The Stream: The story is thin, but what do you expect?

The Big Screen: Great music and Tiny Diamond are stand outs.

The Final Bill: Great music, good jokes and a heartwarming story. What more do you need?

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Walt Dohrn & Tim Heitz
Writers: Elizabeth Tippet additional screenplay material by Kim Caramele and Lloyd Taylor based on the Good Luck Trolls created by Thomas Dam
Stars: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Kenan Thompson, Eric André, Daveed Diggs, Kid Cudi, Troye Sivan, Camila Cabello, Amy Schumer, Andrew Rannells
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Adventure, Musical
Rating: PG for some mild rude and suggestive humor
Runtime: 1 hour 23 minutes
Production Companies: DreamWorks Animation
Platform: In theaters November 17, 2023
Notable Trailers: Wonka, Migration, Ordinary Angels

Hey, Streamers! Since it’s holiday season, there’s a lot of family-friendly content available, which isn’t a bad thing. You have options! Trolls Band Together is one of those options. It’s the third movie in the Trolls franchise, and it boasts a new single from NSYNC. Here’s whether this third installment is a good option for your family trip to the movies.

In Trolls Band Together, Poppy, Branch and their musical friends are back for more candy-colored adventures. As Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake) prepare to celebrate Bridget and Gristle’s wedding in Bergen Town, they are interrupted by the sudden arrival of Branch’s brother, John Dory (Eric Andre). John Dory brings news that their other brother, Floyd (Troye Sivan) has been captured by some talent-sucking teens in Mount Rageous. John Dory wants to get their boy band, BroZone, back together to save Floyd. Poppy, Branch, John Dory set off across the land with the assistance of Tiny Diamond (Kenan Thompson) to find the other members of BroZone in order to rescue Floyd. Lots of high energy, musical hijinks ensue.

If you liked the previous Trolls movies, you’ll be satisfied with Trolls Band Together. If you like boy bands and their music, you’ll love Trolls Band Together. If you like high energy pop music, then Trolls Band Together is exactly what the doctor ordered. There is so much fun, music, and life in this movie from beginning to end. There isn’t a moment wasted or any down time for your mind to wander. There is a mix of animation styles throughout this movie that I don’t remember being a feature of the previous installments. The different creatures we encounter lend a cool and interesting flavor to each setting that is visited. Your eyes will be dazzled.

The voice work is great. Of course, Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick bring their same sweet chemistry to Poppy and Branch. Branch gets to be more front-and-center, but Poppy has some nice moments as well. There are a lot of guests that fill out the cast. The funniest and a highlight of the movie is Kenan Thompson as Tiny Diamond. He has all of the best lines, and he crushes each one. Whenever Tiny Diamond is on the screen, then you know something fun and ridiculous is going to happen. He’s the definite MVP.

Lastly, I’ll note that the movie has a nice, sweet message. It’s a pretty basic theme, but it is also surprisingly emotional. Trolls Band Together hooks you in with awesome music and jokes, and then it suckerpunches you with a heartfelt message about family.

Ultimately, Trolls Band Together is a fun time at the movies. It has great music and funny jokes throughout that punctuate a very sweet and emotional story. Grab a big box of popcorn and your dancing shoes; and head to the theater for some fun with Poppy, Branch and their friends.