Hot Take: The happiest movie I’ve seen in years. Then again, how can you not be happy if you poop cupcakes and fart glitter?

It’s a dark time in America. An Internet troll is about to be sworn into the office of the President. His chief strategist is a white nationalist accused of anti-Semitism. Nepotism will likely put his family in important positions of government influence. He’s even put a climate change denier in charge of his EPA transition team. Does he even know EPA stands for Environmental Protection Agency? That’s like making Charles Manson the warden at his prison. Myron Bleeping (this is a review of a kid’s movie, after all) Ebell… are you kidding me?

It’s very important not to get that Internet troll confused with Trolls. Literally the happiest movie made in over a decade, this sugary sweet kid’s tale is delightful to watch. Featuring the voices of Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Zooey Deschanel, Jeffrey Tambor, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Gwen Stefani, James Corden, Christine Baranski, Russell Brand, John Cleese and Ron Finches, the colorful, pop song driven (you see, all the Trolls want to do is sing and dance and hug) plot is a breeze to sit through. The generic story won’t do much for you but there’s plenty of music and humor to get past the ho-hum plot.

Is there a chance you’ll not like Trolls? Absolutely! But I don’t want to know your soulless carcass incapable of just going to the movies and having fun without thinking. Trolls is the ultimate distraction. Sure, if you despise pop music and think kid’s movies need to always have some deeper meaning to hook adults, you might think about sitting this one out. Also, drop me a line so I remember not to invite you to any party of mine. (Full disclosure: I’m unlikely to have a party.)

If anything, Trolls is proof there can be light at the end of the tunnel. It’s the power of positivity in the form of a 100 minute that begs you to let your hair down and lighten up. Sorry if you can’t. But I did. And I enjoyed every silly pop cover and original song along the way. Thanks for the diversion!

“Spoiler Free” Pros

  • Timberlake & Kendrick
    The duo work well together in the movie. Kendrick as the super sugary sweetheart is actually somewhat of a departure from her normal character which often has a little twist of sarcasm. She also sings more often than Timberlake who fills the sarcasm void. By the end, the pair are in sync (get it?) and their pitch perfect (get it???) number at the end really warms the heart. (Don’t accuse me of slipping in a spoiler here. I said the movie was fun not unpredictable and if you don’t see this coming from a mile away, you might want to stay away from busy roads.)
  • Mr. Dinkles!
    Okay, so I’m not really sure what Mr. Dinkles is. There’s a character in the movie named Biggie (voiced by James Corden) and he carries around a big eyed, hat wearing, yellow thing named Mr. Dinkles. I’m not sure what it is supposed to be other than funny. But funny is enough for me.
  • Even Zooey Deschanel Isn’t Annoying
    I’ve probably voiced my displeasure with Deschanel somewhere on this blog in the past year and change I’ve been writing it but even Deschanel isn’t annoying in this greatest hits version of kid’s movies.

“Spoiler Free” Cons

  • The Smurfs Did It
    If I wanted to be hyper critical, Trolls isn’t anything more than a knock-off of the Smurfs cartoon with the Trolls replacing the Smurfs and the Bergens replacing Gargamel.
  • Myron Bleeping Ebell???
    Seriously! I can’t let it go!