Monday, November 28, 2016

BITS '16 Film Review - 3 Dead Trick or Treaters

A man rides his bike through the fringes of town delivering papers a few days after Halloween. The main headline is a story about three trick or treaters that remain missing. At the end of his route he delivers to a seemingly abandoned remote home. The deliverer goes to inspect finding three crooked fresh graves marked by makeshift crosses on the property. Attached to each monument is a scribbled folded note thats the narrative to the three allegoric tales to follow.


The first story follows a young couple that meet up and go shopping to prepare for Halloween night. They visit a costume store pick out masks then head out for a Devil's Night role reversal adventure. The second features cultish religious overtones as two women and a man with Halloween as a backdrop prep their victim for a particularly painful death until one of the three help the victim to attempt an escape leading to significant consequences. The third stories lead characters are street youth hiding their candy stash the day after Halloween. But one does not contribute leading to a vengeful act by the other two who are suffering from an extreme state of hunger.

Director Torin Langen weaves together the three featured tales that were all shot at different times spanning a 4 year period. The newest or 4th story added focus on two police men one older and the other younger that have a side business placing traps in the woods then delivering humans caught in the traps to a client for a fee.

The twist of the feature is the absence of dialogue. The cast demonstrate emotion and feeling through gestures, eye movement and body language. The soundtrack, sound effects and cinematography are all critical in a film that has no dialogue.

Director Langen also does a superior job in the editing room for this production. The three stories were all originally shot as stand alone but due to shooting style, similar pacing , women driving the majority of the story and violence the stories all fit seamlessly together.

The cast of relative unknowns many friends of the director all perform well without a major tool in acting dialogue being available as a device to give voice to their characters.

3 Dead Trick or Treaters is possibly the only silent horror anthology ever made. The visuals are gritty the storylines rough and unpolished featuring acts of horror that are up close and personal. the film is blessed with superior editing bringing the whole packed together with a cleaver final story featuring the writer of the scribbled notes making the production a film that i can definitely recommend.

*** 1/2 Out of 4


3 Dead Trick or Treaters | Torin Langen | Canada | 2016 | 72 Minutes.

Tags: Halloween, Devil's Knight, Silent Film, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Homeless, Trapping, Writer, Pencil, Serial Killer.


Sunday, November 27, 2016

BITS '16 Film Review - Inspiration

Samantha (Emily Alatalo) has seen her fortunes as a writer plummet since she decided to leave the horror genera behind for romance writing. Her agent Coraline (Tianna Nori) continues to receive requests for more Grinning Charlie novels but Sam declares that she's moved on from horror. However with her husband Mark (Ry Barrett) business dealings faltering combined with her reduced income Sam can't refuse an offer from a large publisher linked to a film deal. Planning a surprise for Mark with the news on their anniversary she shows up at home unexpected to witnesses an event that turns her in a different direction. Sam decides to go to the small town of Warren for isolation and a bit of Inspiration to write her new book.

Once in town Sam's greeted by friendly real estate agent (Colin Paradine), knowledgeable but respectful neighbours Lena (Valerie Morrissey) and Maynard (Andrew Roth) plus two dogs that came with the house. Our heroine makes great progress with her novel until an unfortunate accident effects her mental state and alters the rest of her time in the community. She begins to see things that are not there, has premonitions about bad events while reports start to surface about locals going missing.


Writer Director Jason Armstrong pens his first feature after a long absence working with Emily Alatalo who he recently directed in his TV project 9 Days with Cambria. The narrative is crisp and concise. The story moves fast not telegraphing the plot forcing the viewer to pay attention and think along with the characters.

Emily Alatalo plays the physically and mentally challenging role of Samantha. She is onscreen for just about every frame of the film having to switch from being half of a big city power couple; to an isolated remote single home occupant in the dead of winter. Her character is aggressive, determined and in charge one moment then vulnerable, confused and a target the next. Andrew Roth is strong in the supporting role of Maynard. He does not speak much, knows the rural surroundings well and always has a piece of good advise for Sam.


Inspiration is a challenging film that will leave the viewer recalculating their current theory of the events several times. The action cumulates in a frantic third act where twists and turns in the plot spiral totally out of control. The cast acquit themselves well given the harsh setting of the bulk of the piece. The soundtrack could have been dialed back a few decibels but that a minor issue that does not detract from the film being one that I can recommend.

*** Out of 4.

Inspiration | Jason Armstrong | Canada | 2016 | 87 Minutes.

Tags; Horror Novelist, Mask, Bonfire, Cheating, Book Signing, Fans, Isolation, Divorce, Advance, Hitch Hikers.


BITS '16 Film Review- Kidnap Capital

A sedan pulls up on a quiet Phoenix suburban street followed by a white van. The van pulls into the garage as the car occupant enters the house to greet his wife and child. The occupants of the van are  forced into the home as raised voices panicked breathing and confusion fill the opening frames of Felipe Rodriguez Kidnap Capital. After the frantic activity ends one of the new arrivals removes his black hood to discover that he is in a room filled with other mainly frail Central American migrants clad as he is only in their underwear. The room is dirty dark and cramped. The bathroom has dripping water no tap handles and a toilet without a seat and dirty water. One of the new arrivals Manolo is panicked as he does not see his wife. The leader of the captures enters and asks a simple question. Do you have $2800.00? If so you can leave, if not you have to stay until someone can pay your rent.


Writer director Felipe Rodriguez presents a story that is gripping, intense, suspensful and heartbreaking. Its' based loosely on the epidemic of drop houses in the Phoenix Arizona area where migrants from Mexico, Guatemala and other Central American countries leave everything behind at home walk, ride the rails, are transported n hidden compartments in vehicles to get across the American border. When they think they have reached freedom they are snatch again brought to suburban homes in nice neighbourhoods that are hollowed out prisons where they are held for ransom until their families can pay or their capture loose patience.

Manolo (Johnathan Sousa) came from Guatemala with his wife Elena (Michelle Arvizu) to raise their soon to be born child in a place away from the gangs that have terrorized his own town. Along the journey he meets Pedro (Pedro Miguel Arce) auto an overweight, soft underachiever who's only friend appears to be his mother. The pair along with the other detainees take turns being led to the basement where they are repeatedly asked who can help them to produce the $2800. Mental and physical intimation are both used on the prisoners to motivate them to become creative to convince family, friend or acquaintance to come up with the funds for the captors.


Johnathan Sousa leads the cast as Manolo. The audience enters the home with him on day one of his arrival. His only goal is to see that his pregnant wife is safe as he is racked with guilt because he persuaded her to come on this journey north. Paulo Nunes is strong as his opposite number Wyler. He is the warden of the house and clear that his goal is to get the money from the prisoners as he owes a lot further up the chain. Wyler is good cop and bad cop all in one. He is ruthless when needed but practical and willing to put down a lieutenant if they jeopardize the operation. Pedro Miguel Arce is notable as Manolo sidekick Pedro. He is a blabbering, crying weakling when reacting to his current situation. However, he is able to show a different side to his character on more than one occasion in the film. Lara Gilchrist has a small but intriguing role as Wyler's wife Kay. She lives in the drop house with her infant son Tyler. She knows what goes on and has female underwear clad migrants as servants while she plays suburban housewife to the neighbours.

Kidnap Capital is a gut wrenching film on a vastly under publicized subject. It focuses on extortion of migrants that come to the US illegally. They have no status in the US but cannot go back for legitimate reasons. The prospects for these people are so poor in their country that they would rather take their chances in a drop house then be rescued by the authorities and face the prospect of deportation. The ensemble cast shine on the screen which is particularly remarkable considering that the entire film takes place mainly in three rooms of a home. It's an important piece of filming and one that I can highly recommend.

**** Out of 4.

Kidnap Capital | Felipe Rodriguez | Canada | 2016 | 93 Minutes.

Tags: Kidnap Ring, Migrants, Extortion, Drop House, Phoenix, Guatemala, Ransom, Suburbs, Mexico.

BITS '16 Film Review - The Sublet

Geoff (Mark Matechuk) and Joanna (Tianna Nori) approach a four story walk-up ring the bell to announce that they are here about the sublet. The door opens and the couple with their newborn son enter the apartment to a note from the absentee owner. The key is in a drawer they can stay if they  like the place but if not they must lock the door and leave right away. They decide to stay the noting that one room is locked and off limits. The narrative divides the story into parts each new chapter introduced with the start of a new week. In week one we learn that Joanna is suffering from postpartum depression, she sees herself as fat, does not want Geoff to touch her to initiate sex plus   isolated spending all day in the apartment alone with the baby. Adding to her stress are strange creaking noises, knocking from above, next door and out in the hall.

One morning the door to the room that's off limits swings opens to reveal a nursery with framed photos of mothers and their newborns, along with a rocking chair and partly completed quilt. Joanna also finds a diary that she begins to read as she notices that her son Porter is very calm and happy when he is in the room. The diary tells the tale of a woman who lived in the apartment long ago, feeling trapped in an abusive relationship with her neglectful husband. Joanna is feeling some of those same emotions, as Geoff appears to be more concerned with his acting career than her considering their minimal interaction since they moved into the apartment.


Director and co-writer John Ainslie brings a new approach to a paranormal psychological story. The condition of postpartum depression plays a major role as does quizzical fact the couple uses a sugar bowl each day that was left in the apartment by a prior occupant. The viewer will wonder if the events as Joanna sees them are actually taking place. Joanna's depression is subtle at first but picks up in a jarring scene when Geoff invites his ex and colleague over for dinner without warning only adding to our central figure strong body image issues. Her psychological stresses continue to grow as she spends more time in the nursery, reads more of the journal beginning to loose gaps of time each day.


Black Fawn Muse Tianna Nori fits well as the heroine slowly loosing her mind with every additional moment spent in the apartment. She hears noises in places then goes to investigate only to find no one there. She thinks Geoff is cheating on her with no evidence, is convinced that the sugar she uses each morning is poisoned and seems to be the only one that sees a homeless woman hovering around the building. Mark Matechuck thrives as the self centred Geoff. He is well meaning but continues to make comments that push Joanna deeper into her postpartum depression. You can almost detect a hidden smirk as nudges Joanna further towards the cliff. He sees his partner loosing her grip but his only solution would bring her further from reality.

The Sublet is psychological horror story set in one location with a small tight cast. There are not a lot of jump scares or obvious monsters or villains around every corner. The writers take a direct look at the often neglected subject of postpartum depression coupled with a historical psychological storyline destined to repeat itself with each new occupant of the space. The small cast does not take a wrong step in their roles. It's a steady infusion of paranoia and loneliness that swells to a singular climatic act thats well worth a watch.

*** 1/2 Out of 4.

The Sublet | John Ainslie | Canada | 2015 | 82 Minutes.

Tags: Postpartum Depression, Isolation, Diary, Abuse, Newborn, Nursery, Sugar, Running Lines, Homeless Woman, Creak, Knock.




Friday, November 25, 2016

BITS'16 Film Review - 24x36 A Movie About Movie Posters

The one sheet dimensions of  27 x 41 is the classic size for a movie poster due to a most particular reason. The posters are that size because movie companies used to ship them inside the canister with the film and that size that would fit when the poster was folded into quarters. It's also the reason why classic movie posters for 1927's Metropolis or the classic Boris Karloff horror films from the 30's have creases in them from the fold. Director Kevin Burke's documentary tackles the history of the art form touches on the radical change that started in the nineties then the revival of movie poster art by small independent agencies.

Starting with the 18th century French origins and an explanation of the original creative process the film jumps to the early iconic examples of the medium evidenced by the above mentioned titles mixing in other golden age examples of Gone With The Wind , Little Caesar and Charley Chaplin's Modern Times. The art of these pieces included little vignettes of the events of the film. It gave the moviegoer several snapshots of what to expect in the film.

                                                                                              

The narrative moves ahead to the modern legends of the field Bob Peak, John Alvin and Richard Amsel who were responsible for the best work from the final stage of the original practice with memorable work for Jaws, The Empire Strikes Back, Blade Runner, Apocalypse Now and Raiders of the Lost Ark. These were pieces where the viewer took their time to take in each small detail that fit together combining to form an exciting blueprint for the film.

Unfortunately things changed with the dawn of the computer, the ability to use Photoshop and the birth of the fast food consumer disposable society. People now looked at small images on their phones to make their movie choices or small boxes on their Netflix home page.  Movie companies, producers and especially the agents wanted more control of their talent's image giving rise to the floating heads of the stars at the top of the poster with a small image from the film at the bottom as evidenced in the Scream films and every Tom Cruise vehicle since Mission Impossible.


                                                                                     







                                     
                                  
Thankfully a market has emerged for high-quality limited quantity move posters through small indie firms Mondo, Skuzzel and Great Matter Art. Director Burke takes the viewer into the cultural world of movie poster collectors, shows at the firms, examples of the fine art of screen printing creating a new standard size of 24 x 36. The collectors discuss the online community, being poster buddies, meeting to buy, exchange and display their purchases. Several of the artists' work is featured including Akiko Stehrenberger, Jason Edminston, Daniel Danger, Ken Taylor and Mondo's leading man Tyler Stout. The topic of licensing is discussed in detail including those instances where an artist or company go rogue creating a poster without proper permission.


24 X 36 A Movie about Movie Posters is an insightful short exploration of movie posters from their origins through the golden age to the end for the first phase of artist rendering. Listening to a marketing rep try to justify the move to the floating heads because an artist rendition may make the audience conclude that the film is likely animated will make you want to tear your hair out but it seems that in the last few years the industry is moving away from that practice. Tom Hodge is producing great work for films such as Spy and The Heat.  The world of movie posters is a subject that could easily be worthy of a future update to see where the industry stands. Hopefully we will see one in the not too distant future.

**** Out of 4.

24 x 36 A Movie About Movie Posters | Kevin Burke | Canada /USA | 2216 | 82 Minutes.

Tags: Movie Posters, Artitis, Screen Printing, Raiders of the Lost Arc, Collecting, Mondo, Skuzzel, Tyler Stout.




Thursday, November 24, 2016

BITS '16 Film Review - Capture Kill Release

A fuzzy disjointed cutting in and out 911 call opens the action of Capture Kill Release. A male voice cuts in and out with the only decipherable phrase being "come quickly". The scene shifts to a young couple trying out a new video camera having a seemingly casual conversation until a closer look reveals that the pair are talking about picking up and killing a random person for the thrill. The pair next move into research mode. They pick up tools at a hardware store, drive to a spot to scout out potential victims ruling out seniors, minorities and children. They check their home for the perfect spot to do the dismemberment making sure that their tub can hold the victim and test the their tools on raw cuts of meet. All the while they film all of their actions relating to this project.

After the theoretical preparations are complete, Farhanj heads to work for an important meeting with his boss while Jen stays home deciding on her own to move their project forward. She brings home a victim that she had a good encounter with before springing him on Farhanj thus giving him no opportunity to back him out of back out of the pact.


Directors Nick McAnulty and Brian Allen Stewart present a film based on ideas that could easily be floating around peoples heads and even occasionally verbalized in closed quarters but taking that next step to research, scout, purchase equipment, plan and execute is normally not the end result. Jen is clearly the driver of the action leaving Farhang to follow agonizing along due to his strong attachment to his wife.

The special effects of Mitchell Stacey deserve special mention. The prosthetics are so good that it appears that the pair are really cutting into human flesh, the blood flow looks authentic and when they take the steps to remove identifying items from the victim the sequences are truly stomach turning. The writing is crisp featuring a slow burn build to the pure psychosis of our heroine.


Farhang Ghajar is well cast as the male lead bearing his name. He is deeply in love with his wife, thinking that the early conversations are just talk then is faced with the reality of his wife's obsessions first in an extreme act of cruelty then escalated when he comes home to the victim sitting at his dinner table. Jennifer Fraser as Jen is strong as the driver of the story. She has been on camera and making films since her youth somewhat explaining the first person hand held found footage angle of the production. He anger is first evident during an encounter with a rich businessman then builds into full on psychosis.

Capture Kill Release is a gut churning, suspenseful ride that sprints to red hot confusion, tension and chaos in the third act. Our protagonist is almost paralyzed by the events as they unfold with his wife playing puppet master to all involved. It's a smart piece of horror filmmaking that I can highly recommend.

*** 1/2 Out of 4.

Capture, Kill, Release Nick McAnulty / Brian Allen Stewart | Canada | 2016 | 96 minutes.

Tags: Found Footage, Kidnap, Scout, Hardware Store, Drill, Axe, Body, Blood, Dismember, Affair, Video Camera.


Thursday, November 17, 2016

Film Review - The Birdwatcher

Saffron (Camille Sullivan) likes to help people. She works as a counselor in a drug rehab centre in Vancouver. She is a single mother of two children, a teenage daughter that fiercely wants her independence and a pre teen curious inquisitive son that hangs on her every word. Saffron is also battling cancer. She attends chemotherapy session and smokes marijuana at night opening her bedroom window to reveal the ever-present hummingbird feeder. Her health concerns turn terminal when she learns that her cancer has metastasized forcing the need to make arrangements for her children.  Anna (Nneka Croal) her friend at work is unwilling to take them, the children's father Wynne (Aidan Devine) a former counselor turned junkie is unable leaving only her birth mother who she never met and has a request for no contact on the file as the final option.


The film suffers from a lack of character development in Roslyn Muir's script. The characters especially (Matreya Fedor) as Lucy the bratty teen daughter Lucy are thin for the majority of the film.  The method used by Saffron to approach her mother is also unpleasant boiling down to being a cruel ambush. Her actions in pursuit of her birth mother make her unlikeable and unsympathetic which is a stark contrast to what one would expect from a patient empathetic drug rehab social worker. The dialogue of the film is at its lowest during the exchanges between Saffron and her co-worker Anna the pair battle to determine who can say the most curse words in the shortest period of time. Saddled with this script director Siobhan Devine tries to present a story about a difficult subject matter but except for the two scenes with Saffron's ex Wynne (Devine) the rest of the cast does not have the grit or depth to pull off the content.


The majority of the film takes place in an RV park in British Columbia's North Shore Mountains that is prime bird watching territory. Safforn's birth mother Birdy a curmudgeonly (Gabrielle Rose) does  not like people believing that their only purpose is to disturb nature. She is working on her latest book on a tight deadline when Safforn and the kids show up at the camp invading her space to such an extent that she thinks that her campsite neighbour is actually a groupie. A series unwanted events from Birdy's perspective ensue cumulating at an event hosted by Birdy and her cheerful artist partner Finch (Garwin Sanford).

The film has some stronger moments in the final sequences before the credits roll but piece is centred  on a narrative that has been told many times before with stronger writing featuring more seasoned actors with superior range. Director Devine deserves credit for bringing a full length feature project to the screen. Hopefully this process will be a development tool that can aid her in her next and future projects.

** Out of 4.

The Birdwatcher | Siobhan Devine | Canada | 2015 | 89 Minutes.

Tags: Cancer, Birding, Binoculars, RV Park, Counsellor, Junkie, Foster Care, Birth Mother, Vancouver, B.C.




Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Secret Sessions - The Movie Experience

A couple of weeks back I received a curious e-mail titled MEDIA INVITE: Secret Immersive Movie Experience.  Intrigued by being a part of an actual event I responded positively stating that I would like to attend.  The location and subject matter of the film remained top secret until just before the November 8th event with the only hint being that the audience would be brought into the fold of a cult classic film.

The next e-mail a couple of days before included the details of my character. Guests were cast in the role of a 1970's newscaster. Time for adult make believe; Farrah hair for the ladies moustaches for the men.  Clothing from the era, wide bottom pants, loud shirts and wide collars were recommended. The instructions from The News Team ended with the phrase Stay Classy.



The last communication 24 hours out directed Reporters to appear tomorrow Camera Ready at 301 Adelaide Street West downtown Toronto at 7:00 PM sharp to cover an exciting news story. Reports were again reminded that the event was top secret and that were all: Kind of a Big Deal.

The date of the event turned out to be the same night as the U.S. Presidential election. It was a rainy evening but once inside the event space had the vibe of studio 54 on a good night. I met up with one of my fellow bloggers to mingle with attendees including members of the cast along with some other who appeared to be actors not in roles from the film but mixed in to stimulate and engage the invited guests. If you hadn't guessed from the hints Stay Classy and Kind of a Big Deal the evenings film was Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.  The main cast members were all represented by the Movie Experience Team; Ron Burgundy, Dan Fantana,Victoria Corningstone, Champ Kind and Brice Tamland. They mingled with the crowd posed for pictures and acted out a few scenes from the film as the guests settled in walking amongst the sharp set designed pieces the best of which was Dan Fantana's cologne cabinet including the infamous panther cologne "that contained real panther".  Each guest had the opportunity to play an active part reenacting the rumble scene with the Spanish News Team, Public News and fierce Channel 4 rivals Channel 2 news.




After some tasty catered food with a Tex Mex flare the lead actors Steve Hobbs playing Ron Burgundy and Mandy Roveda as Veronica Corningstone took to the newsroom set to deliver an early electoral tally while staying in character wondering who are Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.  Next the film was projected to the guests with the cast members wondering out in front of the screen to perform some scenes in unison with the film. A spotlight appeared on the performers as they made their entrance creating an anticipation amongst the audience of the next live read. The live segments were very entertaining but the actors had to battle with the action on screen during their performance. Hopefully the production can fix this for future endeavors.

The cast emerged themselves in their rolls and made it a point to talk to all of the patrons often posing for pictures as the one displayed above. The set designers brought the participants right into the Channel 4 news room and to Tino's where Ron and Victoria went to end their tour of the town outing. It was an enjoyable evening featuring a living interpretation of a universally loved film leading me to strongly recommend their next production only asking for a slight tweak to adjust the battle between the selected film playing in the background and the live reenactment segments.

***1/2 Out of 4.

The Secret Sessions | The Movie Experience | Artscape Sandbox | November 2016.

Tags: Stay Curious, Ron BurgundyLive, Immersive, Interactive, Stay Classy, Top Secret, 1970's.


 

 

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

20th Century Fox Film Review - Trolls

Danish toymaker Thomas Dam created Good Luck Trolls in 1959 for his daughter to help her to get over her fear of monsters. They had big eyes, crazy long colourful hair, large heads, short bodies and bare feet.  Directors Walt Dohrn and Mike Mitchell wanted to keep faithful to the original concept in Trolls. The directors also decided to explore the theme of happiness especially in a world that's currently full of so much negativity, isolationist and xenophobic rhetoric.

The films narrative is a linear as one can get. The tiny always happy tree dwelling Trolls spend their days doing three things; hugging, dancing and singing. One day the joyless ogre like Bergens discover the Trolls then determine that they can only find happiness all be it for a brief period when they eat a troll. Not wanting to overindulge they celebrate Trollstice once a year when their Chef (Christine Baranski) prepares the Trolls for eating until their prey plant fake wooden versions of themselves in the tree and escape to safety.


When we move to the meat of the story King Peppy (Jeffrey Tambor) leader of the escape with the motto No Troll Left Behind has taken a back seat to his daughter Princess Poppy (Anna Kendrick) who has never known the fear of the Bergens. She and her friends throw louder, bigger and brighter parties all year long despite the warning of Branch (Justin Timberlake) the only grumpy non singing, dancing or hugging Troll that sees an impending arrival of the Bergen around every corner. The now exiled Chef hears and sees one of these celebrations, arrives in their midst, abducts Poppy's friend in a scheme to return to Bergentown to become Queen. She now sees herself as the keeper of the Trolls making her the source of Bergen happiness.



Co-directors Mike Mitchell (Shrek Forever After) and Walt Dorn who had prior writing and Art department work on Shrek 2 and Madagascar produce a psychedelic musical ride that would be worthy of any Haight & Ashbury dweller circa 1968. The bright colours pop; glitter spews abound around the disco setting of the new Troll homeland and in the forest as Poppy and Branch head back to Bergentown to rescue their friends. Writers Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger of Kung Fu Panda fame manage to embed a valuable lesson in the piece. Outside forces or elements are not required to find happiness. Rather happiness is something that comes from within but sometimes you just might need someone to show you how to find it.

Other than the visuals the other driver of the story is the films soundtrack. The tracks feature Justin Timberlake's Cant's Stop The Feeling that was written for the film, occupies a key moment in the plot and is well known due to heavy rotation airplay over the summer. Anna Kendrick sings a determined  Get Back Up Again as she ventures into the forest initially alone in the pursuit of her friends as she battles plants and animals that seem friendly at first glance but have a pension for eating or trapping anything smaller than themselves. Zooey Deschanel sings a sad haunting version of Lionel Ritchie's Hello to properly introduction Brigitte the Bergen scullery maid that is in love with King Gristle (Christopher Mintz- Plasse).

Trolls is a family friendly feature that will be loved by the younger set but has enough nuggets to keep adults engaged as well. The visuals are a trippy kaleidoscope of colour backed by an easy to follow plot with a valuable lesson baked in the final product. Children will be dancing in their seats and singing the films songs long after they leave the theatre. If they embrace the concept of happiness coming from what they already have they will tread lightly on their demands for the tie-in merchandising which will serve as a moment of growth and a point of relief for parents throughout the land.

*** 1/2  Out of 4.

Trolls | Mike Mitchell / Walt Dohrn | USA | 2016 | 92 Minutes.

Tags: Good Luck Trolls, Musical, Animation, 3D, Happiness, Adventure, Glitter, Singing, Dancing, Hugging, Friendship, Betrayal, Exile.