Kat Parker

Staff Writer

      Trolls; the movie about the magic of togetherness and music, has taken on the challenge of a sequel, the world tour. 

      The movie continues from the pilot and pictures Poppy, voiced by Anna Kendrick, enjoying her new life as queen in the small troll village. But when an invitation for Queen Barb and the Rock Troll’s world tour reaches her doorstep, she realizes the world is bigger than just the village. There are other trolls with different types of music; country, techno, rock, funk, and classical. 

      Each musical genre has a string that originated from the forefathers of music and their magical harp which contains the essence of each style. The trolls, who we learn are pop trolls, figure out that Barb, voiced by Rachel Bloom, wants to take all six strings and convert them into her own music, Rock. Poppy then seeks out on an adventure to try and stop Barb from destroying music genres altogether. 

      The sequel perfectly summarizes a giant issue that is bursting in our community today, the acceptance of diversity. Barb tries to rip the things that make each genre different and strange from existence and it isn’t until they see the results for themselves that they realize it’s what is inside you that counts. 

      The movie showcases stereotypes of each genre and after learning about the mix and the uniqueness of each one, the need for diversity is clear.

      Aside from the themes, the movie also exemplifies loads of emotions that are not as common in movies geared toward children. It highlights a romance between the two main characters, Poppy and Branch, and even shows the darker parts of relationships where it can be harder at times. It showcases a new adventure arising within each of the trolls to find their true purpose in life and make a difference in the world and do so while making music. 

      The songwriter of the movie, Theodore Shapiro, created so many new songs for people of all ages to enjoy. One that stands out is “Perfect for Me”, which is sung by Justin Timberlake, the voice of Branch in the movie. The song also shows a new example of pop music that hasn’t been shown in the movie before and also showcases the sadder parts life can bring. The song itself is beautiful and the tune is so appealing that teens around the world will probably be singing to it in the future. It is also very different from the rest of the songs and stood out because it’s unique to see a sad ballad in such an upbeat, happy movie. 

      Trolls: World Tour is rated 68% on Rotten Tomatoes and after making almost $50 million on opening day, it is considered to be one of the biggest digital debuts ever. According to Vanity Fair, the movie “nabbed the number one spot on Amazon Prime over the weekend” and delivered FandangoNow “the streaming service’s best weekend sales ever.” 

      Trolls: World Tour was released Friday, April 10, and is available for $19.99 on most streaming platforms.