TROLLS BAND TOGETHER

US, 2023, 91 minutes, Colour.

Voices of: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Kenan Thomson, Walter Dohrn, Ron Funches, Eric Andre, Daveed Diggs, Kid Cudi, Troye Sivan, Amy Schumer, Andrew Rannels, Zoe Deschanel, Christopher Mintz Plasse, RuPaul.

Directed by Walter Dohrn, Tim Heitz.

The first Trolls animation film was released in 2016 and was immediately popular. Four years later, there was a sequel, Trolls World Tour, also popular.

In the post-Covid recovery, here is a third film, capitalising on the characters and style of the previous films. The animation is bright, colourful. The Trolls are small, each with the different characteristic, and all of them with a voice cast of popular singers, led by Justin Timberlake, but supported by Eric Andre as John Dory, Daveed Diggs, Kid Cudi and, from Australia, Troye Sivan. The villains of the piece, too ambitious teenagers who are draining the singing essence of one of the brothers whom they are captured, are played by Amy Schumer and Andrew Rannles.

And, a number of the supporting cast previously appeared in trolls films, including Zoe Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and a guest appearance from RuPaul.

The focus is on the music, on performance, and ultimate success with the family of brothers coming together, overcoming the perfectionism of their leader, John Dory, and a final performance with Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick.

Walter Dohrn continues as director and performs a number of roles. As does the other director, Tim Heitz.

1. The popularity of the earlier films, the trolls, their size, history, interactions, song? This film relying on their singing as a group, their singing essence stolen, reuniting, perfect harmony?
2. The colourful style of animation, bright colours, the characters, the situations, Bergen, the kingdoms, the dwellings, the concerts?
3. The voice cast, so many from the original films? The music, the songs?
4. Audience liking the trolls, liking John Dory, Justin Timberlake, liking Poppy, an often strident and aggressive Anna Kendrick? The singers taking the supporting roles?
5. The focus on the brothers, singing as a group, John Dory and his leadership, wanting perfection, the breaking up of the group, the brothers going the different ways, Branch being looked after by his grandmother?
6. The years passing, John Dory returning, trying to track down the other brothers, the quest? The role of Branch, growing up, his making demands? The support of Poppy?
7. The situation with Velvet and Veneer? Their ambitions, teens, singing, capturing the brothers, especially Floyd, draining the essence for their own singing, the shoulder pads? Their performances, the crowds and applause?
8. The quest for meeting all the older brothers, finding them in their situations, settled, being persuaded to come together again?
9. The background characters, the kingdoms, Poppy discovering her sister, old enmities forgotten?
10. The buildup to the confrontation, the brother still squabbling, Poppy assertive, Branch and his leadership, saving Floyd? The confrontation with Velvet and Veneer, taking them down?
11. The harmony of the brothers, working together, a different kind of working perfectly together?