“You might have thought these were special effects,” the Norwegian prime minister told his nation in a televised address late in the Netflix import action film. Troll, referring to news footage of giant trolls roaming the country. “But this is no fairy tale,” she says. “this is real” There is a flash of meta-humor in that line. Because the monster, with its bustling beard, bulbous nose, and glowing expression, actually looks like a cartoonish yet well-designed special effect. Godzilla followed by his style of destruction, without a particularly realistic way to portray his 50-meter humanoid creature made of “dirt and stone.” yet, Troll (not to be confused with 1986 American horror film of the same nameor the Irrelevant and infamous worst sequel ever) is more of a sincere monster movie than an ironic exercise.
Aside from the self-aware aspects of the film’s characters, who claim the film’s story is “real,” film trolls are often seen in ’90s-style techno thrillers and fairy tales reimagined with quasi-scientific accounts of environmental disasters. is not a creature of cinematic, or redesigned to look more natural. It seems to come out of a fairy tale. Despite the use of Norwegian mythology, Troll We owe as much to American disaster films as we owe old Japanese monster pictures.
Director Roar Uthaug has produced slasher films, children’s Christmas specials and historical thrillers in his home country.But he is probably best known for trendmore massive disaster films, and his smooth and muscular tomb Raider A reboot starring Alicia Vikander. In other words, he has made some cracks in his style of entertainment in Hollywood, both in his home country and abroad. Trollfavorite trendfeels like a stripped down version of Roland Emmerich’s blockbuster. Specifically, it resembles Emmerich’s 1998 version. Godzillareconfigured for speed and efficiency.
It may sound low-rent at best, and grossly unnecessary at worst. has many advantages. Troll The bottom line: When a mysterious incident leaves what appear to be giant footprints in the Norwegian countryside, the government calls for paleontologist Nora Tydemann (Ine Marie Willman) to consult. Next, Nora is reunited with her estranged father Tobias (Gard B. Isvold). Tobias is a former folklore professor who disappeared down the rabbit hole of his own fervent belief in the existence of trolls on the Mountain. (The weirdo who complicit in the conspiracy turns out to be right is another trope Emmerich loved, and could possibly endure a temporary retirement.)
![In Troll 2022, the troll's giant mossy stony foot marks a planter in the middle of the city at night](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YU040x6ZwuQpM_dyDHSUArZoVJY=/0x0:3840x1608/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x1608):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24248152/Troll_01_19_32_03_Jallo_Faber.jpg)
Image: Jallo Faber/Netflix
The father and daughter material is very thin, as are the allies that support the characters. They are government nerd Andreas (Kim Falk), military man Chris Holm (Matz Sjogaard Pettersen), and token hacker Sigrid (Karoline Victoria Sletten Galvang). But there’s also a likable, understated warmth to the mini-ensemble. I’m here. Likewise, the film refuses to impose tech-his MacGuffin on the simplicity of monster movies. A giant troll is heading to Oslo for reasons humans cannot comprehend. (At least, to about two-thirds of him, which is the standard for movies.) I need to keep people from being trampled, but I don’t know how.
This lack of clear goals stalls TrollThe dramatic momentum of the spot. It’s hard to invest in an obligatory clash between an outsider and the military. Neither party seems to have an opinion on what is best to do in this situation, or even what the options are. Looks like. Kill a troll? do you study it? to become friends? This is not a movie rich in sci-fi moral dilemmas, as trolls remain firmly in the realm of fairy tales made real.
in some cases, Troll I feel like it denounces the very idea that monster movies need some depth or trope. Sure enough, this resurfaced troll recoils at the sound of church bells and clearly smells of Christian blood. At one point, a character we barely know gives a rousing speech to a bunch of characters we don’t know at all. text.
![2022 Troll, top-down photo of a vast troll footprint stuck deep in the grassland, with a tiny human figure examining it from the side](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4b8kW2zN7jwmNhUSb_RLvhDOZ5g=/0x0:3840x1608/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x1608):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24248156/Troll_00_24_49_12_Jallo_Faber.jpg)
Image: Jallo Faber/Netflix
However, at the same simple level, Troll A well-made giant monster movie: the special effects look great, the action is easily captured by Uthaug’s camera, the monsters are terrifyingly destructive, and the trolls are more troublesome than mean villains. He describes it as if Even his official introduction to the monster in the first half hour or so of the film is treated as a clever framing his trick rather than an object of endlessly lingering Spielberg reverence. Roar Uthaug isn’t the kind of director destined for more epic, grander epics, and that’s one of his best qualities. He makes a polished B-movie without the delusions of A-list grandeur.
Troll Currently streaming on Netflix.