Trolls (2016) film review

Year: 2016
Running Time: 92 minutes
Directors: Walt Dohrn and Mike Mitchell
Writers: Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger (screenplay), Erica Rivinoja (story) and Thomas Dam (based on the Good Luck Trolls created by)
Cast: (voices) Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Russell Brand, Christine Baranski, Gwen Stefani, John Cleese, James Corden

Trolls is now showing in the United States and is to be released in Australian on December 1. Distributed by 20th Century Fox.

Like it's protagonist, Trolls is a crazily colourful explosion of sparkling optimism that is a whole lot of toe-tapping fun for the whole family.

Based on the dolls that were at their height of popularity in the 1990's, the trolls are a community of happy little creatures with crazy hair who live in the safe haven of Troll Village away from the hideous and troll-eating Bergens. When one of their parties becomes a little too loud, their cover is blown and several trolls are taken away to fulfil the wishes of King Gristle (voiced by Christopher Mintz-Plasse). The brightest and happiest of all the trolls, Poppy (Anna Kendrick) decides to venture behind enemy lines to rescue her friends and she decides to take her polar opposite, the pessimistic Branch (Justin Timberlake) with her. The two unlikely partners in crime take a journey which results in the two learning more about life and the real world off each other than they ever thought possible.

Trolls is definitely not a film for the extreme pessimists of the world with it's over-the-top, but pleasant mantra of happiness. It is a particularly simple film that doesn't say anything more than what is being said out loud, which is that happiness is always inside you. Of course this works well for the younger members of the audience, but the film is also enjoyable enough for adults not to crave anything deeper. Yet, again, some adults may find the film a little too overly optimistic for their liking and this is something that will vary according to the individual.

Directors Walt Dohrn and Mike Mitchell do not take the happiness theme lightly. Trolls is designed to have whole families leave the cinema with big smiles on their faces. Visually, the large majority of the film resembles a rainbow that has exploded, which is not a bad thing as Trolls really is beautiful to look at with it's amazing use of colour and all things pretty such a glitter bombs, cupcakes and long multi-coloured hair.

Then there is the uplifting musical score by Christophe Beck and executive music producer Justin Timberlake. Anyone who has heard the catchy Timberlake song "Can't Stop The Feeling" would have guessed the tone of the film without having to see it nor hear the rest of the soundtrack. The cast, which includes Timberlake, Anna Kendrick and Zooey Deschanel, have remarkable vocal talents which are on show with wonderful renditions of songs such as "True Colors", "The Sound of Silence" and "Hello".

There is no doubt that Trolls is definitely the most colourful and excitable film of the year. While some may find the film absolutely adorable, others who don't like feeling as though happiness is forced onto them will find it cringe-worthy.

7/10

Your Highness

Your Highness
Year: 2011
Director: David Gordon Green
Cast: Danny McBride, James Franco, Natalie Portman, Zooey Deschanel

In My Own Words
Well, this movie may not be everyone's cup of tea. If you like crude humour,you will love it. If you don't like crude humour and don't like overuse of the "f-bomb", then you may want to avoid this movie like the plague. I am not usually one for crude humour and with some of the jokes of this nature in the film I could do little more than roll my eyes, but for some strange reason I found Danny McBride's overuse of the "f-bomb" and words of other such nature quite hilarious. I may need to check my temperature. I think it was the way which he swore most of the time was so non-chalant and random that it was just my type of humour. I understand that not everyone shares my sense of humour where I find the random hilarious, so that part of my thoughts about the movie appears in "In My Own Words"!

I've said it before and I will say it again, I have the utmost respect for James Franco. I love that he does movies like these as well as the dramatic film. Why? Because it is just fun! What better way to break up your films than to do a few dramatic films and then break it up with something like this? Plus I love the fact that he studies while being an actor, and he has done as many degrees as he has done. It's great to know that he truly appreciates film as an art form, rather than just what he does for a job. I salute you James Franco.

These are my own words and here is  my review.

Review
"Your Highness" is the most over the top comedy you will see this year. It is completely ridiculous, over-acted and there is no way you can take it seriously. However, the best thing is it knows it is all of these things. "Your Highness" does not try to be anything that it isn't, which is commendable. It laughs at itself and laughs at the genre it is in. It knows it is ridiculous so it plays up to it and makes it no matter how stupid it may seem, it is bearable and even quite funny.

Long ago in a medieval kingdom, there lived a king and his two sons, Fabious (James Franco) and Thadeous (Danny McBride). Thadeous is continually in the shadow of his older brother and the kingdom considers him to be a joke. When Fabious' bride to be, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel) is kidnapped by an evil wizard, Leezar (Justin Theroux), the two brothers set off on a quest to save her. This could be Thadeous' chance to prove his worth to himself, his family and the whole kingdom!

"Your Highness" will definitely not suit everyone's sense of humour. There is a lot of sexual inuendo, crude language and images and dirty jokes which a lot of people will find downright disgusting. Yet, if you don't mind that sort of things and you can handle the sight of and find funny a minotaur humping one of the king's servants, you will have a good giggle at this film. "Your Highness" was largely improvised and no proper script was used for the majority of filming. When you think about this, it actually gives you more respect for the film and it's actors as they have come up with some very funny lines themselves.

The best thing about "Your Highness" is that it doesn't try to be anything that it is not. It knows what it is and accomplishes everything that it should. It is not a classic, it won't be remembered for years to come, but it does it's job for the here and now. It pokes fun at the fantasy genre and the over-the-topness of some of the key elements of fantasy films, such as the wedding song by Fabious and Belladonna and he valiant prince going to rescue his true love.

There are really no good dramatic performances in the film nor any performances which show what the actor is capable of. All you see is a group of actors having some fun with something different and trying as hard as they can to make their performances as over the top as possible. Danny McBride is the unlikely lead and is repulsive and disgusting as he aims to be. Yet, he is also very funny. James Franco's performance is so exaggerated that it is perfectly suited to the role which he is playing. His character is probably the most wholesome of all the male characters. Zooey Deschanel is good, but her performance isn't anything we'll remember when speaking of her best films. Natalie Portman holds her own well, but she is not particularly funny. While Portman may be at the top of her game in her dramatic roles, comedy is still not really her forte.

"Your Highness" is not for everyone. This point cannot be exaggerated enough. Yet, it is actually refreshing to see such a crude comedy in a different light rather than it being about modern day men on quest for their manhood. If you are open, "Your Highness" is a bit of fun and good for a giggle.
5/10