by Josh Sewell
Although it certainly wasn’t Universal’s intention, Trolls World Tour – the sequel to the studio’s 2016 animated smash – has turned out to be a giant canary in the coal mine of movie distribution in a post-coronavirus world. The original plan was for the highly anticipated family film to hit theaters on April 10, but then our society changed. A lot.
Instead, the movie hit On Demand/streaming platforms last weekend, a key test to see how viewers would respond to paying a higher-than-normal rental price to see a blockbuster debut in their living rooms. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen releases that played briefly in theaters before everything fell apart try something similar (such as The Invisible Man, The Way Back, Bloodshot and Onward, which has since hit Disney Plus), but this is the first high-profile release to completely bypass the multiplex middleman.
If early reports are any indication, the experiment was a success: Trolls World Tour set all kinds of records for On Demand/streaming rentals, although I couldn’t find any financial estimates. However, I imagine that at $20 a pop, the studio did okay for themselves. Seems steep until you consider that’s only two matinee tickets these days.
If a family of three or more rents it at home, they’re already saving money – and that’s before you factor in snacks. Plus, on most platforms (including DirecTV, where I rented it), you get a 48-hour window to watch it as many times as you want. If you’ve got Trolls-crazy kids in your house, suddenly that $20 is even more of a value.
So, at least from a financial standpoint, Trolls World Tour seems like a winner. But is it any good? Meh. Putting that master’s degree in English to work. You’re welcome, folks. Thanks for reading!
Okay, I owe you a little more than that. There’s no question it pales in comparison to the original, which – although no masterpiece – turned out to be a pleasant surprise. That’s mainly thanks to charming vocal performances from Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake, as well an infectiously energetic soundtrack (executive produced by Timberlake).
On the plus side, Trolls World Tour expands the world of the story. However, it doesn’t really do anything to justify its existence, especially in terms of raising the narrative stakes, complicating the characters or creating new ones.
Since the first movie, Poppy (Kendrick) is now queen of the trolls and Branch (Timberlake) is trying to find the courage to confess his feelings for her. Before he can do that, however, they learn that a larger world exists outside of their own. Their species of troll is only one of six, each representing a different kind of music. They live in the Pop kingdom, but there are also lands for Rock, Funk, Country, Techno and Classical.
Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom), from the Rock kingdom, begins to invade the other lands and steal their sacred strings so that her music will reign supreme. If they’re going to stop her, Poppy, Branch and their friends must travel from the safety of home to unify all the other genres’ trolls in harmony.
While the message of Trolls World Tour is admirable – our differences make us stronger when we acknowledge them and work together, rather than fight over who is better – getting to it can be a slog. The sequel runs a short 90 minutes, but it feels longer. In fact, I found myself fighting the urge to check my phone several times. (Which highlights another big difference in theatrical and home viewing – it’s easier to get distracted on the couch.)
Despite the multiple new worlds and characters, the animation feels like a step down. The performances feel off too, as if the actors (Kendrick, in particular) were distracted by how they were going to spend their paychecks instead of focusing on their characters.
Most disappointing of all, the music – which was the best part of the original – isn’t nearly as great this time around. Granted, the focus on more original music instead of covers is a good idea in theory, but the songs feel like rough drafts instead of finished versions.
Still, there are enough jokes and fun moments to keep Trolls World Tour from feeling like a total loss. Whether that’s because of a lack of options or an unexpected break in cabin fever is debatable. Nevertheless, I’m curious to see whether it represents a turning point in distribution or if it ends up being a curious footnote in film history.
Trolls World Tour is rated PG for some mild rude humor.
Grade: C
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| Courtesy of Universal |
Instead, the movie hit On Demand/streaming platforms last weekend, a key test to see how viewers would respond to paying a higher-than-normal rental price to see a blockbuster debut in their living rooms. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen releases that played briefly in theaters before everything fell apart try something similar (such as The Invisible Man, The Way Back, Bloodshot and Onward, which has since hit Disney Plus), but this is the first high-profile release to completely bypass the multiplex middleman.
If early reports are any indication, the experiment was a success: Trolls World Tour set all kinds of records for On Demand/streaming rentals, although I couldn’t find any financial estimates. However, I imagine that at $20 a pop, the studio did okay for themselves. Seems steep until you consider that’s only two matinee tickets these days.
If a family of three or more rents it at home, they’re already saving money – and that’s before you factor in snacks. Plus, on most platforms (including DirecTV, where I rented it), you get a 48-hour window to watch it as many times as you want. If you’ve got Trolls-crazy kids in your house, suddenly that $20 is even more of a value.
So, at least from a financial standpoint, Trolls World Tour seems like a winner. But is it any good? Meh. Putting that master’s degree in English to work. You’re welcome, folks. Thanks for reading!
Okay, I owe you a little more than that. There’s no question it pales in comparison to the original, which – although no masterpiece – turned out to be a pleasant surprise. That’s mainly thanks to charming vocal performances from Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake, as well an infectiously energetic soundtrack (executive produced by Timberlake).
On the plus side, Trolls World Tour expands the world of the story. However, it doesn’t really do anything to justify its existence, especially in terms of raising the narrative stakes, complicating the characters or creating new ones.
Since the first movie, Poppy (Kendrick) is now queen of the trolls and Branch (Timberlake) is trying to find the courage to confess his feelings for her. Before he can do that, however, they learn that a larger world exists outside of their own. Their species of troll is only one of six, each representing a different kind of music. They live in the Pop kingdom, but there are also lands for Rock, Funk, Country, Techno and Classical.
Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom), from the Rock kingdom, begins to invade the other lands and steal their sacred strings so that her music will reign supreme. If they’re going to stop her, Poppy, Branch and their friends must travel from the safety of home to unify all the other genres’ trolls in harmony.
While the message of Trolls World Tour is admirable – our differences make us stronger when we acknowledge them and work together, rather than fight over who is better – getting to it can be a slog. The sequel runs a short 90 minutes, but it feels longer. In fact, I found myself fighting the urge to check my phone several times. (Which highlights another big difference in theatrical and home viewing – it’s easier to get distracted on the couch.)
Despite the multiple new worlds and characters, the animation feels like a step down. The performances feel off too, as if the actors (Kendrick, in particular) were distracted by how they were going to spend their paychecks instead of focusing on their characters.
Most disappointing of all, the music – which was the best part of the original – isn’t nearly as great this time around. Granted, the focus on more original music instead of covers is a good idea in theory, but the songs feel like rough drafts instead of finished versions.
Still, there are enough jokes and fun moments to keep Trolls World Tour from feeling like a total loss. Whether that’s because of a lack of options or an unexpected break in cabin fever is debatable. Nevertheless, I’m curious to see whether it represents a turning point in distribution or if it ends up being a curious footnote in film history.
Trolls World Tour is rated PG for some mild rude humor.
Grade: C
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