This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn't exist.
After being together with your partner for two years – or two movies – you would think you know everything about them. That's certainly not true for Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake). One day, Poppy discovers that her boyfriend used to be part of the immense popular boyband BroZone. For Branch, it was a life he left behind. However, when his brother Floyd (Troye Sivan) is kidnapped by wanna-be pop icons Velvet (Amy Schumer) and Veneer (Andrew Rannells) – who chemically extract Floyd's talent for their gain – it's time to bring the band back together. Throughout the rescue mission, Branch is reunited with his brothers John Dory (Eric André), Clay (Kid Cudi) and Spruce (Daveed Diggs). Once it becomes clear that they need the “perfect family harmony” to shatter the glass bottle Floyd's in, it's time for one final hit.
Without seeing the trailer, you can already guess that this movie is highly similar to the other Trolls films, Trolls (2016) and Trolls World Tour (2020). Branch and Poppy go on a grand adventure again and have to overcome some obstacles. They meet new friends but also encounter dangers they've never faced before. There's also a lot of stunning visuals and tons of music and singing. The amount of songs and singing is heightened even more in this movie because the story focuses on a former band getting back together.
During our interview with director Walt Dohrn, he mentioned that he wanted to turn this movie in a pop spectacle, and he certainly succeeded in that. The many worldwide known songs – such as 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton – work in the Trolls remix, but we can't say the same about the original song Perfect Days. Timberlake – who also acts as soundtrack producer – got his former band' NSync back together for the film's title track. Sadly, ‘NSync's first single in more than 20 years isn't as catchy and memorable as they thought it would be. On top of that, the boyband-related jokes in this movie – whether it's about ‘NSync or BoyZone – do not always work. The boyband meta-jokes feel a bit forced in a pretty predictable storyline.
The happy-go-lucky screenplay also feels too smooth and straightforward. The differences and fights between the brothers and the fact that Branch doesn't want to open up about his feelings aren't explored in depth. There could have easily been lovely messages to kids on how to resolve feuds between brothers and how important it is to talk about your feelings, but sadly, those important messages don't fully come through. When things get emotional — we see how anxious Branch gets and what emotional trauma Poppy's sister Viva (Camila Cabello) had to endure — it's all pushed away to the background and covered up with shiny candyfloss-looking visuals.
Luckily, those visuals work. Watching Trolls Band Together feels like you're on a 92-minute LSD trip, but a very family-friendly one. The surreal bright colour palette, the glorious effects and the many eye-catching worlds ensure this movie works. While the visuals and world look familiar — the Trolls' designs and the backdrop haven't changed much — the introduction of Velvet and Veneer certainly adds a new element to the already extensively explored Trolls world. They look like they come from outer space and could easily be part of a Betty Boop series.
Speaking of which. Whether or not this movie wanted to pay homage to other popular television and film icons such as Betty Boop, the Muppets or Mario Karts, some characters, designs and worlds look very familiar. The over-the-top visuals sometimes leave a sickly feeling behind, but most of the time, they make up for the very hollow screenplay and one-dimensional characters.
While Trolls Band Together isn't big on in-movie messages, surprise storylines and complex characters, it's strong visually and musically, and maybe a movie like that is what we need once in a while.
Trolls Band Together is now out in UK cinemas
