings into near psychedelic optical illusions.
In a creepy, seemingly abandoned amusement park where another brother hides out, the visual textures shift to appear like vinyl decals and foam architecture from a low budget horror movie set. But looks can be deceiving, as the amusement park gives way to its own unique surprises and musical flavor. Every environment is a feast for the eyes in its own style.
Just as impressive is the distinctive character design of new strange additions like villains Velvet and Veneer. Resembling humanoid insects crossed with otherworldly string beans, everything about them screams unnatural in a wonderfully scary way. Their assistant Crimp also delights, a sentient tangled floor mop head that follows them like an abused pet. Even with small roles, new creatures feel fresh and essential.
Sometimes the movie does get overwhelmed by its own frenetic visual density, but the textural risks and desire to avoid repetition is admirable. Trolls Band Together gleefully throws gobs of glitter against the animated wall to see what dazzles. Not all of its images stick, but the vibrantly kaleidoscopic world remains captivating through to the celebratory finale number.
Nostalgic Treats Meet New Tunes
No Trolls movie would live up to its name without showcasing music as the central theme, and Band Together delivers on the tunes. Keeping the franchise’s jukebox musical format alive, the soundtrack interweaves original compositions with modern pop hits, spiced by clever sampling of beloved classics. Longtime fans can expect more rollicking remixes and candy-coated scores to get kids dancing in their seats (whether parents approve or not).
The plot’s 90s boy band concept allows for delightful threading of millennial nostalgia, especially for those who grew up with acts like NSYNC as the soundtrack to their youth. From character names (John Dory = Justin Timberlake) to inside jokes about Backstreet Boys lyrics, it’s a tween fever dream come true for parents. This extends through to more current groups like One Direction getting namedropped as well. The new original songs also lean into mimicking this style with their lyrics and themes about dysfunctional sibling bonds.
Of course it wouldn’t be a Trolls movie without plenty of bouncy pop covers of songs kids have no business knowing about. Beloved hits reimagined range from Lionel Richie’s “Hello” to Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It” to Sister Sledge’s enduring anthem “We Are Family.” There’s just enough cheeky subversion of lyrics to wink at the adults about playing these non-kiddie tracks. And the final show-stopping rendition blends it all together for one epic reprise sure to get stuck in viewers’ heads.
In a movie bursting at the seams with characters and visual stimuli though, the music itself occasionally suffers. The shorter runtime leads to some songs feeling truncated before they can fully blossom. Lizzo’s “Good as Hell” suffers the most as a rush job, cutting itself off right as the party gets started. Given the wall-to-wall sonic nostalgia elsewhere, a few songs end up forgettable in the sonic blitz.
But for the most part, Band Together lives up to its namesake in carrying on the legacy of Trolls’ musical mischief and millennial nostalgia. Kids get the bright colors, parents get sly references and old faves, and everyone enjoys the innovative remixes…even if the film tries cramming too much sugar in at once.
Bringing the Colorful Cast to Life
Reprising their lead roles once again, Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake continue to provide infectious vocal performances as the peppy pink princess Poppy and her former grump turned love interest Branch. Their chemistry and comedic timing remain a reliable anchor for the chaos unfolding around the rest of the bloated cast. Poppy brings her trademark overflowing optimism against Branch’s snark, playing off each other nicely.
They are supported by returning favorites like Zooey Deschanel’s kind-hearted Lady Glittersparkles (formerly Bridget) and Kunal Nayyar’s techno DJ troll Guy Diamond. But make no mistake, this crowded film belongs to its parade of new and extremely famous guest voice actors. Amy Schumer leaves her usual R-rated comedy behind as vain villain Velvet, while Andrew Rannels hams it up as her partners in crime brother Veneer. The two antagonists very much feel like siblings with their chemistry.
Other standouts come from Eric André rocking an overdone Spanish accent as Branch’s estranged brother John Dory, and Kenan Thompson nearly stealing the entire movie as Tiny Diamond – a scene stealing, bedazzled rap legend troll. With well over a dozen named characters, fans of the celebrities involved get their money’s worth.
The only downside of stuffing in so many new faces comes at the expense of properly servicing fan favorites like Poppy and Branch. With the leads pulled in so many directions to react, assist, or bounce lines off the newcomers, neither gets much meaningful character development amidst the chaos. They often feel secondary despite Kendrick and Timberlake’s best efforts to draw focus. Still, the star power makes its presence felt and will satisfy adults along for the ride.
Nostalgia and Naughty Laughs for Millennial Parents
Trolls Band Together clearly wants to keeps millennial parents entertained while their kids fall in love with Poppy’s color-drenched world. As such, the humor, nostalgic references, and even occasional adult-level raunchiness shows who the real target audience is here. Parents who grew up with 90s boy bands and pop music culture will chuckle often at the cheeky one liners, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it visual gags, and even occasional innuendo likely to zoom over little heads.
Nearly every act of BroZone’s reunion tour sports clever references to other real world boybands. When the brothers struggle to harmonize, they comment on not being in sync (NSYNC) or facing different directions (Backstreet Boys). A tropical escape alludes to *NSYNC’s “I Drive Myself Crazy” music video, while the big climactic number namedrops more bands like New Kids on the Block. These constant hat tips to millennial pop culture offers steady chuckles for mom and dad.
The trippy visuals also provide absurdist sight gags, like giant flowers casually waving to characters as they pass. Silliness abounds in the refugee troll settlement of Sparklemuff Glen, where unicorns fart glitter and rainbow macarons grow wild. It’s so unexplained but amusingly embraces its cartoon logic.
There’s also occasional sexual innuendo slipped in regarding certain characters that give parents extra knowing laughs. When Branch’s troll ancestry is questioned upon meeting his very different brothers, another comments “your mother got around.” A one-off girlfriend of Clay feels visually designed to amuse how she is possibly compatible with him biologically. They are quick raunchy beats that zoom over kids’ heads.
So while the colors and songs might pull in the young viewers, Trolls Band Together never forgets to wink at the adults taking them. Parents are sure to walk out humming 90s hits and chuckling about the sillier, naughtier moments their children will discover someday in the future. Nostalgia plus absurdity equals millennial catnip.
Good Intentions Buried Under Excess
As with any overstuffed all-you-can-eat buffet, it can be hard to find nourishment once you’re five plates deep in desserts. For all its manic creativity, Trolls Band Together ultimately crumbles under the weight of too much: too many characters, too many garish visuals, too many convenient plot turns. Where the original film felt fresh and subversive, this third entry exposes the cracks in a franchise leaning hard into formula and merchandise.
That’s not to say the good intentions aren’t visible beneath the glitter explosion. Themes championing family bonds, accepting flaws in loved ones, believing in yourself – they form a solid moral compass. But these sincere messages get muddy in the cacophony of over 20 named characters vying for attention across a neon blur of settings that render feeling secondary to stimulation. Both kids and adults risk sensory overload, numbed to caring when the next song cue hits.
It doesn’t help that the plot mechanics creak under inspection. The rules of magic and world logic seem made up on the spot purely to enable conveniences like Brit Floyd imprisoned in a diamond atomizing spray can. We’re supposed to just accept this, while rules flip flop scene to scene. Such thin storytelling does no favors for building emotional investment either.
Peppered throughout lies commercially motivated decisions that opt for easy nostalgia over innovation. The NSYNC members playing Branch’s brothers would subvert expectations brilliantly, but licensing the actual “I Want It That Way” for a mashup is safer IP. Rude jokes poke the edge but get reined quickly back to family friendliness. The story wants to rebel while selling plush dolls.
Trolls Band Together aims admirably for a message about embracing family differences instead of seeking perfection. But its own creative efforts regularly pull themselves back from potential greatness in favor of marketable mediocrity. Beneath the tornado of stunning colors and frenzied joy lies something a bit empty and calibrated rather than allowed to freely shine. Less can be more, even with glitter.
A Mixed Bag of Sights and Sounds
There’s no denying Trolls Band Together delivers exactly what fans of the glittery animated franchise have come to expect: a rapid fire assault of color, music, and zany comedy. Kids enthralled by the Trolls world will find plenty to keep their short attention spans engaged across the bouncy 80+ minute runtime. Between the sensory explosion and funny celebrity voices, children are sure to walk away smiling and singing the pop mashups.
Parents may experience more of a mixed bag depending on their nostalgia for late 90s/early 2000s pop culture. Millennials will chuckle at the plentiful references poking fun at the boy bands and pop songs of their adolescence. The familiar tunes prompting singalongs and toes tapping serve that demographic well. But the chaotic pacing struggles to make viewers truly care when not everything fully gels.
As with prior franchise entries, the ultimate weakness lies in emotional resonance taking a backseat to manic energy. The story wants to champion themes of sibling bonds overcoming past drama, but excitable sensory elements shout loudest. Flat character arcs get dots connected through narrative conveniences rather than meaningful growth through catharsis. It’s disposable rather than memorable.
And with so many players and threads vying intensely for attention at all times, both kids and parents may stumble exhausted by the long-awaited finale family showdown. It’s almost an endurance test of stimuli through the finish line instead of a steady unfolding journey to root for. Trolls Band Together burns bright, but runs risk of burning out faster than expected for viewers not mainlining pure sugar.
Still, those looking for a familiar rush of colors and beats are likely to exit entertained, if not truly satisfied. Trolls gets by on technical wizardry and hyperkinetic energy more than narrative substance. That will sufficiently distract kids as their parents laugh at inside jokes likely headed over tiny heads. Return visits depend on one’s appetite for glittery lunacy and remixes.
The Review
Trolls Band Together
At its neon-drenched core, Trolls Band Together achieves exactly what it sets out to do: bombard young fans with glittery stimuli while bombarding parents with nostalgia for a minute. It’s a sugary spectacle that never dares slow down enough to make you care deeply. But for brief flashes of inspired weirdness and clever throwbacks, the manic energy and visual delights entertain amid logical holes. Kids will have crazy fun while Gen X’ers chuckle, but almost all will be ready for the day-glo explosion to end after 80+ minutes of lunacy. It’s a party, but one that wears you down with excess long before the last mashup fades out.
PROS
- Vibrant, creative, innovative animation and visuals styles
- Toe-tapping musical numbers and remixes of catchy pop hits
- Fun references and nods to 90s/2000s pop culture for millennial parents
- Great vocal performances from Kendrick, Timberlake and celebrity guests
- Manic energy and fast pace keeps young children thoroughly entertained
CONS
- Overstuffed with too many characters and subplots
- Story and emotional impact gets buried under frenetic chaos
- Jarring tonal shifts between kid-friendly and more mature jokes
- Relies heavily on franchise formula and merchandising opportunities
- Both kids and adults may feel overwhelmed/exhausted by frantic climax
