Trolls

Stars: Voices: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Christine Baranski, Russell Brand, Gwen Stefani, John Cleese, James Corden, Jeffrey Tambor

Director: Mike Mitchell

First rate animation creates a vividly weird one-of-a-kind world where the eponymous cheerful-to-excess Trolls sing and dance and generally behave in a happily high (parents need not worry, no drugs are involved!) way, singing and dancing and generally having a terrific Technicolor-style life.

Until, that is, their Troll village is invaded by the misery-guts Bergens, only happy when they have a Troll in their stomachs, leaving happiest ever Troll Poppy and misery-guts Branch to embark on an engagingly daffy mission to rescue captured Trolls.

Slick animation brings the Trolls (who, like so many modern movie performers, began life as childrens toy dolls) engagingly to life and screenwriters Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger provide plenty of comic moments, along with thrills, chills.

Vocal casting adds to the fun, with Kendrick speaking and singing for Poppy, while Timberlake (doubling as executive movie music producer) adds zest to Branch.

Christine Baranski stands out speaking for a beastly Bergen while for ardent Brits Russell Brand (like Jennifer Aniston, better heard than seen) and John Cleese speak up for Brexit Britain.

Its an entertaining, heartily put-across kidflick, which should please youngsters while keepong accompanying adults amused rather than wishing it would end.

Alan Frank

USA 2016. UK Distributor: 20th Century Fox. Technicolor.
88 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: U.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 14 Feb 2017

DVD review