Well, everyone, today, we review the latest DreamWorks animated film in the DreamWorks animation library. It is another sequel in the Trolls film series that began in 2016, and is the third in this franchise (the second, of course, being Trolls: World Tour). So now, we proudly present my review of the third Trolls film, Trolls Band Together.
Plot: While Branch (Justin Timberlake), and Princess Poppy (Anna Kendrick) help out with the wedding of Bergen trolls Gristle (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), and Bridget (Zooey Deschanel), Branch’s brother, Dory (Eric Andre) arrives, and informs him that their brother, Floyd (Troye Sivan), has been captured by pop star wannabes Venner (Andrew Ranells), and Velvet (Amy Schumer), in order to use Floyd’s musical powers to help make them become betters stars. Now, after the wedding is over, Branch, Poppy, and John set out to find John, and Branch’s other two brothers, and rescue Floyd. Will they rescue Floyd, or will Veneer, and Velvet succeed in draining Floyd’s musical talents, and becoming better singers themselves?
Well, now the question remains, did we get a sequel that was as good, if not better, than either the first two films? Well, yes at least for the first film. I mean seeing as the first one wasn’t all that great when released back in 2016, the filmmakers might have noticed that themselves, and wanted to improve on any sequels that might come afterwards. Well, their one was certainly better than Trolls 1, that’s for certain. As for Trolls World Tour/Trolls 2, that one, in most ways, seemed to have a little more substance than 1, or this third one. But more on that later! So what did work with this third installment in the Trolls franchise? Well, quite a bit, actually! First of all, it was great have a little backstory for Branch, and a little bit with Princess Poppy as well. I mean getting to know that Branch had brothers, it might be somewhat understandable as to why we didn’t get to hear, or know about them until now. The brothers were well developed, and you can buy the motivation for Branch feeling the way that he does toward them at first. At the same time, it was also great to see Branch being willing to put his differences from his brothers, or anyone else around him, aside, as well as putting the needs of others before his own. Not to mention that fact that Branch was more willing to be open, honest, and upfront about certain issues he had with others around him, whether that was his siblings, or even Poppy at one point, for instance. Additionally, it was also cool to know about Poppy having a sister named Viva, who, though somewhat underdeveloped, you do get to have an understanding of her character as well, including her motivations for some of her actions, despite some of them being wrong. Same goes for some of the other good characters, or even understanding the villain duo’s motives. The animation was also very good. Sure, maybe not as great as the animation in some of DreamWorks’ other films. Still, it was very nice. Not to mention that the animation seemed to also improve from the first two movies. The musical by Theodore Shapiro was also very good. Oh, and speaking of music, the soundtrack was also very catchy, and upbeat as well. An additional thing to note is that the action was also really fun, creative, and well-coordinated. This is especially true when the climax occurs in this sequel. Finally, there were good messages about being open, and honest about things in your heart, learning not to do things for the wrong reasons, and ones like those.
With all that said, what are some of the films setbacks? Well, for one, the sequel seemed to cram in one too many unnecessary characters that were there just because they could be. Thankfully, none of them took up much screen time. Still, it sort of caused the story to drag a little much at times. Additionally, Velvet, and Veneer, the villain duo of this film, though you can understand their motivations for their actions, were kind of lame, and one note. Honestly, not as memorable as say Queen Barb, or maybe even the villain from the first Trolls film. Also, again, some of the newer characters, including Viva, could have maybe been developed a little more. Finally, the ending, though good, might have felt a little rushed, and could have maybe extended for maybe an additional 10 minutes, if not more.
And that’s my review for Trolls Band Together/Trolls 3. It is a good sequel, especially better than at least the first film. Despite not fully fleshing the story out, or even some of the newer characters, it was definitely great to see this sequel occur. It certainly helped develop some of the main characters from the first two movies more, the score, the songs were fun, the animation was great, and it had strengths in most other areas overall. I would say that if you don’t like this third film at least better than Trolls 2, you’ll at least like it more than Trolls 1. Definitely go see it, especially you liked the first two films, and see what you think. Now, can Kung Fu Panda 4 be an additional good sequel come either next year, or the year after? We shall see. Well, at least until then, we have Trolls 3 to enjoy!
Final Grade : B+
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 