JAM Movie Reviews

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Monday, August 29, 2011

JAM Reviews Trollhunter from Magnolia Home Entertainment

Trollhunter: DVD: Magnolia Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

A Norwegian import to the Magnolia collections, Trollhunter is a little bit Brothers Grimm, a little bit Blair Witch, and a whole lot of fun. When bear attacks abound over the frozen tundra of Norway, a three man video team from the local university find something odd when they notice a strange hunter at each site in which something seems off. Following this hunter, they get thrust into a world beyond their imagination full of governmental shadow agencies, cover-ups galore, and gigantic mythological trolls.

With the mythological aspects of the blood of Christian men, morning sun destruction, and the slobbering hunger of the Trolls, the team takes their investigation as far as possible into the reasoning behind this troll invasion only to find their steps guarded and blocked by a government attempt to silence them which only impedes the safety of its own.

JAMS Ink on Trollhunter

A Norwegian import, Trollhunter is an enjoyable yet practical romp through a mythological realm intersecting with modern day sensibilities. Set up much like the Blair Witch project with a single shaky camera perspective, the filmmakers do a good job of creating a film that keeps your interest even with the goofiness of the idea of Trolls living among us by not taking themselves too serious, yet not falling into the realm of complete comedy.

The CGI used for the Trolls done rather well as it has a simplistic look that makes the Trolls blend into the terrain and setting while also making them stand out in their oddness. As much as it has the low budget feel with the choice of camera set-up, the CGI is perfectly tailored to keep the low budget feel without the cheesiness that could have come from bad CGI.

The actors chosen for their parts were good choices in that they reveled in the oddness of the movie while maintaining seriousness and comedy when needed. From the desire of rubbing themselves down with Troll stench to the group moments within the car trips, these actors gave their all and made the movie worth a check out. I Highly Recommend checking out this movie if you are a fan of fantasy or the Blair Witch Project.

EXTRAS

There are a good number of extras included with Deleted Scenes, Improv and Bloopers, Extended Scenes, Visual Effects, Behind the Scenes, Photo Galleries, and an HDNET look at Trollhunter. In other words, a little bit of everything that you might want in a set of extras. The Deleted scenes are not bad, the bloopers leave a little to be desired, but the extended scenes are actually pretty cool with more insight into the nowhere power lines and a couple other scenes. It enhances the experience with a movie that is pretty cool to begin with.

Fear, fantasy, and fun collide as Norway sends its Trollhunter to DVD on August 23, 2011 from Magnolia Pictures.

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.