Troll 2 – Movie Review
Ever sit down to watch a monster movie and think, okay, maybe this one won’t let me down only to realize twenty minutes in that the monster seems to be taking a personal day? That’s “Troll 2” in a nutshell. It’s the kind of sequel that makes you reflect on your life choices, like why you pressed “Play” instead of folding laundry or staring blankly at a wall.
The first “Troll” had charm. Not brilliance, not groundbreaking mythology but charm. Giant troll, Norway in danger, a sprinkle of Amblin-style family adventure. It worked well enough. But “Troll 2”? Let’s just say it shows up with the enthusiasm of a kid who forgot a group project was due and decided to wing it.
The Setup: Same World, Lower Stakes
We’re back with Nora Tidemann, played by Ine Marie Wilmann, whose troll expertise has aged about as well as day-old sushi. She’s been disgraced, dismissed, and dragged back into action because another giant troll is stomping his way across Norway oh, and he brought his long-lost troll son. Yes, there’s a troll son now. No, the movie doesn’t really know what to do with him either.
Nora teams up with a government crew so boilerplate you could slot them into any monster movie and nobody would notice. They pursue the trolls, sometimes fight them, and occasionally shout things like “Move!” or “We need to stop this!” But the action what little there is never builds enough steam to make you feel the danger. It’s polished, sure, but also strangely… hollow.
The Vibe: Like a Roller Coaster Built by Someone Who Ran Out of Materials
The film clearly wants an Amblin tone big emotions, heartfelt bonds, a dash of humor. But instead it lands somewhere between “mildly pleasant” and “did anything actually happen?” Scenes that should feel tense drift by like soft clouds, and the comedy barely registers above a polite chuckle.
You know those amusement park commercials that make the rides look thrilling, and then you show up and realize the coaster has a maximum speed of “jogging lightly”? That’s this movie.
Characters, Dialogue, and the Great Scandinavian Niceness Epidemic
One of the movie’s biggest problems is that everyone is just… way too nice. Conflict? Barely. Tension? Not really. Distinct voices? Absolutely not.
Nora’s main government contact, Andreas, is an excitable nerd whose pop-culture references feel like the writers Googled “stuff the youths like.” His wife Siggy is sweet but mostly sidelined, existing mainly to have a baby the script forgets about. Marion, the stern supervisor, softens immediately when a handsome captain flirts with her but nothing comes of it, romantically or dramatically.
Every conversation sounds like it was first run through a “Make This Pleasant” filter. Even when the Norwegian president barks orders at the team, it feels more like your aunt gently reminding you to bring a sweater.
And because the script gives everyone the exact same tone earnest, optimistic, lightly quippy you start to forget who’s who. These aren’t characters; they’re IKEA display models of characters.
The Trolls Themselves: Gorgeous, Underused, and Bizarrely Polite
Jotun still looks fantastic. His son looks great too. The creature effects are easily the highlight of the film. When the trolls appear, you can’t help but sit up a little straighter… only for the movie to politely usher them offscreen again before anything exciting happens.
There’s a potentially interesting thread involving Saint Olaf, Norway’s famed troll-banisher king, and a buried history that maybe paints him in a less flattering light. For a brief moment, the movie hints at something bold a national myth challenged, a legend re-examined, a monster reclaiming his story.
And then the movie drops it like a hot potato and returns to Nora and the crew being very earnestly supportive of each other.
Even the trolls’ own father-son tension something that could have added emotional weight—feels weirdly undercooked, like the movie remembered it at the last second and scribbled it in the margins.
The Adventure Without the Thrill
There are hints of an Indiana Jones-style treasure hunt: dusty clues, hidden histories, ancient churches. But instead of whipping along with energy or mystery, the plot jus sort of meanders. Characters figure things out because the script needs them to, not because the puzzle is actually clever or engaging.
By the time the story reaches Trondheim home of the gorgeous Nidaros Chapel the movie seems tired of its own premise. The big “reveal” about Norway’s past lands with a soft thud, and the final act fizzles into a predictable, consequence-free wrap-up.
“Troll 2” isn’t awful. It’s competently made, the cast is likable, the trolls look fantastic, and the tone is gentle enough that you could put it on during a family gathering without offending anyone.
Content Breakdown for Parents
If you’re wondering whether Troll 2 is the kind of movie you can toss on during family night without risking nightmares or awkward questions, here’s the straightforward rundown. The film is bizarre, messy, tonally confused and very much rooted in “B-movie horror” territory rather than anything approaching realistic fright.
Violence & Intensity
While Troll 2 never crosses into hardcore gore, it definitely has its fair share of unsettling imagery. The goblins who look like someone raided an after-Halloween clearance bin attack people with spears, drag them into traps, and use all kinds of odd, supernatural tricks to turn their victims into plant-monsters.
Some scenes show characters slowly transforming into oozing plant matter, melting, or disintegrating. Sometimes this happens on-screen; other times the camera politely cuts away but leaves just enough sound and implication to make younger viewers squirm.
It’s not realistic violence by any stretch cheap costumes, rubber masks, and dated special effects keep it firmly in camp territory but the imagery can still be surprisingly grotesque. Kids who are sensitive to body-horror transformations may find certain moments genuinely disturbing.
Language
There’s no heavy profanity here, but the dialogue is… odd. Because the movie was filmed by an Italian crew and translated into English on the fly, a lot of lines land with a strange, stilted cadence. You’ll hear the occasional threat like the famously absurd “We’ll be forced to kill you… VIOLENTLY “that sounds intense on paper but mostly comes across as unintentional comedy.
You won’t encounter strong language, but the weirdness of the phrasing might confuse younger viewers who take lines more seriously than the film intends.
Sexual Content / Nudity
None. Zero. Absolutely not part of this movie’s agenda.
Troll 2 doesn’t trade in sensuality it’s too busy turning people into vegetable goo. If you’re concerned about sexual themes or revealing scenes, this one is squeaky clean.
Drugs, Alcohol & Smoking
You won’t find realism here either. No drinking, no smoking, no drug use. Instead, the film plays with the idea of tainted or “poisoned” food: the goblins feed victims’ neon-green sludges, suspicious meals, and glowing drinks that cause their transformations.
It’s all supernatural and played for horror, not anything resembling a depiction of substance abuse.
If you loved the first movie, you’ll probably watch this one anyway.
If you like creature features, you’ll wish the creatures actually featured.
If you’re looking for something thrilling… well, maybe next time.
