Trolls Band Together

This charming installment in the musical Trolls franchise is likely to amuse kids and boy-band fans of all ages. Branch and Poppy are now officially a couple, but the movie doesn't focus on their romance -- rather, it's about the rediscovery of Branch's secret past as a boy band member and his reunion with his estranged brothers. The sibling focus means that younger viewers will get to see Branch humorously (and movingly) interact with his big brothers (who still see him as a baby), which adds depth to his behavior in the first movie. Tiny Diamond knows how that feels and hilariously tries to prove that he's "a big boy now"; he even steps in to drive the armadillo van the group takes to track down the brothers. Thompson's voice is naturally fun, but there's something particularly delightful about it coming from a teeny tiny sparkly troll.

The script, by Elizabeth Tippet and Thomas Dam, is filled with silly dad jokes and band name puns, but the tone is so cheerful and earnest that it will make viewers smile regardless. The frenetic music medleys further the plot and include a range of pop, disco, hip-hop, new wave, and rock. Schumer and Rannells are funny as talentless, fame-hungry musicians who want a fortune without doing any work, and Camila Cabello gives an understated performance as Viva, a troll who was separated from her family years earlier. Of course, the biggest soundtrack news is that NSYNC reunited to sing the catchy "Better Place" -- their first song in more than 20 years. Not surprisingly, lots of boy band-specific jokes are woven in throughout the film, whether it's how often the songs include the word "baby," "girl," "woman," and "love," to the many hairstyles that JT himself had (but in troll form). You don't need to be an NSYNC or boy band fan to appreciate the jokes, but it definitely helps.