Another big loss for Justin Timberlake

Is there a more unlikely film franchise than this? trolls,

Troll dolls were a major fad in the 1960s, before fading into relative obscurity, before making an occasional comeback. But that didn’t stop DreamWorks from seeing a future for the little guys and acquiring the brand in 2013. First trolls was a cheerful, candy-colored jukebox musical that proved surprisingly successful, grossing over $300 million worldwide and “Can’t Stop the Feeling” being a Billboard chart-topping hit that also garnered an Oscar nomination. And the second film, 2020 trolls world tourhas the distinction of being the first major studio film to be released directly on a home-viewing platform during the pandemic – a historic precedent that helped transform the film industry.

trolls world tour Apparently did quite well without a proper theatrical release, because the trolls are back, baby! trolls band together It’s the third visit for the cute critters with spiky hairstyles and karaoke addictions.

This time, the focus is not on Poppy (Anna Kendrick), the queen of the Pop Trolls and courageous heroine of the previous films, but on her boyfriend Branch (Justin Timberlake). It was revealed that Branch was once a part of a boy band called Brozone with his brothers, but attempts to complete a full reconciliation led to their separation. Now, several years later, Branch’s brother, John Dory (Eric Andre), has some news: his other brother, Floyd (Troye Sivan), is in danger. She’s kidnapped by the latest music sensations, Velvet (Amy Schumer) and Venire (Andrew Rannells), who influence her so they can hone her musical talents – as you see, they have nothing of their own. . The only way to free Floyd is to reunite all of Branch’s brothers (yes, he has more) and finally achieve that impossible dream of perfect reconciliation.

If you’ve seen the trailer trolls band together, you know the main selling point of the movie is that it reunites NSYNC, Timberlake’s ’90s boy band, and performs their first song together in 20 years. It’s an odd hook for a film franchise aimed at an audience too young to know NSYNC. (Sorry fellow millennials, but it’s true!) What’s strange is that Timberlake’s current NSYNC bandmates have incredibly brief cameos and no roles in the film at all.

The entire movie seems to be designed with Timberlake’s personality in mind – again, perhaps an odd choice, since this is something a lot of kids probably don’t care about. The boy band references are constant: “Branch, we’re out of sync. Floyd tells him, “We’ve turned from boys to men and now there’s only one direction for us to go, the back roads.” This is a line that covers a lot of problems trolls band together, The jokes are provocative enough to entertain adults and the film is old enough for kids to enjoy.

There are two things that attract people towards you trolls Movies: Lively animation and music. Credit for this, trolls band together It’s absolutely gorgeous, and the animators find all kinds of ways to make CGI animation fresh and interesting. The palette is so rich, it seems as if every shade ever imagined has been put into a blender and aimed at the screen. There’s also a psychedelic hand-drawn sequence that’s stylistically innovative and a reminder that there are some real talents hard at work behind the scenes at DreamWorks Animation.

However, musically it is the least interesting film in the franchise. Its big original song, the much-hyped NSYNC number “Better Place,” is a depressing collection of clichéd songs that feel AI-generated. The vocal talent is there (surprisingly, given that half the world’s musicians are in the region) and there are some song choices – like Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5”, Weezer’s “Island in the Sun” and Eurythmics’ ” Sweet Dreams” (Made of)” – inspired. But there’s a void in the general thrill of the film and how it incorporates music. It feels like each song was chosen by a Magic 8 Ball rather than thoughtfully composed.

trolls band together I can’t quite figure out whether it’s for kids or adults, and as a result it seems like it’s not for anyone. It commits the grave sin of not trusting its audience. Every time there’s a moment that could constitute current character development, it’s interrupted by a useless one-liner. As an enjoyable multiplex experience, it seems especially meager in comparison trolls The films that came before it—yes, even the ones that didn’t hit multiplexes.

DreamWorks Animation has been undergoing a resurgence of sorts recently, developing a refreshing new style in films like the bad guys And Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, but meanwhile new trolls outings and recent Ruby Gilman, Teenage KrakenHis 2023 output has felt like a step backwards. trolls band together It looks and sounds great, but the story is stale and risk-free. It’s the least adventurous film in the franchise, and it seems afraid to ruffle feathers. Why sample Lizzo’s “Good as Hell” and then refuse to actually say “Hell”? trolls The franchise, most of DreamWorks, is going in the opposite direction.