Trolls: Band Together: Movie Review

Cast: Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Eric Andre, Amy Schumer, Andrew Rannells
Director: Walt Dohrn, Tim Heitz

With some shameless puns, a hyperactive sparkle and a jukebox full of music, Trolls: Band Together knows exactly what it's doing - and does it with reasonable aplomb.

When Poppy (Kendrick, endlessly hyper) discovers Branch (Timberlake) was part of her favourite boyband Brozone, she's shocked. But things get worse when Branch is approached by a former member John Dory (Andre) and told Brozone member Floyd is in danger thanks to new pop sensations Velvet and Veneer (Schumer and Rannells).

Setting out on a rescue mission to reunite Brozone and save Floyd, Poppy and Branch must dig into their family pasts to save the day.

Trolls: Band Together is a film that simply goes for nostalgia - whether it's on the music front with its montage mixes of songs by Lizzo, Dolly Parton and Sister Sledge or whether it's down to the fact the Trolls series goes back to basics, the film's keen to hit all the right (auto-tuned) notes as it plays out.

Eschewing some of the formulaic but also heading into psychedelia overload thanks to its colour scheme and trippy visuals, Trolls: Band Together is a candy-covered confestion that manages to make a case for the franchise continuing. 

At a little shy of 90 minutes, there's no sign that this one feels like the series is outstaying its welcome, but creatively, it all leads up to a shameful marketing ploy for N'Sync's latest film and a feeling that the shine may be coming off the Trolls the next time unless they radically reinvent the perenially popular formula which is in danger of becoming safe and stale.