On Friday last, Joan and I watched the debut of “Trolls World Tour” with our three refugee grandchildren from China.[i] Ages five, eight and ten (going on 20). Their mom had gone out to celebrate her birthday, and their dad, a Canadian, was still stuck in Windsor unable to cross the tunnel into Detroit.
It is possible to watch “Trolls World Tour” without removing your eye balls with a spoon. I know because I did it. It is funny, the illustrations are wonderful, the music is great, and the theme is, well, terrifying in a good way. The hard rock queen, Queen Barb, tries to ban all music (including especially funk, country, techno, classical, and pop) except for hard rock. Oh, the horror. In the end, we learn that all genres of music are worthy of preservation.
Of course, the New York Times movie critic gave it faint praise on Sunday.[ii] He even suggested a possible dark motive:
While Barb’s cause seems patently unjust, it is a form of payback — a rebellion against pop’s colonization of other music. This is explained in song by Prince D (Anderson .Paak), King Quincy (George Clinton) and Queen Essence (Mary J. Blige), who preside over the funk trolls of Vibe City. History is written by the winners, and the pop trolls’ Torah (seriously) neglects to mention they have crowded out the marketplace. If you were to connect some dots and apply way too much thought to the movie’s iconography, there is a hint here of an anti-Semitic trope: Jewish domination of the entertainment industry.
Oh, please. It’s a fucking kids’ movie.
Anyway, the children loved every bit of it. Joan and I found it tolerable, even though Justin Timberlake was the executive producer and voiced one of the primary roles. In places, small dollops of adult humor appear out of nowhere and then disappear quickly. If caught they will generate a laugh. Old pop music staples are plentiful. Overall, the vocals are great. In particular, the hard rock is so bad it’s good.
Forget the guy at the Times. If you have kids or (Trigger Warning, mean-ass editor) grandkids staying with you rent the movie while in lockdown ($19.99 for now). It is better than putting a needle in your eye as the kids trash everything you hold dear.
It is so ordered.
Richard Kopf
Senior United States District Judge (NE)
[i] Their mother and dad were employed as teachers in an American school in China for the last ten years. The school is located across the bay from Hong Kong, on the mainland city of Shenzhen. The children were all born in China and they, like their parents, miss living there.
[ii] “While the genre-bridging premise affords the film more variety and verve than its sugary predecessor, the movie, directed by Walt Dohrn, still gives you the sensation of being barricaded in a karaoke lounge where all the attendees have snorted Sweet Tarts. None of the darker edges can blot out the sunshine. Branch confesses to be pining for Poppy, rock turns out to be softer than it first appears and everyone sings in harmony.”
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Thanks very much Howl! Great addition. I wish I would have used it.
I don’t know anything about music but this kids’ movie is full of of a variety music sung (or played) by high level talent. By the way, The Ozzy Osbourne character, appropriately portrayed as the elder of the hard rock trolls, tickles me. I still hate Black Sabbath though!
All the best.
RGK
I feel cheated. The post title lead me to believe I could expect some nuggets of wisdom, wrapped in the judicial black nightie, about Zoombombers. After all, who else would be doing a “Trolls World Tour” during the pandemic? Instead, I find Greenfield trying to pay his SJ bills by having Judge Kopf shill for DreamWorks. The only thing missing is an “affiliate link” to the movie.
(Thanks for the recommendation, Judge Kopf! Since my kids, seven and 11, aren’t into Joe Exotic, they might like the Trolls movie. Well, the younger one anyway. Stay safe!)
Donations have been down, lately. Just sayin, CD.
C. Dove,
Don’t tell. I am trying learn how to zoom bomb my grandkids’ online learning sessions. Our IT guys aren’t helpful. So, if you have any instructions, pass them along please. You, and anyone else, can also suggest content. I am thinking of a Haitian voodoo ritual with bloody chickens. But there may well be other subjects which are better.
All the best.
RGK
Too bad there isn’t video of Ozzy biting the head off a dove. It would be perfect.
I too saw the movie with the children, but thought it was pretty bad. Perhaps this is because the original Trolls movie was actually surprisingly good and thus I had higher expectations (still better than Frozen II, though). I do concur that there were no allegories for Jewish control over the music industry.
MonitorsMost,
You may be right. I was half in the bag.
All the best.
RGK
PS The Times critic hated the first one. It only sorta hated this one.
Judge:
Glad once again we are of like minds on a subject. We watched the movie with the kids this weekend and it was a rather fun experience for Dr. S. and myself, which is a far cry from most kids films we endure for our children’s sake.
Those making comments about King Thrash, a.k.a. Queen Barb’s dad or “the Ozzy Osbourne character” might be interested in knowing the voice is Ozzy himself according to IMDB.
Other notable musical voiceovers are Kelly Clarkson in the role of “Delta Dawn,” the Queen of Country Music world, and George Clinton and Mary J. Blige as King Quincy and Queen Essence, the rulers of Vibe City.
The Times critic can kiss my redneck ass. It’s a wonderful kids film. Emphasis on the KIDS.
Judge Kopf:
You say “the hard rock is so bad it’s good.” To me, that means that you know some hard rock, although you hate Black Sabbath. What hard rock do you consider good? What bands are on your playlist?
Here’s hoping you start with Zeppelin.
Best,
Mario
That blonde on the left is smoking. Just saying.
She’s 93 years old today.
Fair chance her fever is up.
Mario,
Nice try but I ain’t biting. I have a reputation to uphold. Or, you can KIϟϟ my . . . The last jury trial before the shutdown I excused one of the potential jurors ’cause he had a gig serving as security for them when they played here and jury service would have screwed him out of that nice paying job. The fellow was huge with multiple tats. I desperately wanted him on the jury but I wanted KIϟϟ protected more.
All the best.
RGK
Judge Kopf,
Like boxed wine, Kiss is an acquired (after?)taste. I just hope you weren’t into Kiss when they tried to play disco. That was…something else, to say the least.
Rock on, Judge
Mario
This blog has gotten really weird lately.
Point?