Movie Review – ‘Trolls Band Together’

If you combined your 90s mixtapes, with your Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper and a few tabs of acid, you could probably come up with Trolls Band Together (2023) all on your own.

Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake) are finally together after two movies of “will-they/won’t they,” and have decided they are, in fact, a thing. At the very least, they’re serious enough to be complimenting each other relentlessly. At the marriage of Bergens (think ogres, keep moving) King Gristle (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) and Bridget (Zooey Deschanel), current king and former scullery maid in Bergen Town, Branch gets word that his brother Floyd (Troye Sivan) is missing. Poppy also discovers Branch used to be in her favorite boy band ever, BroZone, which was an unhappy time for Branch (then known as “Baby Branch ” or “Bitty B”) since the band broke up and the brothers all went their separate ways, leaving Branch behind. Branch and Poppy work with the other brothers John Dory, Clay, and Spruce to rescue Floyd from Velvet (Amy Schumer) and Veneer (Andrew Rannells), two rising pop stars who are stealing Floyd’s Troll essence to make their voices better and gather a huge fan base to become famous.

The Haves and Have-Nots of family dynamics are on full display in Trolls Band Together. Poppy was raised as an only child and always wished for a sibling. The former BroZone members bicker and argue and storm out multiple times, and Branch wishes things could go back to the way they used to be when everything was in harmony. It’s relatable, in how sibling relationships remain static in the two ways that matter: driving each other crazy and the deep connection of love and shared experiences.

Trolls Band Together looks like it would be fun for littles with its bright colors and adorable trolls. It’s 92 minutes which is probably 45 minutes too long, based on the audience screening I endured. For the rest of us, it’s a trip down memory lane as BroZone and Poppy harmonize their way through a medley/mashup pop hits of every boy band from All-4-One to Westlife. Some whip by so fast, you’ll only catch the tail end of the melody, but they’ll still make you smile. The music and story keep a solid steady pace and for 92 minutes, it’s not a bad way to spend a wholesome afternoon with family.

Trolls Band Together (2023) is rated PG. It’s an animated Trolls movie. There’s nothing objectionable.