The sequel to the absolutely average 2016 Trolls movie is very much more of the same, with a greater sprinkling of famous voices. After finally getting everything in Auto-Tuned harmony at the end of the last film, the Trolls are now threatened by a new foe. It turns out that the pop-loving trolls we know are not the only music lovers on the Troll planet. There are different tribes – funk, classical, techno, etc. – and one of those tribes, the rock Trolls, led by ever-angry Barb (Rachel Bloom), wants to force the others to stop grooving and start moshing.
Poppy (Anna Kendrick), queen of the pop Trolls, and her pal Branch (Justin Timberlake) head off on a world tour – in these no-contact times, a concept almost as fanciful as the Trolls themselves – to save the other tribes from being enslaved by Barb and to enjoy their musical stylings. It’s all very episodic and predictable, building to the inevitable genre mash-up singalong, but there’s a likeable simplicity to it. Kendrick, even when present in voice only, is impossible not to like and there are some very spirited performances in the support cast, particularly from Sam Rockwell as a centaur with a secret.
The Trolls series is not one you come to expecting originality or depth. You get no sense this was created because someone had a compelling idea they needed to realise. Like Smurfs or Angry Birds, it’s more product than film, 90 minutes of distraction you’ll probably never give a thought to again. And sometimes that’s all a movie needs to do. If you had to venture to the cinema to see this, it would absolutely not be worth the effort of putting on outdoor clothes. If you’re merely after something to distract from the world outside for a little while, this Skittles-coloured wisp is just about enough.
