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Parents' Guide to

Trolls

By Betsy Bozdech, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Fun, colorful adventure has some peril, lots of great music.

Movie PG 2016 92 minutes
Trolls Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 103 parent reviews

NoComment
NoComment Parent of 6 and 9-year-old
September 7, 2020
age 8+

So bad it prompted my first review

Kids (9,6) wanted to see it so we finally gave in. So disappointed. Snotty and rude behavior, violent scary scenes with knives, fat shaming. I was appalled at the first ten minutes of this movie and what the entertainment industry considers appropriate for children these days. The most disgusting part for me was all the time spent on making the scullery maid a “babe” so she can impress the king and get him to fall in love with her. I know they tried to give the message later on that looks don’t matter, but the damage was already done. I wish we had skipped this movie.
NickSteph4
NickSteph4 Adult
November 10, 2018
age 8+

Very dark and scary

We did not enjoy this movie at all. This movie was advertised as a happy and fun movie for kids, but it is actually really dark and violent. The bad guys in it “Chef” are so creepy looking that they even scared me a bit! I was so worried that my daughter would get nightmares from this movie that I needed up fast-forwarding most of it. I definitely don’t recommend this movie to people with small kids! I’m so upset that I even let my daughter watch it!
See all 103 parent reviews

What's the Story?

As TROLLS begins, viewers learn that it's been 20 years since the cute, colorful, tall-haired creatures fled the mean, miserable Bergens, who can only feel happiness when they eat trolls. Led by Princess Poppy (voiced by Anna Kendrick), the trolls have long forgotten to be afraid of the Bergens and now enjoy a carefree life full of rainbows, parties, and songs. But when one of Poppy's celebrations gets especially loud and glittery, the exiled Bergen Chef (Christine Baranski) tracks them down and captures several of Poppy's closest friends. The plucky princess is determined to fix her mistake and rescue her pals -- but to do it, she'll need the help of pessimistic Branch (Justin Timberlake) and, eventually, a poorly treated Bergen named Bridget (Zooey Deschanel).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (103 ):
Kids say (153 ):

Make no mistake: Kids are going to love this movie. Trolls is cute, it's colorful, it has tons of catchy songs, and the messages are positive and easy to understand (happiness is inside everyone, if you know where/how to find it, and you shouldn't have to change who you are to get someone to like you). Grown-ups might wish for a little more of the depth and nuance that Pixar has spoiled us into hoping for in animated movies. (And were the glitter farts really necessary?) But sometimes it's nice to just enjoy a sweet, fun kids' movie -- especially one that's full of songs you can't help singing along to.

Good thing, since there's a lot of singing. Musical numbers are used both to move the story along (for example, Poppy's never-give-up anthem, "Get Back Up Again") and to provide hits of visual/audio sugar (Timberlake's incredibly catchy "Can't Stop the Feeling"). And classics like "The Sound of Silence" serve as clever punch lines for jokes designed to appeal to the adults in the audience. Also clever? The many creative ways the trolls use their magic hair, from creating a staircase in midair to whipping back hungry predators. There's so much to look at and listen to in this confection of a movie that you won't be bored -- just know that the soundtrack may be stuck in your head longer than the script.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Trolls' messages about happiness. Do you agree with Poppy that everyone deserves to be happy? What do the Bergens learn about finding happiness? What makes you happy?

  • Who does Poppy feel empathy for, and how can you tell? What does it mean to persevere? Why are empathy and perseverance important character strengths?

  • What does Bridget's storyline tell us about self-image? Why didn't she think the prince would like her as Bridget? How did becoming Lady Glitter Sparkles ultimately give her the confidence to believe in herself?

  • What do Branch and Poppy learn from each other? Why is it important to think about the consequences of your actions? Is that the only thing you should think about?

  • How do the songs contribute to the movie? Which one was your favorite, and why? Would you have liked the movie as much without all the music?

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