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TROLL WORLD — The movie world has changed thanks to COVID-19. We were supposed to be days away from seeing James Bond in his latest adventure, Black Widow from making her solo movie debut and the trolls dancing back on to the big screen.
OK, maybe "Trolls World Tour" wasn't No. 1 on your list of must-sees in 2020, but it was supposed to hit theaters today.
Clearly things have changed. Instead of making its way into the cinemas, "Trolls World Tour" is now at your digital fingertips.
The movie is now available to stream on-demand through services like iTunes and Amazon. While this is some new content and a film your family has maybe been excited to see, the question now is if it's worth your money.
It is and it isn't. It is if you are looking for a nice little distraction for your kids, as they will likely love it. It isn't because it may be a bit of a chore for most parents to get through.
Why your kids will love it
It's shiny
It's a "Trolls" movie so you know bright colors and glitter are going to be present in droves.
The animation is actually quite impressive in the film and it's hard not to get sucked into the bright visuals of the scenery. It does look like a unicorn broke into a cotton candy factory, ate up all the contents, had a tummy ache due to all the sugar and promptly threw it all up over the screen, but kids love that kind of stuff.
It's also fun to see all the clever ways the animators made the landscape out of blankets, fabrics and crafting materials. A lot of time, effort and creativity went into making this movie and it's apparent by its overall shininess.
It's got a groove
If you thought "Trolls" from 2016 had a lot of music to it then you haven't seen anything yet.
This movie is packed wall-to-wall with music, and by the end I think there was more singing than dialogue. You're going to get everything from country to K-Pop with a side of yodeling and a sprinkling of smooth jazz. The filmmakers tried to jam every conceivable genre of music in this thing and I think they got close.
For the most part the music is infectious and catchy. It doesn't have a memorable original tune like the first film did with "Can't Stop the Feeling," but the covers will keep your toes tapping and your kids dancing all over the living room.
Why parents aren't going to love it
It's missing something
The first "Trolls" wasn't a home-run film, but the story was well thought-out, the characters were interesting and the jokes actually landed.
I feel like this new film missed all that. New characters are empty and not very interesting, character development is nonexistent until a "snap-of-the-fingers" moment at the end and the jokes seemed to be replaced with glitter and beats.
I'm not saying we were all expecting some brilliant storytelling here. I just think the filmmakers saw an opportunity to make some money and figured the success of the first film and a lot of catchy music would make up for the rest.
From an adult's standpoint, there are some great family films out there that keep the kids entertained with funny scenarios and great visuals but also capture the parents' attention with good storytelling, character development and smart humor. (Pixar anyone?)
This film is lacking that, but I feel that's OK because this wasn't made for us, it was made for the kids.
Is it worth watching?
For the reasons mentioned above, this is a fun movie for the kids.
I watched with my three, ages 9, 7 and 3, and they were bought in the whole way through. They were laughing and dancing the whole time. In fact, when the credits started they begged me to keep it on so they could continue to run around the basement and sing their hearts out while they danced with one another.
It's an animated film that hit the right audience and that's kids. Parents will most likely struggle with the movie, but it won't be completely excruciating and it will be a welcomed distraction for your little ones while you're all quarantined in the same house.
"Trolls World Tour" is rated PG for some mild rude humor and is now available to stream on-demand.
