Jan 13: The Troll Hunter

"A group of students investigates a series of mysterious bear killings, but learns that there are much more dangerous things going on. They start to follow a mysterious hunter, learning that he is actually a troll hunter."

   The Troll Hunter is an insanely original and entertaining movie. Taking elements from Jurassic Park, Godzilla and Cloverfield, the film showcases Norway's greatest threat to the environment- trolls. After incidents all over the country seemingly related to bear attacks, a camera crew tracks down a man believed to be a poacher. They soon find out he is not what they expected and that the incidents were not at the hands of bears, but of trolls. Surveying the country side for animal carcasses, misplaced boulders, and half-eaten tires (a troll's favorite treat), the team follows the hunter on his attempt to safeguard Norway and it's people. 

The chocolate cake of troll food. 

  The Troll Hunter has a lot going for it. The special effects are very impressive, and you actually can almost believe these giant trolls are wandering the woods and countryside. The film lacks a score; however, the sound effects more than make up for it. From the trembling of the earth under the casts feet to the sounds of a distant troll emerging from the woods, the sounds heighten the experience and make it feel all the more real. The trolls sound a lot like if the T-Rex in Jurassic Park and Andre the Giant, some how, were getting it on. 

Unbeknownst to his lady friends, Andre had a fetish for the reptilian. 

  The mythology created for the movie is quite clever as well. Using stories from Norse fairy tales and legends, The Troll Hunter creates an entire background and dossier on the existence of trolls. For instance, they can smell the blood of Christian man, live up to 1000 years old, can only give birth once in that span, and can develop extra heads purely for show and mating. Their biggest weakness is sunlight or UV rays, as they turn to stone or explode if exposed. 

As opposed to their weakness- lack of tanning beds... and alcohol. 

   The Troll Hunter is a very big surprise. Going into it I thought it would just be another cliche found footage "faux-documentary" with dizzy camerawork and bad acting. It turned out to be a fun ride set in the gorgeous wilderness of Norway. My complaints of the film are few, in that I believed there was a lack of troll footage (could have shown more) and some of the camera work was frustrating. But with all of that, I still recommend it as an entertaining and original film. 

Sight: The film has some impressive effects, especially for a seemingly small budget movie. The backdrop of Norway was beautiful, but the camerawork could have been steadier. 

Sound: The sound effects are impressive, from every troll roar to every tree snap. 

Skill: Not a lot of heavy acting throughout the film, but the titled Troll Hunter definitely expressed the ruggedness of taking on these giant monsters. 

Script: The only part of the script worth mentioning is the building up of the mythos surrounding the trolls. 

Overall: 7.5/10

Best Quote:

Hans: "People want natural explanations. But if you know what to look for, you'll see whats caused by trolls"