Movie Review
Trolls are deeply rooted in Norwegian folklore, and this Netflix Original uses it to the fullest. With weak humor and a fast-paced plot.
Storyline
The story follows a group of misfits who band together to stop a monstrous creature from wreaking havoc across the country. Deep in the Dovre Mountains, an explosion shakes the surroundings, unleashing a giant behemoth on the countryside and terrifying the locals.
Destroying everything in its path, this creature sets its sights on Oslo and begins a methodical march there. To prevent certain destruction, Paleobiologist Nora Tidemann, Prime Minister's Advisor Andreas Isaksen, and Army Captain Chris must find a solution before it's too late.
Complicating matters is Nora's father, Tobias, who knows more about Trolls and folklore than anyone else in these parts. Only Nora is related to her crazy father, and that could be a sticking point. But can they resolve their differences to solve Norway's wolf problem?
The story itself is pretty simple, although when the creature is introduced halfway through, much of the drama and mystery is lost, replaced by a good old-fashioned action movie. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, and in many ways the film is very similar to a 90's Godzilla movie, both in tone and presentation.
Characters
The characters are all likeable, but not particularly deep. Andreas has a simple but satisfying arc, Nora and Tobias are the glue that holds it together, and Captain Chris injects some testosterone into the film as a gum-chewing soldier. The problem with
Troll stems from its questionable logic and recycled plot. There are scenes ripped from other monster movies - some of which I've already mentioned. Finding a giant footprint is a sign of Godzilla; the vibrations that cause water to move are in Jurassic Park; in King Kong, a giant creature that fights with helicopters. These sequences continue throughout the film and you can find them when you check out all the films that were made in 90 minutes.
Overall
It's the kind of movie that, if you stop to think about it for a moment, logic falls apart and you're going to have a bad time. No foreign government involvement is a major point of contention, and even more damning, the film doesn't give Chris a satisfying ending either.
It's a big, popcorn-eating movie that's crying out for a theatrical release at the height of summer. It's still a winter wonderland though, and a fun way to kill an hour and a half.