Trolls Band Together Review – Boy Bands are a wonderful thing
Here’s my Trolls Band Together review which is now playing in theaters featuring the voices of Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Zooey Deschanel, Amy Schumer, Camila Cabello and more! The film is directed by Walt Dohrn and Tim Heitz from Universal Pictures Philippines!
(Most) of the Trolls gang are back for this fourth installment in the animated franchise and this time we deal with Branch’s hidden backstory as well as a neat surprise for Queen Poppy (Anna Kendrick). Seems like Branch never told anybody in his community that he used to perform in a boy band together with his brothers with his alias being “Baby B”. Here, we are introduced to other members of BroZone including John Dory (Eric Andre), Spruce (Daveed Diggs), Clay (Kid Cudi), Floyd (Troye Sivan) and Branch (Justin Timberlake). The brothers are forced to reunite after Floyd gets captured and his essence is used to power up this pair of freaky villains. Along the way Branch needs to get past his abandonment issues while Poppy tags along and meets her long-lost sister Viva.
Poppy and Viva
This animated flick was highly enjoyable whether you’re a kid or a grown up watching along. For the adults, especially the titos and the titas in the crowd, there’s a number of pop ditties you can sing along with and there’s always a boy band related gag here and there. I LOL’ed hard at the mention of “trying the Menudo” and “going back to the backstreets”. Its just plain silly and I’m all for it.
The kids will just love the straightforward story about family and belonging and love. I liked how this was presented too with the brothers going their own separate ways to do something they love and reconnecting at some point in time to save their captured bro. The vibrant colors also makes it for eye candy and they were cool enough to go back to muted colors for essential scenes or drama scenes. At least the kids can take a break from stimulation within the hour and a half or so flick which is good.
The villains here were interesting both visually and character-wise. Velvet and Veneer also look like they were ripped out of a horror book but sugar-coated enough so as not to scare the kids but I see you nightmare fuel. Amy Schumer and Andrew Rannells were good with their role with Schumer really hitting the high notes in terms of being a villain. Not sure if they were actually singing though but those bits with the singing were also entertaining as hell. Good job too for using The Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams and giving its own unique take.
Trolls Band Together might just be the second best Trolls movie for me because it’s got the right stuff going from pop songs, this suprisingly good reliance on Boyband culture and references and a pretty entertaining story.
I also love the subplot of Tiny Diamond trying to be a man, leaving his daddy and then actually realizing that he’s better off as a kid for now. Then there’s also these bits about offering Branch some lollipop likes it’s crack and Branch constantly saying no until he relents. Hope the kids don’t get that part though especially since its played mostly for laughs.
Verdict: 9/10
