Trolls Band Together

The lovable singing Trolls are back for a brand new adventure! This time around, we get to learn about Branch (Justin Timberlake) and his past. When Poppy (Anna Kendrick) learns that he was one a part of the famous boy band group BroZone, she can hardly contain her excitement. John Dory (Eric André), Floyd (Troye Sivan), Spruce (Daveed Diggs), Clay (Kid Cudi) and Branch were IT back in the day until an argument tore them apart and they disbanded. Now, Floyd has been kidnapped and it is up to Branch and Poppy to reunite the brothers before it’s too late.

When I first discovered Trolls, I instantly fell for them. The first film was a breath of fresh air and I loved the way in which music was incorporated into their story. While I felt World Tour was a bit disappointing, I was still looking forward to Band Together.One doesn’t go into these films expecting much, but they are guaranteed to be a fun time. There isn’t much by means of a plot, but that’s okay.

What makes these movies so enjoyable for me is the musical performances. Whether it may be a cover or an original song, they always have me tapping my feet along to the beat or dancing in my seat. It’s helpful knowing that Kendrick and Timberlake can belt a tune and that they vibe so well with one another. This time around came an even bigger treat: the long awaited N*SYNC reunion fans have been dreaming about for the past twenty years. It really was well worth the wait and the boy band joke that came along with it were perfect.

Trolls Band Together may not have been as great as the original 2016 film, but I did prefer it to World Tour. It’s a fun time with some great musical numbers that put a smile on my face. I only hope we’ll see more of Poppy, Branch and the gang for more adventures to come.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Don’t Look Up

When Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence), an astronomy grad student and her professor Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) discover a comet within the solar system, they can’t believe their eyes – until they realize that it is on its way to Earth. Upon embarking on a media tour that takes them to the White House, it seems that nobody really cares that they are all going to die. With only six months until the comet makes impact, Kate and Randall will do whatever they can to get the world to just look up.

Don’t Look Up seemed so promising. The cast, which boasted big names such as Meryl Streep, Cate Blancett, Jonah Hill, Tyler Perry, Kid Cudi and Ariana Grande, was one that grasped my attention as soon as the trailer hit Netflix. And I almost hate to admit it, but this movie was just such a miss for me. I guess I can’t really say I’m surprised since it’s not a subject I am very familiar with, however, I still wanted to give it a go.

Films with so many famous people in it are not always successful. This was one of them. Some characters had more screen time than others and some were also not very likeable (though I think that was kind of the point?) I must admit that Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence had good chemistry together. I also loved seeing Meryl Streep portraying The President.

While this was pegged to be a comedy, I did not think it was very funny. Sometimes humor tends to go over my head and I found myself missing out on the various supposed jokes.

Overall, I understand what Don’t Look Up was trying to achieve, I’m just not sure it landed all too well. I expected much more from the movie and can’t help feeling disappointed since it was my last film review of the year.

Rating: ♥♥