Trollhunters Review!

Jondee here at Arcadia,

I was intrigued about Trollhunters from the hardback young readers novel published in 2015, it was a little difficult to find after its release, but should be on the shelves now. The original book was by Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus. del Toro was executive producer for Rise of the Guardians (2012), a brilliant animated film based on the William Joyce book and also producer for The Book of Life (2014) directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez. Trollhunters is streaming on Netflix from Dreamworks Animation. This is the last project for Anton Yelchin who voices Jim. He was one of the voices in Aardman film, The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012), and Clumsy Smurf in the live action Smurf movies. “Becoming” starts off the series with a two part episode and has two trolls fighting under a misty bridge as dawn is about to break. The vicious Bular and the valiant Kanjigar. Bular is voiced by Ron Perlman, a favorite of del Toro who also voiced many roles including Hellboy: Blood and Iron (2007). Tom Hiddleston plays Kanjigar who was recently in del Toro’s Crimson Peak (2015). The troll hunter defeats Bular, but the other troll turns the tables on him as the sunlight grows closer. The sword is lost and disappears. Kanjigar saws that the amulet will find someone else and falls into the sunlight turning into stone and shattering! The amulet rests in the rubble and then we get Jim waking up. He meets with his friend Toby and gives him lunch before they head to school on their bikes. Charlie Saxton, who is currently in the comedy Cooper Barret’s Guide to Surviving Life, plays Toby. Jim has them bike into the canal and he hears a voice. He heads over to the pile of rubble and hears a voice, before finding the glowing amulet. They hear the school bell ring while multiple eyes blink from a grate. Multiple eyed Blinky is voiced by Kelsey Grammar. Jim is staring at Claire played by Lexi Medrano. His teacher, Mr. Strickler,  voiced by Jonathan Hyde who is currently on the other del Toro show The Strain, talks to a distracted Jim. Toby struggles to climb the rope in gym, but falls and gets his leg caught in the rope! Jim goes to talk to Claire and she mentions about auditioning for the school play of Romeo and Juliet. Jim then talks with Toby before seeing something in the misty showers. A bully, Steve (voiced by Steven Yeun from Walking Dead), has a kid, Eli voiced by Cole Sand, stuck in a locker who was talking about monsters with stone for skin. Jim sticks up for the kid as Toby leads the students in a chant. Steve lets them go and Jim frees Eli. At night, Jim sees the amulet glow before hearing something he suspects is raccoons.

Blinky introduces himself and also the hulking Aaarrrgghh voiced by voice artist vet Fred Tatasciore. The lead troll tries to tell Jim about his new responsibility, but he passes out. Jim tries to call Toby about what happened when the dentist starts drilling. Jim goes to talk to his teacher, Mr. Strickler. Jim says he saw “two things” who want to train him in chess. Strickler spots the amulet in Jim’s bag. Later, it starts to glow again, the amulet spins until he sees words and saying them, transforms him with armor that magically shrinks to fit him! Strickler goes to the canal and sees the rubble noting that Bular’s father will be unhappy. Jim bikes over the dentist’s office to try to get Toby, but he is busy being tortured by the dentist, it’s a scene out of Little Shop of Horrors, and Jim is there for all of the eight hours! He activates the amulet to form his armor and there’s a knock at the door by the two trolls. Blinky explains the role of the Trollhunter. Jim’s mother arrives at home and they hide in the bathroom. They offer to train Jim, but while it takes decades, he has only days, very funny explanation. Toby convinces them to give Jim a day. At school, Toby pushes Jim into the bathroom when his amulet lights up and transforms him into the Trollhunter. He explains that it is for the play. Jim walks out, but doesn’t know the play, he ad libs the words about destiny from Blinky. Everyone claps at his speech and Claire congratulates him. They bike home after school, but face Bular! The sun is still setting and Jim recites the words, nothing happens. Bular throws trucks as the boys ride for their lives! Toby manages to slip trough an alleyway thanks to his diet, LOL! They reach the canal. Bular rushes Jim as he tries to activate the amulet! Aaarrrgghh forms a portal using a crystal. Jim loses the sword, tries to run for the portal, but it closes and he reverts back to normal! He is snatched into the portal and sees the others. Blinky explains that the armor’s appearance is because he is the first human Trollhunter. A path of lighted crystals leads down to the bright Hearthstone Troll Market. Some funny moments with a nice created world right out of the troll market in Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). It has great potential as a series and a fitting tribute to Anton Yelchin.  Five Amulets out of Five! #AntonYelchin #GuillermodelToro #Trollhunters