By Elaine Lipworth
THE world of the Trolls is entirely happy. It’s a world of rainbows and cupcakes, where life seems idyllic. Led by Anna Kendrick’s upbeat Poppy, the Trolls are naturally fun-loving and joyful. Inspired by the quirky-looking dolls with thick, luminous, brightly colored hair (originally invented by a Danish woodcutter in 1959) that became popular in the 1970s, Trolls directors Mike Mitchell and Walt Dohrn have created a Troll universe in which these wondrous, animated characters live in a Utopian community; its hallmarks are peace, friendship, love and sheer happiness. But for one lone Troll, Branch (Justin Timberlake), life is anything but fun. Consumed with fear, the cautious Branch has no time for hugging or celebration. Unlike his bright, colorful friends, he has turned gray. He is terrified that the dreaded foes of the Trolls, the pessimistic Bergens, will track them down. He doesn’t join in any of the fun and bunkers down in his hideaway, hoping to survive a potential Bergen attack.
One day, Branch’s worst fears come true. The Bergens kidnap a group of Trolls, and the brave Poppy sets off to save her friends and is soon joined, rather reluctantly, by Branch. The film relates the hilarious and exciting adventures of these two very different characters, on their perilous journey to rescue their pals from the clutches of the greedy Bergens.
From the team that created the hugely popular Shrek films, Trolls is full of similarly strong, funny characters. Like Shrek, the comedy in Trolls is unique and witty. Depicted in groundbreaking animation with a unique, retro, handmade look, the world of the Trolls is characterized by a felt-like, tactile, quality.
Besides voicing Branch, Timberlake is in charge of the upbeat music and has combined classics from Earth Wind & Fire, Simon & Garfunkel, Gorillaz and Cyndi Lauper, with original songs he wrote for the film, including “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”, a No. 1 hit. Apart from Timberlake and Kendrick, Trolls also stars James Corden, Gwen Stefani, Zooey Deschanel and Russell Brand.
A Grammy-winning musician, Timberlake is also a gifted actor who has appeared in diverse films including Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan and Shrek The Third. He won strong reviews for his performance in Oscar-nominated The Social Network.
How did you get involved with the film?
I was offered the job of voicing the character and being the executive music producer, at the same time. It almost felt like an embarrassment of riches for me. I thought, “Let me think about it. Yes, I’ll do that.” There was no other answer.
Can you explain the world of the Trolls and your character Branch?
Branch, along with the rest of the Trolls, lives in a wondrous world filled with music and adventure. It is all very happy-go-lucky with singing and dancing. It is over-joyous. Branch is the outcast among the Trolls. He doesn’t sing, he doesn’t dance and he is constantly cautious. While Poppy is pink and vivid, Branch looks gray and dismal.
It’s ironic that Branch is nothing like you, isn’t it? He doesn’t sing or dance.
Yes, it was fun to play this sarcastic, pessimistic guy, because I don’t get to do that a lot. (Laughs) I think it was also fun for Anna (Kendrick), who is known for her dry, sardonic wit, because Poppy is so over-joyful. But Anna got to bring a certain type of wit and sass to Poppy, which gave her more depth.
There’s a lot of Shrek-like comedy in the film —for example, in the relationship between Branch and Poppy. How do they relate to each other?
Branch is probably closer to Poppy than any of the other trolls. That’s mostly because Poppy is pretty persistent in trying to cheer him up. There’s a lot of humor between the two of them because they’re opposites. To Branch, Poppy is annoyingly happy. He says to her: “You know, life’s not always cupcakes and rainbows.” From his point of view, bad things happen. Even though Poppy is always overjoyed, she has a sense of humor and does her fair share of ribbing Branch. She has a toughness to her. There’s something tomboy-like about Poppy. Her perspective may lead the Trolls into peril, with all the singing and dancing, but she’s also courageous. And there’s a little flirtation that goes on between Poppy and Branch as they go on their journey to rescue the Trolls.
Do you think most people are intrinsically positive like the Trolls?
I think we really want to be. Sometimes it takes a tiny little “so ugly it’s cute” creature with crazy hair to show us that we can be positive.
As well as starring as the voice of Branch, you’re in charge of the music. How did you combine both jobs?
Playing the character is like jumping into the eye of the storm, with Anna and her character Poppy. Being involved in the music is all about helping to tell the story. It is like being a mile away from that storm, looking at it and helping move it in a certain direction and hopefully making it sound good. The jobs were informing each other for me. I got to see so much of all the characters while creating music for certain scenes, and I could observe their little idiosyncrasies. Then I would jump back [into the acting]. But there was a whole team of people contributing to the music; it was not just me saying, “I think we should do this song here.” It’s great to get the points of view of the directors and producers.
The Trolls, of course, are famous for their distinctive, long, colorful hair. How is the hair used in the film?
The long hair has famously been a big part of these mythical creatures, ever since they were first created. In the movie, it’s a big part of who they are. The directors and animators use the hair as an extension of the Trolls’ bodies, which is a pretty ingenious move. Branch swings from tree to tree with his hair and he can use it like a whip. There is one scene where one of the trolls is bench-pressing with his hair.
Did you have trolls as a kid?
I didn’t have any, but Trolls were popular with all the girls in my school. I remember every girl in school had a treasure Troll with a jewel in the belly. They were all different colors.
What makes you happy?
My family makes me happy; making music makes me happy. I’m a golf nerd, so golf makes me happy. I love to be outside. I like snowboarding and the beach. I love pasta. If you keep asking me questions like this, you’re going to find out that basically all I do is eat! (Laughs) I really love to eat.
Trolls is now in Philippine theaters from 20th Century Fox.