The second installment in DreamWorks Animation's big screen adaptation of the Troll dolls, Trolls World Tour unexpectedly finds itself being closely observed by industry analysts eager to see how it fares in its straight to VOD release (the outcome of theaters closing down over safety concerns related to the COVID-19 outbreak). For some, the idea of a Trolls sequel, which primarily exists becaue the original IP made a lot of money, being assigned this much importance is understandably disconcerting. Yet, far from having any delusions of grandeur, the actual movie is only really worried about delivering what its marketing has promised. As sweet, if packaged, as wrapped candy, Trolls World Tour serves up enough psychedelic visuals and positive messages to earn its keep.
When the sequel picks up, all is well with the Pop song-loving Trolls, their bright and bubbly Queen Poppy (once again voiced by Anna Kendrick), and her far more pragmatic friend and wannabe love interest, Branch (Justin Timberlake). Before long, though, the pair discover there are five other Troll tribes - each of whom are committed to a different type of music a la Funk, Classical, Country, and Techno - that are now being threatened by Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom), a Hard Rock-loving Troll who plots to wipe out all other musical forms. But as Poppy and Branch attempt to unite the remaining tribes against Barb, the former gradually comes to realize Trolls really aren't all the same...and that's not a bad thing.
In a sense, Trolls World Tour is to Zootopia what the first Trolls was to Inside Out, when it comes to offering a more simplified take on themes (in this case, why real tolerance means celebrating differences, not ignoring them) similar to those explored in other, more layered animated kids movies from the last few years. There's even a minor subplot about the need to address the sins of the past - as was examined as recently as Frozen II - which is introduced just as abruptly as it's resolved. The script by the film's five credited writers (including, Trolls writing duo Jonathan Aibel and Glen Berger) is a bit too shallow to flesh these ideas out in a meaningful way, but it otherwise does a perfectly fine job of providing kid-friendly life lessons. At its messiest, Trolls World Tour is guilty of rehashing the sticky trope of having one of its leads be secretly in love with the other, only to learn they see them as (gasp!) a friend - at least, until they no longer do.
Much like its predecessor, it's the animation where Trolls Worlds Tour truly shines. Director Walter Dohrn (who co-helmed the first movie) and his team of artists keep the trippy, candy-colored visuals flowing steadily throughout the film's brisk runtime, dazzling the eye even when its jokes or plot beats fall a bit flat. At it wildest, the Trolls sequel approaches old-school SpongeBob Squarepants levels of surreal imagery, particularly during a sequence involving Christian Grey himself, Jamie Dornan, as Chaz, a Smooth Jazz Troll bounty hunter hired by Barb to stop Poppy. (It's a long story... actually, no, it's not.) The jukebox musical sequences and popular song covers are equally dynamic and effervescent in their staging, even if the sequel lacks an original earworm on the same level as the first Trolls' Oscar-nominated "Can't Stop the Feeling".
Even more than the original film, Trolls World Tour is overflowing with characters, with Bloom's Queen Barb being (easily) the most memorable of the new additions. As she demonstrated with her great voice work in The Angry Birds Movies 2 last year, the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend mastermind's spirited vocals are an excellent match for the medium of animation, and Barb herself is afforded a welcome amount of depth (making her a strong foil to Poppy). The returning voice cast remains similarly well-matched to their respective roles, and their ranks are nicely filled out by fresh supporting players like Sam Rockwell's folksy Troll Hickory. For the most part, though, the different Troll lands are more interesting than their playfully one-note inhabitants. (Apropos of nothing: these movies also continue to raise big questions about how the heck Trolls' bodily functions actually work.)
All speculation about how the film's success or lack thereof could impact distribution models post-coronavirus aside, Trolls Worlds Tour manages to improve upon its predecessor without necessarily evolving the Trolls movie brand along the way. It plays things safe by tackling big topics with less depth than other animated tentpoles have of late, but goes even wilder with its animation and world-building, resulting in a sequel that's more entertaining and just a little deeper than the first movie. Those who skipped seeing that one - and/or whose eyes glaze over whenever a Trolls World Tour commercial pops up - can probably feel comfortable taking a pass on this one, too. But for anyone who could use some extra-bright and colorful silliness in their lives, this shot of glitter to the face might do the trick.
Trolls World Tour is now available to watch On Demand. It is 91 minutes long and is rated PG for some mild rumor humor.