Trolls: A becoming animation

Star Voiceover: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Russell Brand, James Corden, Gwen Stefani

Rated: 6/10

First, a becoming soiree on happiness and the need for it for survival. Second, a lovely animation. Third, pegged on great, old-world musical scores. And, finally, a wholesome children’s film with a message, the message being “happiness is within you, find it.”

So we have these trolls living on a tree of life, hugging, kissing, singing, dancing and being happy on clockwork timing. Then we have these boo-hoo-hoo beings who just can’t ever be happy — until one day one of them gobbles a troll and feels happy for a split second.

So, starts the dreadful day in the life of the trolls, called Trollstice. This is the annual day on which the poor trolls gets cooked up by an evil woman chef and eaten by the boo-hoo-hoos who have captured them in their dwelling place.

All this and much more leads to a story of escape, recapture and re-escape and, finally, the realisation that, well, happiness is an insider entry and can’t really be snatched away by non-vegetarian means!

This one is for children so filling up the cinemas with them would be a good overture. Some great animation and colouring, not mention the peppy oldies (hello, is it me you are looking for, lady in red and the like) fine-tuned and furnished by none less than Justin Timberlake are the heart and soul of this one. 

Source: Sunday Pioneer, 6 November, 2016