4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Review: TROLLS BAND TOGETHER

Home » 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Review: TROLLS BAND TOGETHER

Jan 21 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

The Trolls are back for another fun-filled animated
adventure, and the focus of this third installment is all about family (and boy bands!). They royal wedding between Bridget (Zooey Deschanel) and King Gristle (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is interrupted when Branch’s (Justin Timberlake) long-lost brother shows up looking for help. We (and all the other Trolls) are shocked to discover that Branch aka Bitty B was once part of the boy band BroZone, along with his 4 brothers—leader John Dory (Eric Andre), heartthrob Spruce (Daveed Diggs), fun boy Clay (Kid Cudi), and sensitive one Floyd (Troye Sivan)—but they had a falling out and haven’t talked to one another in over 20 years.

It turns ut that Floyd has been kidnapped by overnight pop superstars Velvet (Amy Schumer) and Veneer (Andrew Rannells), who are extracting his Troll essence to enhance their talent. He’s being held captive in a diamond prison, and the only way to save him is to get the band back together and hit the perfect family harmony—the only thing that can break diamonds. But it was this elusive quest for the perfect family harmony that originally caused the band to break up. Branch wants nothing to do with his brothers, but Poppy (Anna Kendrick), who always wished she had a sibling of her own, encourages him to go along and patch things up—her massive fangirl excitement to see a BroZone reunion also helps! And so John Dory, Branch, Poppy and Tiny Diamond (Kenan Thompson) head out on a road trip to get the band back together and save Floyd, before it’s too late. Along the way, they also cross paths with the eccentric Viva (Camila Cabello), who seems a bit familiar—she’s even more Poppy than Poppy!

This third installment of the franchise does an excellent job of both expanding the Trolls universe while also giving viewers more backstory on the characters we already know and love. Who knew that Branch had all these bothers and was once a part of a boy band?! The new retconned backstory actually works quite well, and provides a great boy band theme to the film’s music. There are some wonderful montages of boy band classics, and loads of fun meta references to Justin Timberlake’s prior career, plus an excellent brand new song from *NSYNC! This third film also introduces viewers to some really fun new characters, locations and animation styles. The filmmakers do a nice job of introducing each of the new characters and providing each with a solid backstory and personality. The new cast members fit in great, and all have amazing singing voices. I loved the music in this film even more than the previous one. The new settings and animation styles also add a lot of interesting new elements to the movie, and contrast nicely with the more felt-like world of the Trolls. One of the new locations is a vacation island with tall natives, pool noodle forests, and water bead filled pools, while another is the very flashy, glossy night club world of villains Velvet and Veneer, who look like something out of 1930s bendy cartoons. It’s fun to see these different animated styles interact with one another and expand the Trolls universe.

In addition to the wonderful musical performances, Trolls Band Together also has some really heartfelt storylines exploring both Branch and Poppy finding family. There’s also the hilarious adventures of Britany and her new husband on their honeymoon, and Velvet and Veneer’s quest for stardom along with the help of their unappreciated assistant Crimp (Zosia Mamet). Crimp constantly had me laughing out loud, and Velvet and Veneer ride the line perfectly, being just evil enough to enjoy their antics, but not so evil that you hate them. Plus they’ve got some great pipes (when they’re hopped up on Troll essence). The writing is very clever, with endless boy band jokes and references, and so many fun one-liners, many of which come from Tiny Diamond. I think fans of the first two films will really enjoy this latest installment—while the original will still be my favorite, this is a close second. It doesn’t feel like a rehash of the other movies, but rather an expansion of what already works.

Universal has released Trolls Band Together on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD. We received the 4K release for review, and it looks and sounds amazing! While I wish Universal had also offered a 3D disc—it is quite evident in the opening sequence that this was meant to be seen in 3D—at least fans with devices that support it can get the 3D version in digital format via Vudu, like Universal did with the Super Mario Bros. Movie. The picture quality of the 4K release looks excellent, with a crisp, clean picture that captures every fiber and texture of these Trolls, their clothing and their world in tremendous detail. The bright and colorful worlds visited by the characters really pop and look so delightful. Even during some of the busier, action-packed scenes in the final act, the picture remain quite clear. I can’t imagine this film looking any better. The audio track is also top notch, making excellent use of the stereo and surround channels to provide a fully immersive experience, especially during the concert scenes. The film really comes alive aurally.

The 4K and Blu-ray discs come packed on either side of a standard 4K keepcase, along with an embossed carboard slipcover, and an insert containing a code to redeem for a 4K MA digital copy of the film on one side, and a code for Universal All-Access Rewards points on the opposite side. Both discs contain almost the same bonus material—a new animated short, 3 deleted scenes, a filmmaker commentary, 25 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes, and 25 minutes of activities. The Blu-ray also offers the film in a Sing-Along Version, where song lyrics appear on screen along with a “bouncing ball” to help viewers sing along.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:31:29)

2160p / Widescreen 2.39:1
Dolby Vision / HDR10
Audio: English Dolby Atmos, Spanish 7.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Blu-ray:

1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 7.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (code may not be valid after 3/31/2025):

4K Digital Copy (Movies Anywhere compatible)
Universal All-Access Rewards Code (Offer may not be valid after 9/30/2024)
Code can be redeemed for points towards a free digital movie via the Universal All-Access Rewards program. The selection of around a dozen free digital titles usually changes around the first of the month.

Extras:
Play All, or select from:

Sing-Along Version (1:31:28)
When enabled, lyrics appear on a bar at the bottom of the screen during the musical numbers, with a bouncing marker moving and words highlighted in time with the music so fans can sing along, Only offered on the Blu-ray disc.
It Takes Three (3:55)
In this animated short, Poppy, Viva, and Tiny Diamond get sucked into Rhonda’s 2D Hustle-verse, which appears to be all out of hustle, but they manage to escape by singing “It Takes Two”.
Deleted Scenes (4:52)
Head of story Colin Jack provides an introduction to three deleted scenes, explaining why they didn’t ultimately make it into the film. Play All, or select from:
- Wall Climb – Broken Tooth (1:05)
  Poppy, Branch, John Dory and Tiny Diamond climb a wall, but Branch chips a tooth.
- Bridget Gristle Honeymoon (1:30)
  Bridget and King Gristle hit the water park on their honeymoon.
- Crimp and Tiny Romance (1:27)
  Tiny Diamond and Crimp fall in love.
Fun in the Recording Booth (3:49)
Footage of the cast in the recording booth, beside their animated counterparts. Includes Zooey Deschanel (“Bridget”), executive music producer Justin Timberlake (“Branch”), Kenan Thompson. (“Tiny Diamond”), Daveed Diggs (“Spruce”), Anna Kendrick (“Poppy”), Eric Andre (“John Dory”), Andrew Rannells (“Veneer”), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (“King Gristle”), Camila Cabello (“Viva”), Zosia Mamet (“Crimp”), Anderson .Paak (“Prince D”), Amy Schumer (“Velvet”), Ron Funches (“Cooper”), RuPaul (“Miss Maxine”), Walt Dohrn (“Cloud Guy/Mount Rageous Stage Manager”), Kunal Nayar (“Guy Diamond”), Kid Cudi (“Clay”) & Troye Sivan (“Floyd”).
Hi, Hi, Hi (3:27)
The members of *NSYNC reunite in the studio for the first time in 20 years to record an all-new song, “Better Place”, for the film. Includes interviews with director Walt Dohrn, producer Gina Shay, co-director Tim Heitz, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, and executive music producer Justin Timberlake.
Building the Band (12:36)
The cast and crew talk about the new and returning characters in this third film. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-director Tim Heitz, director Walt Dohrn, producer Gina Shay, and stars Anna Kendrick, Eric Andre, Daveed Diggs, Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi), Troye Sivan, Camila Cabello, Andrew Rannells, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse & Kenan Thompson. Play All, or select from:
- #Broppy (3:16)
- BroZone (3:31)
- Viva (1:19)
- Velvet and Veneer (1:36)
- Bridget and King Gristle (1:26)
- Tiny Diamond (1:28)
Together Again (2:38)
The filmmakers discuss creating the look for the animated *NSYNC band members. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, concept artwork, and interviews with co-director Tim Heitz, director Walt Dohrn & producer Gina Shay.
Animating Trolls (4:22)
The filmmakers discuss the different locations, and styles and textures of animation used in the movie. Includes storyboard/layout/animation footage, and interviews with director Walt Dohrn, co-director Tim Heitz, co-producer John Swanson, digitmatte supervisor Sun Yoon, producer Gina Shay, head of locations Cassandra Fanning, head of cinematography layout Theophile Bondoux & production designer Ruben Perez Reynoso.
How To Draw (23:09)
Story artist/director of custom animation Wendy Sullivan shows viewers how to draw several of the characters from the film. Play All, or select from:
- Baby Branch (3:20)
- John Dory (3:18)
- Spruce (3:41)
- Clay (3:22)
- Floyd (3:36)
- Viva (5:50)
How To: Hug Time Bracelets (2:24)
Learn how to make your own Hug Time Bracelets in two different styles, like the ones worn by Poppy and Viva.
Feature Commentary (1:31:29)
Producer Gina Shay, production designer Ruben Perez Reynoso, co-director Tim Heitz, head of story Colin Jack, and visual effects supervisor Marc J. Scott provide a really entertaining and informative commentary throughout the film. They share lots of interesting factoids and production stories, talking about how the story evolved, other directions they explored, some if the challenges, point out some Easter eggs, and more.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Recommended

Trolls Band Together is an entertaining third installment of the hit franchise. It does a nice job of expanding the world and backstory of the characters, introducing some fun new characters, and following a musical theme of boy bands, while also exploring the heartfelt theme of family. Like the previous installments, there’s lots of laughs and wonderful music—including a brand new *NSYNC song! Universal’s 4K release looks and sounds amazing, and features a great selection of bonus material. While I wish we had also gotten the option of a 3D disc release, fans who want to watch in 3D and have a 3D-capable device, can get a digital 3D version via Vudu.