Troll

How can I be taken seriously when on a day when wannabe movie critics are crazy trying to see the new Sight & Sound's #1 (probably boring stuff), I'm here with my Nachos and my Gin & Tonic watching a giant troll destroying a country? I won't and I don't care.

Troll entertains, has good effects, destruction, lots of clichés, stupid humor, a frenetic pace, mythology, and stupidity in equal measure. A perfect film for anyone who has no pretensions to be the next Roger Ebert and just wants to have a good time.

And because I need some extra characters, I will tell you: this is the European Godzilla!

This reviewer is always delighted to check the film output from Northern Europe, because you never know what to expect, and the surprise factor is always to the upside -- check out, for example, the Finnish X-mas film from 2010, RARE EXPORTS, affectionately known as the "anti-Santa" movie. TROLL 2022 follows a proven and reliable arc remarkably similar to Roland Emmerich's 1998 production of Godzilla which, in turn, is itself faithful to the standard "monster" formula from the 1950's -- monster appears, monster creates havoc, hero has to destroy monster. Tried and true. Competently done. Empathetic leads you can relate to. What makes this story especially interesting (and this is not in TROLL's PR package) is that there are a number of respected archeologists (including for example Michael Tellinger, who has single-handedly rewritten the history of southern Africa) who believe there is some degree of truth in the "petrification" myth, and have extensive documentation to back up their claims. Recommended. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

So in movies like this, I don't expect the Godfather.... but I do expect something. I can accept the premise that trolls have been sleeping underground etc etc. But it is so dumb. You literally have people staring at the troll, you have a person say hey that looks like a troll, then 8 people in the movie go you're crazy, that's not a troll. So what is it? Let's discuss what the troll in front of us is? Does anyone know what kinda troll that troll thing might be. But don't call it a troll. It's like how in every zombie movies the people in the movie live in an alternate reality where they've never heard of zombies before.

Oh we're facing a 100 foot tall giant made of rock... let's attack the obviously armored creature with 5.56 Nato rounds.... that'll do the trick. Oh he destroyed all of us.... oh... I have ammo left and the creature has calmed down... let me shoot at it again! Ooops I'm dead.

The reviewers here are funny... the 'top review'er apologizing because he's norwegian and is ashamed that this film is from Norway... then there's the 'average film with a lot of LOGIC flaws'...i am, seriously, laughing as i type this...but it's great that the reviewers can be as entertaining as the film, right? Why stop the entertainment with the end credits... but anyone approaching this expecting shakespeare, weeeelllllllll...okay, but we already know the answer to the 'to be or not to be', as far as this being 'realistic'... it's a paint by numbers, substitute a troll for Godzilla type of story. I was amazed at the similarities...beginning with the myth...the way to handle the situation...the 'humanizing' of the creature... pop some corn and have some fun, if it seems like you're in the mood for what you think this movie will be like...it's not badly done...it's just, somewhat, trite if you've seen the movies this was modeled after...

I was actually surprised at the level of dislike this movie received when I came to review it online. Okay, it's no masterpiece, but it's great fun with really good special effects and totally enjoyable to watch.

Set in Norway, a team of miners accidentally unleash a giant troll which goes on the rampage through the country. I see a lot of people saying how this is effectively 'Godzilla, but with a troll.' And it is. But is that so bad?

The fact that it's set in Norway with actors who are definitely 'non-Hollywood,' mixed with scenery and settings which are - again - not in America, go a long way to make this movie stand out among other similar entries in the genre.

Again, I reiterate that it's no masterpiece and that it's without flaws. Some of the characters I found a little annoying (even though I was watching the 'English dub' of the film), such as the geeky military girl who just so happens to be able to hack a fighter jet while on mission (and then gets no punishment when caught doing so) and the obligatory high-ranking idiot who gets what's coming to him - but I mainly didn't like him due to how much he seems to look like a Norwegian version of James Corden.

However, those annoying characters aside, the effects really do work. Obviously, a lot of what the film-makers needed to create were done with computers and I've seen plenty of recent blockbusters with much bigger budgets look much worse than this (what's that third 'Ant-man' film again?). I thought the troll itself was really well done and the CGI used was integrated well.

Overall, don't go expecting a classic, but there's certainly enough fun here for you to enjoy if you need your 'monster munching' fix and can find this on a streaming service.