Trolls World Tour Blu-ray Review - Cute Extras are a Win

In Trolls World Tour, Troll Queen Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and buddy Branch (Justin Timberlake) find out that there are six different tribes scattered over six troll-ruled lands. Each tribe is devoted to a specific genre of music -- funk, country, techno, classical, pop and rock.

TROLLS WORLD TOUR | Official Trailer

When hard rocker Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom) sets out to ban all types of music except rock, Poppy and Branch have to stop her and preserve other types of music. Will Poppy learn what she needs to be a better, more flexible queen? Will Branch ever manage to tell her he wants to be more than a pal?

Hard rocker Barb wants rock to ruleCourtesy of DreamWorks

Invasion of Techno-land

Rock Queen Barb invades, trashes and takes over the land of Techno music trolls and announces her plan to make hard rock the only music in troll world. We visit Poppy and pals in Pop Village as they sing “Trolls Just Wanna Have Fun” while living their usual sugar-coated life. Branch tries to tell Poppy that he loves her but can’t get it out. A strange batlike critter arrives with an invitation from Barb announcing her one world under Rock tour. Poppy’s dad old King Peppy (Jeffrey Tambor) tells her an ancient truth. There are six troll lands, all united under a different kind of music!

Trolls Just Wanna Have Fun!Courtesy of DreamWorks

Past Explanation

Peppy says that trolls had six magical strings, representing different types of music. They used to listen to all genres but trolls fought over which music was best and broke up, each tribe taking one string with them to live in isolation after that. Now Barb doesn’t want one big musical party but only Rock to rule. Peppy is for running away and Branch wants to stay put to defend the land and protect the sacred Pop string. Poppy believes that all trolls are really alike and sends Barb a “can’t wait to meet you” message.

Barb wants all the musical stringsCourtesy of DreamWorks

Hitting the Road

Poppy takes off in a balloon to visit the other lands with a reluctant Branch and Biggie (James Corden) who is unwittingly onboard as a stowaway while Cooper (Ron Funches) ends up on a quest to find trolls who are like him.

In the balloonCourtesy of DreamWorks

Meanwhile Barb puts the techno string on her guitar while dad King Thrash (Ozzy Osbourne) cheers her on. Once she gets all six strings she will play a powerchord that will turn all trolls into rock zombies at her command. On the balloon Poppy discovers that Branch has brought weapons and tosses them overboard. He thinks she is too trusting of the strangers they’ll meet. After discovering the total destruction of Symphonyville, home of the Classic Music trolls, Poppy realizes that Barb wants to destroy rather than unite.

Poppy hopes her map of the other lands helpsCourtesy of DreamWorks

Land of Country Music

Poppy, Branch and Biggie arrive in Lonesome Flats but they can’t convince Queen Delta Dawn (Kelly Clarkson) that Barb will really be a problem. After finding Country Music tunes depressing, Poppy and the gang try to cheer up the locals but only impress one, a cowboy called Hickory (Sam Rockwell) who wants to tag along as the group is chased out of town. Meanwhile, Barb calls in bounty hunters smooth Jazz player Chaz (Jamie Dornan), some Reggaeton Trolls, a K-Pop girl group and a missing bunch of Yodelers to capture Poppy. Whoever brings Poppy in will get to keep their kind of music….on a tiny island.

Country Queen Delta DawnCourtesy of DreamWorks

Jealousy and Funk Trolls

While on the road, Branch is jealous of Hickory’s attentions to Poppy and doesn’t trust him even when he helps get rid of bounty hunter Chaz and gives Branch good romantic advice. Meanwhile, little Cooper is picked up by a flying saucer-like craft that also picks up Poppy and Branch in some bubbles. These are the Funk trolls headed by King Quincy (George Clinton) and Queen Essence (Mary J. Blige) who turn out to be Cooper’s parents….he also has a twin and learns his history. Poppy learns that Pop trolls are not blameless as they stole the Funk land string long ago. History repeats itself. Poppy and Branch argue about their differences. Branch stalks away.

Funk trolls play their kind of musicCourtesy of DreamWorks

Bounty Hunters

Branch is grabbed by the bounty hunters who fight over him and Hickory finds Poppy who learns that he isn’t who he said he was and that Barb has wrecked Pop Village looking for their musical string. Poppy has it with her but Barb takes her and the string to a volcano where she will have a giant concert and play the power chord that will turn all trolls into rock zombies! Barb now has all the strings! Branch gets free and comes to the rescue in the balloon with friends.

Barb wants a volcanic victory!Courtesy of DreamWorks

Will All Music be Saved?

Who will end up a rock zombie? Will all the trolls ever be reunited to enjoy all music? Will Branch tell Poppy how he feels? Will even Barb and Poppy find things in common as Queens? Will Poppy realize that she wasn’t really listening to any opinions but her own and become a better queen? What do you think?

Will Branch tell Poppy how he feels?Courtesy of DreamWorks

Special Extra Features

Choice of “Dance Party” mode.. lets you dance along with the trolls throughout the movie.

• Tiny Diamond Goes Back to School is a short film that harkens back to the old days when we didn’t have to socially distance or take classes online. Tiny is determined to change his “look” to impress and it backfires. Cute.

Diamond with Tiny DiamondCourtesy of DreamWorks

• Trolls Dance Academy gives you simple illustrated instructions on how to do all the styles of dancing in the film. Fun and good exercise!
• Trolls World Tourist Map –in an interactive feature that lets you pick each Troll land to get a tour by the Cloud Guy.. Does help refresh you on all of the various lands and music styles.

Cloud guy gives a tourCourtesy of DreamWorks

• Deleted Scenes – There are seven scenes cut out of the film presented in various stages of animation and introduces by the filmmakers. Some are funny/cute and worth a watch.
• Trolls Perfect Harmony features all the main voice actor stars plus music artists and filmmakers who contributed to the film. We hear a bit of music history and each star picks his or her fave kind of music. Really nice.
• Trolls World Tour Backstage is kind of the “Making Of” featurette for the set. It is in three parts; Opening Act, Headliners and Encore!. The lands and characters are explored and the actors talk about their process. Nice!

Colorful techno trollCourtesy of DreamWorks

• Feature Commentary with the filmmakers gives us some insider tidbits.. mostly funny but at least informative.

Wrapping Up

Those tiny Trolls are singin’ and dancin’ and visiting various lands all while we are all still pretty much trapped at home. Extras on this Dance Party edition on Blu-ray/DVD/Digital are all interesting and/or entertaining and invite the whole family to just get up and boogie! Why not? We need exercise and a happy tune improves a sad mood every time.

Get up and boogie!Courtesy of DreamWorks

As we said when we first reviewed the movie, “Message-wise, the worthy, well-timed point is made that all trolls (people) are not the same and that diversity and cooperation is the way to go! We’re all in this together!” This couldn’t be a better time for such a message.

We're all in this togetherCourtesy of DreamWorks

We still feel that “With a few side-story exceptions, the musical movie unfolds like a constant string of the same scene but with different locales, costumes, tunes, mild jokes, etc.” We feel that Justin Timberlake picked great songs to rep each musical genre and the singing voices are all top notch.

Fun, catchy musicCourtesy of DreamWorks

Because of the addition of fun extras on this set we now give the title four stars.

Trolls World Tour Movie Rating: 

Courtesy of DreamWorks

Buy Trolls World Tour starting Tuesday, July 7^th

Are You Ready to Sing and Dance?

Are you into Trolls or do you think they are just a bit much? Are you a Justin and/or Anna fan? Will you get up and dance or take the dance lessons on this take home edition of the film. Talk up all things musical and trolllicious with a comment and/or blog on your profile pages.