Trolls; a review

*Spoiler Alert, some Trolls giveaways in the post to follow.*

I’ve never written a movie review, but I am about to try for the first time, so here goes…

Warren and I have gone to the movies together more in the last month than in our entire relationship before. We went to see Trolls on election day and had the theatre to ourselves. We saw Fantastic Beasts with friends after we moved back up here, and this week we went to the much anticipated Disney, Moana. They were all good films, really, but I personally liked Trolls the best.

Despite the title having other connotations, Trolls isn’t about some nasty, giant, ugly beings… well, it kind of is, but the nasty ones are called Bergens. In the traditional sense, “Bergens” are more like trolls and “Trolls” are more like miniature elves- you know, with the happiness and the pointy ears and being all smallish.

Anyway, Trolls begins with a sort of prolog explaining Trolls and Bergens. In this world, Trolls are brightly colored little beings who lived in a tree, they were always happy and sang and danced all the time. Bergens are miserable beings who are constantly unhappy, and the only way for a Bergen to experience happiness is to eat a Troll. Because of this, Bergen Town is built up around the tree the Trolls lived in, and one day a year the Bergens celebrated “Trollstice,” where the Cook would harvest the Trolls and prepare them to be eaten by the Bergens. But on the Bergen Prince’s first Trollstice, the Trolls ran away. The Bergens banished the Cook, blaming her for their escape, and resolved to be unhappy forevermore. But the cook plotted and planned to find and capture the Trolls again.

(Mind you, all of that is shown in a matter of a couple minutes at most… Just some back story so the capturing and happiness talk makes sense.)

The rest of the show is about Princess Poppy, the Troll Princess, who has to travel back to Bergen town to rescue the Trolls who were captured by the Cook, and Branch, the odd Troll who doesn’t sing and dance with the rest of them, who assists Poppy in her quest. They travel through a crazy, colorful forest and display great determination in the face of challenges, (or at least Poppy does, Branch shows more contempt toward Poppy and the whole mission they’re on.) They find their friends, save the day, make new friends and even end up teaching the Bergens a thing or two. The show is lots of fun with great musical numbers and lots of bright colors. But what I loved most was the meaning behind the show.

Every movie has a meaning, or a lesson… Something you’re supposed to learn from watching it. Trolls is about happiness- it teaches that happiness is something you can choose to find in your life, not something that can only be found by taking it from someone else.

In this world today, so many people look outside of themselves for happiness. For some it’s spending money, for others popularity, and some eat to feel good. Some think that if misfortune finds them that it is only fair if that sorrow is shared with everyone. The words, “so-and-so made me feel ____” are common and accepted as reason for action or emotion. This is why I think Trolls is so greatly needed now. It is important that people learn that you can control how you feel and react. It is important that people know that “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” (Albus Dumbledore)

Another lesson I learned from the movie can be shown from just the “True Colors” song. That lesson being that what you go through in life, especially the big and tough things, are what show who you truly are. It is those who’ve been through the worst of it, but still shine as an example of hope and happiness, that are the great people who inspire. As a bereaved mother, this silly little movie proved to me the hope that is still in me, despite the sadness and fear that would hide it from me.

I challenge you to see the happiness, and choose to let it in. Be a bright light, show your true colors… This world really can be a dark place, but there is beauty in life, and each of us have opportunity to share it.