Trolls/Trivia

Trivia

• While its other three animated films were box-office failures, Trolls is considered the only film produced by Amblimation to be a box-office success. It was also Amblimation's only film not to be owned by Universal Pictures until NBCUniversal acquired DreamWorks Pictures in 2016.
• After Don Bluth's Rock-a-Doodle and Disney's Aladdin, Trolls marked the third animated film to use of humor and references related to pop culture, while also being the first animated film to use preexisting songs (not counting the 1979 package film Music Magic and the 1988 animated film Wonderland), both which are what DreamWorks Pictures would be notable in most of its modern animated movies in years progressed after the film, particularly following the critical and commercial success of the 2001 computer-animated film Shrek.
• This is considered the second animated feature to feature trolls behind another animated film released in the same year, Don Bluth's A Troll in Central Park.
• To this day, it remains debatable who is the film's main antagonist: The Chef or Creek.
• Wacky, Archer, Lulabelle, Handy, Sleepy, Judie and Reynard are usually called by fans as "the Seven Animals" despite they are not referred with this name in neither the film nor other media.
  • This fan name is considered by many as a nod to the Seven Dwarfs from Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
• When Princess Poppy is dancing in the large basket costume and gloves, it has possibly inspired the "bring it on down" characters Justin Timberlake (who would later voicing Branch in the 2016 live-action remake) would have portrayed on Saturday Night Live.
• The original Troll doll was created by Thomas Dam from Gjøl in Denmark in 1958. The first ones were filled with wood shavings. Many styles and sizes were made and even animals from donkeys, elephants, giraffes, horses, lions and monkeys. There is even a story about why they are different sizes.
• At the beginning of the film, a remix of the classical piece "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg is playing, while the camera travels through the hall of the Ogre king's castle.
• The songs that were written exclusively for the film were composed by well-known singer-songwriters Paul McCartney and Max Martin, who were brought to compose the film's songs due to them being close friends of Dora Wilson's family.
• During Poppy's song in Troll Village, there was a scene where she tries on various dresses (made by the hair-conjoined twins) and says she wants them all. Dora Wilson felt that it would make Poppy seem like a spoiled brat to audiences, so it was cut.
• The scene where Prince Gristle rides his tricycle through the halls of the castle looks a lot like Danny Torrance riding his tricycle through the Overlook Hotel in The Shining.
• When Bridget and Gristle get served their pizza, the music from the arcade game Pac-Man can be heard in the background.
• At one point in the film, Branch tells to Poppy, "Bad things happen and there's nothing you can do about it" much like Simba did in Disney's The Lion King.
  • Coincidentally, both films were released in 1994 and even feature the above-mentioned characters saying these lines feeling guilty over a relative's death (Mufasa and Branch's grandmother).
• The Ogres' pursuit of happiness from Trolls may be a reference to the 1992 TV series The Magic Trolls and the Troll Warriors. In it, the "Magic Trolls" themselves were the ones who lacked happiness and they were kept surpressed by the "Warrior Trolls". In the series, the Magic Trolls were the size of Trolls, and the Warrior Trolls the size of Ogres.
• A new version of the score "The Old Bench's Waltz" from both A Thousand Attempts and One Invention (1971) and Woolma (1982) (which was originally composed by Nestor D'Alessandro and Roberto Lar) is used when Poppy falls into despair and loses all her colors and all the other Trolls follow suit. That new version would been used later for The Prince and the Pauper (1995), Paulie (1998), Manuelita (1999), Animal Farm 2 (2001), and Harvey Street Kids (2015).
• The original theatrical version only has a cover of "September" (sung by Samantha Mathis and Jason Marsden) and a special 4-minute song entitled "TBD" (sung by singer Alanis Morissette) at the end credits. The 3D re-release and Special Edition versions have both the two songs and the unused score "Poppy's Lament" (which was replaced by the new version of "The Old Bench's Waltz") due to having longer credits involving the addition of "Animal Life" and "That's How You Know".
• Dora Wilson herself considered Trolls to be one of her personal favorite films.
• Yvette Mimieux was originally gonna be the narrator, but due to her retirement from acting in 1992, she was replaced by Hal Douglas.
• According to Peter Del Vecho, Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, and Michael Giamo during an interview about Disney's Frozen back in 2014 in the website Kidzworld, they got inspired by Trolls to make their own plot twist for Frozen.
• Poppy's picture frames are a logic-based gag. The first image of Creek is small, but as she expands the frames, the photos of her friends get bigger and bigger, with Cooper's being double the height of Creek's and the twins (Satin and Chenille) being double the width, meaning that it would be impossible for her to have all the frames folded away behind Creek's. This might also be a subtle hint of Creek betraying the Trolls and therefore removed from the Snack Pack afterwards.
  • The frames would later appear in Trolls: The Beat Goes On! and Trolls World Tour, with a photo of Branch replacing Creek's.
• TBD

Goofs

• When the Parrot is talking to Branch, he insists upon a 'high five'. Branch only have four fingers on each of his hands.
• When the Chef takes the Trolls, we do not see her snatch DJ Suki. However, DJ is seen in the fanny pack chef is wearing and later in the cage at Gristle's castle. Lancy, Rascal and Battly each take 3 random Trolls that we do not see in the cage at the castle. Despite DJ isn't seen being taken, Poppy does mention her as one of her friends to save when pleading with Branch in his bunker.
• When Branch and Poppy are waiting inside Branch's bunker we do not see the lever but in the next shot, Branch pulls the lever down and they go under the bunker.
• When Poppy says "Bridget! Stop! You're in love with King Gristle!", there is no way she could have known Bridget's name at that time, unless that she has heard her name when the Chef ordered her to guarding the Trolls.
• TBD

Spoilers

SPOILER WARNING
This article may contain spoilers throughout. Just in case if you want to keep yourself from being spoiled, don’t continue reading any further.

• When the Trolls escape from Ogre Town in the beginning, they use wooden Trolls to disguise their homes. These wooden Trolls resembles Thomas Dam's original Good Luck Trolls toys the film is based on.
• In the dance party at the conclusion of the film, Poppy and Branch briefly borrow a few dance steps from the Michael Jackson music video Thriller.
• Body count: 7; King Gristle Sr., one of the Trolls in the flashback scenes with Branch screaming "the Ogres are coming!", Grandma, the Chef, Lancy, Rascal, and Creek.
• The film has several plot points that are similar to DreamWorks' 2007 film Hail Arthur. Both feature a hero who begins a journey to save their home (Artie and Poppy), both feature a deuteragonist who serve as either their straight man or a comic sidekick (Merlin and Branch), both feature a group of animals who helps the two characters (Nevermore, Mess & Iggy and the Seven Animals), both feature a villain intent on reigning supreme (Captain Hook and the Chef), both feature Lancy, Rascal and Battly as henchmen, and both end with the Villains (aside from the main villain) learning a lesson that puts aside their villainous ways (the Pirates and the Ogres).

Tropes

SPOILER WARNING
This article may contain spoilers throughout. Just in case if you want to keep yourself from being spoiled, don’t continue reading any further.

• Aerith and Bob: Some of the Trolls have real world names, like Poppy and Cooper. Out of the Ogres, Bridget is the only one with a real world name.
• An Aesop: Happiness doesn't come from an object, it comes from the heart.
• All Trolls Are Different: These trolls are small, colorful, cheery Ugly Cute beings.
• Always a Bigger Fish: Parodied at the start of Poppy's journey, with way too many creatures eating each other in succession including a carnivorous plant. Then played straight when Branch rescues Poppy, barely holding out with just his hair-whipping against giant spiders, unknowingly herding them into the maw of a bigger creature. Likewise played straight in the Stinger when the Chef is about to eat Creek, only for the both of them to fall into the maw of a bigger monster.
• Amusing Injuries: Poppy suffers plenty in her "Get Back Up Again" musical number, but being The Determinator she refuses to give up.
• And Starring: John Candy as Wacky, Handy and the Parrot; Julie Andrews as Judie; Danny DeVito as Reynard; and John Cleese as King Gristle Sr. and King Peppy.
• Animated Musical
• Answer Cut: In the prologue after Trollstice is ruined for the Ogres, Gristle asks his father, “What’s gonna make me happy now?”. Cut to a close-up of Bridget watching in the background, who will eventually become his love interest later on in the film.
• Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: King Peppy says that the Trolls' new home has all they need: "Fresh air, clear water, and sweet acoustics!"
• "Awesome McCool" Name: Bridget gives her alter ego the name 'Lady Glitter Sparkles'.
• Awesome Moment of Crowning: Poppy is crowned queen at the end of the film.
• Barbie Doll Anatomy: Downplayed: though the trolls clearly have no nipples, the opening scene implies they at least have genitals since King Peppy had his crotch area covered.
• Bastard in Sheep's Clothing: Creek. He was believed to be a spiritually-enlightened guru, even using the phrase "Namaste". However, after receiving what he calls a spiritual revelation (actually his own fear), he reveals himself to be treacherous, cowardly, cunning and evil, and helps the Chef capture all of the remaining Trolls. So Creek almost causes the deaths of everyone in his entire village just to save himself from being eaten.
• Be Careful What You Wish For: Branch tells Poppy that he can't wait to see the look on her face when she realizes that life isn't all cupcakes and rainbows. Late in the movie, he does get to see the look on her face when she has that realization, and it causes her to fall into despair and lose all her colors, causing the rest of the Trolls to lose their colors too. He clearly does not like it.
• Big Bad: The Chef, who even after the other Ogres give up their Troll-eating ways is still as hellbent on devouring them regardless.
• Big Eater: Bridget. This leads the Chef to assume she ate all the Trolls when they've disappeared.
• Book-Ends:
  • "September" plays at the beginning and at the credits.
  • The movie begins with a storybook opening and ends with it closing.
  • The story begins in Ogre Town with the Trolls making their escape and ends with the Trolls staying in Ogre Town after the Ogres make a Heel–Face Turn.
  • During "Move Your Hair", Smidge uses her hair to lift Poppy into the air. She does the same thing in the end, but Branch is also with Poppy.
  • Poppy is surrounded by the other Trolls when she is crowned Queen. The second time is official, with the Trolls and the Ogres living in peace.
  • The hill monster that almost eats Poppy as she goes to free her friends eats the Chef, her henchanimals and Creek in The Stinger.
• Bowel-Breaking Bricks: When the Chef, Lancy, Rascal and Battly find the Trolls' new home, Cooper poops cupcakes, which Poppy then offers to them.
• Break the Cutie: Happens to both Poppy and Bridget during the course of the film.
• Bring My Brown Pants: Cooper poops cupcakes after being frozen in fear by the Chef and her henchanimals' arrival.
• Bullying a Dragon: Cooper stupidly laughs at Gristle's bib snapping because the latter's neck is too fat. Guess how Gristle reacts.
• Butt-Monkey: Bridget. She's a Cinderella-like maid who gets mistreated by the Chef, Lancy and Rascal.
• Cheerful Child:
  • Gristle was this before the Trolls managed to escape.
  • Branch was this as well before he lost his grandmother.
• Chekhov's Gun: Poppy's cowbell becomes a dark example of this trope: at the beginning of the film, baby Poppy rings it as a celebration of the Trolls liberating themselves from the Ogres. But later in the film, Creek steals the cowbell from the adult Poppy and gives the Trolls a phony "all clear" signal to lure them out of hiding so the Chef can capture them all.
• Color Failure: After all the Trolls are captured and trapped in a pot, they lose their colors along with their happiness, turning gray.
• Comically Small Bribe: Poppy tries to offering three cupcakes to the Chef in exchange for not eating everyone at the party, but failing.
• Comic Relief: Wacky, Sleepy, Reynard, Lancy, Rascal and Battly.
• Crazy-Prepared: Branch lives in a heavily fortified bunker, which ends up saving him from the invasion of Ogres (even though it is implied that it was also supposed to apparently keep Poppy out). He even says it word for word when he tells Poppy that he's got enough supplies for 10 years - 11 if he's prepared to drink his own sweat, which he is.
• Creepy Child: The wall-eyed child Troll. For one thing, he likes watching his parents as they're sleeping.
• Crying Wolf: Branch's multiple cries that "THE OGRES ARE COMING!" even though no Ogre ever comes makes the Trolls, including Poppy, convinced that Branch cannot be relied upon. Though it gets inverted because it turns out Branch would be eventually right and Poppy throwing the party against Branch's warnings gave away their location to the Chef and his henchanimals.
• The Cameo:
  • Cat from the Dreamtoons franchise is seen in a short scene where he puts up a sign saying "Trolls Here!" before making his signature "bouncing and laughing" around the forest.
  • Miss Bow Wow and Mr. Mittens, also from the Dreamtoons franchise, make a brief cameo where Mr. Mittens is happily painting a picture of Miss Bow Wow disguised as the Snow Queen, during the scene where Poppy, her friends, Branch, Wacky, Judie and Reynard steal Gristle's jewel.
• Dance Party Ending: The movie took this trope to Deus ex Machina levels as it ends with Poppy being crowned queen and all the Trolls, animals and Ogres dancing to "Can't Stop the Feeling".
• Dark and Troubled Past: The reason why Branch lost his colors and refuses to sing is because when he was a kid, his singing attracted the Chef's attention, and Branch's grandmother was eaten when she tried to save him.
• Darkest Hour: Because of Creek's betrayal, all the trolls in the village end up captured and thrown into a pot. Poppy decides that Branch and Archer were right (that life isn't all cupcakes and rainbows and that she is an idiot, respectively) and falls into despair and turns completely gray, losing all her colors. The rest of the trolls also lose all their colors, and everything looks hopeless. But then Branch finally sings...
• Deadpan Snarker: Branch and Judie's roles through most of the film. Even Poppy goes into Sarcasm Mode when Creek betrays them, to the shock of the other Trolls.
• Determinator: Poppy, as shown by her journey montage, even if Slapstick Knows No Gender.
• Dirty Coward: To save himself from getting eaten, Creek makes a deal with the Chef, Lancy, Rascal and Battly and attempts to lead them to the other Trolls.
• Disney Princess: Princess Poppy, naturally.
• Disney Creatures of the Farce: Parodied with Poppy's performance of "The Sound of Silence" and with Lullabelle's performance of "That's How You Know" from both the 3D re-release and Special Edition version.
• Does Not Like Shoes: All of the Trolls, the Seven Animals, and the Chef's henchanimals. Even some of the Ogres go barefoot.
• Doomed Hometown: The Trolls' home is invaded by Ogres, and the protagonists now have to save the Trolls who are kidnapped. Later, all the Trolls are nabbed when Creek betrays them.
• DreamWorks Face: Surprisingly, Branch is the one making this face on the DVD and Blu-Ray covers, even the film was made years before the DreamWorks Face was created.
• The Dragon: Lancy, Rascal and Battly, although it's implied that Lancy is mainly the right-hand one due to being the trio's leader.
• Dramatically Missing the Point: The Ogres believe that eating a Troll is the only way they can feel happiness. After the Trolls escape the Ogres, King Gristle Sr. tells his son that he will now never know what happiness feels like. This is despite the fact that Gristle was a Cheerful Child who felt happiness just by thinking about eating a Troll, and King Gristle Sr.'s obvious parental pleasure towards his son.
• Eaten Alive: The Ogres are planning this for the Trolls, as we see a scene of Lancy, Rascal and Battly dressed up with flaming grills going. Creek is put in a taco and goes into Gristle's mouth still-screaming though he is not killed.
  • Ends up being a Karmic Death for the Chef, Lancy, Rascal and Creek for real at the very end of the movie, being eaten by the same monster that tried to eat Poppy before in the film.
• The Eeyore:
  • The Ogres are an entire race of Eeyores.
  • Branch, who doesn't do dance parties, because they might attract the Ogres' attention and an Ogre ate his grandmother when he was younger.
  • [Judie]
  • Archer, who is very short-tempered and yells at Poppy and her friends by calling them "idiots" for being always happy.
• Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": The Ogres' chef is only ever called Chef.
• Everything's Better with Princesses: Princess Poppy, naturally.
• Everything's Better with Rainbows: One example why the trolls are so colorful. "True Colors" shows this in spades.
• Everything's Better with Sparkles: The trolls love glitter.
• Everything Trying to Kill You: For some reason the environment surrounding the Trolls' village is this and Sugar Bowl at the same time. By which we mean it's all made up of felt and wool and glitter and things, barring the odd translucent organic tissue.
• Eye Scream:
  • Poppy bounces off giant eyeballs by their eyelids before landing on an open one. Realistically, it blinks reflexively. Unrealistically, it then explodes into glitter.
  • Upon getting annoyed with Cooper, the Chef cuts a lemon and squirts it in his eyes.
• Fantastic Aesop: Happiness comes from inside, not from eating Trolls. More charitably, the Aesop could be summarized as "you can't achieve true happiness by hurting people".
  • Poppy actually sums it up word-for-word: "Happiness isn't something you put inside you, it's already there!" Meaning that you will never find happiness from an outside source; Branch supports this point ("Happiness is inside of all of us, right?")
• Foil:
  • The perpetually happy Trolls to the perpetually gloomy Ogres in general.
  • The optimistic Poppy, Wacky and Lulabelle to the grumpy Branch, Judie and Reynard, in particular.
  • The kind, friendly and gentle Lulabelle to the selfish, short-tempered and jerk Archer.
  • The energetic and hard-working Wacky to the sleeping and lazy Sleepy.
  • The grouchy but good-hearted, honest and loyal Branch to the seemingly-friendly but truly treacherous, villainous and cowardly Creek.
• Foreshadowing:
  • During Trollstice in the prologue, Gristle and the Ogres are genuinely happy and excited even before devouring the Trolls. This is the first clue that their happiness is genuine and is coming from the heart instead of something that's happy.
  • Branch's Establishing Character Moment starts off with him telling Poppy and her friends off for singing too loud because that would attract the Ogres. While that does end up happening during the party, it turns out that Branch singing too loud attracted the Chef to him and his grandma sacrificed herself to save him from her.
  • There are three hints that Branch is in love with Poppy, such as the fact that he kept every party invitation she ever gave him; when Lulabelle sees Branch as the right boy which Poppy should have fallen in love with; and when the Trolls attempt at Playing Cyrano for Bridget, he delivers a touching, heartfelt speech while looking right at Poppy, implying he wanted to say those words to her.
  • When discussing how they would free the Trolls, Archer sarcastically asks Poppy if she plans to sing their way to freedom. Turns out to be the answer.
  • When we first meet Creek, we get small hint that he's not exactly an angel when he briefly mocks Branch's pessimist.
  • Judie suspects about Creek being alive, which it turned to be true when Creek betrays the Trolls.
  • After Gristle's first Trollstice comes to an abrupt end, he laments "What's going to make me happy now?" There's a brief Answer Cut to Bridget before his father continues the conversation.
• Freudian Excuse: The reason Branch is pessimist and doesn't sing is because his singing accidentally lured an Ogre to devour his grandmother.
• Funny Animal: The Seven Animals, Lancy, Rascal, Battly, the Crook Badgers and most of the animals in the bar sequence.
• Getting Crap Past the Radar:
  • When the young Gristle is about to eat his first Troll, his father says "don't worry, son. I remember being nervous my first time."
  • "I think I had a sarcasm once."
  • During King Gristle and Lady Glittersparkles/Bridget's rollerskating scene, Gristle ends up staring straight at her butt for several seconds. The camera angle makes this very clear.
• Gilligan Cut: When the Trolls are annoyed that Branch ruins everything because of him always warning them of the Ogres, he replies, “No I don't.” Cue a series of flashbacks of him warning the Trolls at a birthday party, wedding reception and funeral, respectively.
• Glad You Thought of It: The Chef prods Gristle to reinstate Trollstice, in order to regain her own power.

The Chef: What exactly are you proposing? Bringing back Trollstice? For everyone?

King Gristle: Hmm... Yes! That's exactly what I'm proposing.

The Chef: Great idea sire. Absolutely brilliant. Aren't you smart?

Lancy: But masteress, you said that... (the Chef covers her mouth)

The Chef: Shut up, Lancy! (turns to Gristle while sitting on his throne) And I, your loyal Chef, will be right behind you. (muttering) Holding a knife.

• Glass Slipper: The roller skate belonging to Lady Glittersparkles who is really Bridget with a Cinderella makeover.
• The Glomp: Poppy, with her ever so popular "hug times", upon Branch.
• G-Rated Drug: The Trolls are this to the Ogres. They serve as psychedelic drugs that when consumed orally, they help make an Ogre feel happiness.
• Grumpy Bear: Branch, Reynard and Judie, contrasting with Poppy's perpetually happy personality.
• Handshake Refusal: The Parrot offers to guide Poppy, Branch and the Seven Animals to Ogre Town, if Branch gives him a high-five first. The pessimistic, untrusting Branch refuses, and after some negotiation he agrees to a fist bump. But then the Parrot keeps switching to bizarre greetings in order to make everybody laugh (although Branch and the animals get annoyed at this and Poppy was the only who laughs at it until Reynard yells to her "If you laugh again, I'll punch you in the face!"), until Branch snaps and chases after him.
• Head Desk: Gristle does this when he’s introduced as an adult, banging his head on his throne believing he’ll never be happy again.
• Heel–Face Turn: The whole Ogre race (and Battly) makes a heel face turn upon witnessing Bridget and Gristle finding happiness in each other, causing the Ogres to realize that they don't have to eat Trolls to make themselves happy. The Chef is the exception; she has to be defeated directly.
• Heel Realization: For Poppy, there's two. The first one is when Branch reveals that the reason he hates all the happy things she love is because they got his Grandmother killed. Poppy then realizes that all the time she's been trying to drag him into being happy, it's been causing him emotional pain and she didn't even really consider his feelings. The second is when Creek admits that he is betraying all the Trolls just to save himself. Poppy then realizes her idiocy, that Creek was a selfish fraud, that he has never loved her, and that her journey was all for nothing.
• Heroic BSoD: Branch's flashback reveals his, and that reaching one drives a troll into Color Failure. After seeing his beloved grandmother perform a Heroic Sacrifice to keep him from being eaten after a Ogre noticed his singing, he vowed never to sing again, and he experienced Color Failure for 20 years. This foreshadows what happens during the Darkest Hour, when every other troll hits the emotional nadir and lose their color as well.
• Heroic Sacrifice:
  • Branch's grandmother saved him from the Chef years ago, causing her to be taken and eaten.
  • Bridget secretly lets the Trolls go on the night of the feast because she knows that even though she'll be punished for it, it won't be as bad as them being eaten.
• Hidden Depths:
  • Poppy is perpetually optimistic to the point of naiveté, but she's also very resourceful, as shown during a musical sequence in which she survives multiple dangers in the forest even before Branch and the Seven Animals join her. Also, the reason Branch joins her is because Poppy came up with a plan to drive him out of his bunker by inviting all the other Trolls, the Seven Animals only joined them after Poppy convinces them in exchange for giving a great reward, and Poppy comes up with the idea to help Bridget, which is rewarded when Bridget later repays her by letting the Trolls go.
  • Branch also has hidden depths, as while the Trolls are helping Bridget with her date, it almost goes badly, but Branch suddenly starts helping by reciting some very romantic lines, which helps Bridget successfully win Gristle's heart.
  • [Make Archer one]
  • [Make Judie one]
  • [Make Reynard one]
• Hypocrite: Creek, who when we first see him, he was believed to be a peaceful mentor, but not only panics when captured by the Chef and her henchanimals, but even collaborates with the Chef in leading her to the Trolls' village to save his own self.
• I Warned You:
  • Branch has been warning the Trolls about the Ogres threat for years and nobody listened. However, when Poppy reveals the Ogre attack, he quickly pulls her inside his bunker to hide instead of leaving her for the Ogres he still thinks are out there.
  • Judie victoriously yells to Poppy "Aha! I told you so, you pink idiot! I told you so! That Creek was pure evil! Oh yeah! Take that!" while she, Reynard and Wacky are taken away to the dungeon by Battly, when Creek admits that he is betraying the Trolls.
  • Branch later admits he is just following Poppy to give her an "I Told You So" when things finally go wrong to the point where even she has to admit it. However, at the climax when things are at their darkest, Branch cannot bring himself to do it due to Poppy becoming sad and giving a more brutal one to herself.
• Idiot Hero: Poppy, though she's far more of a naive than an idiot.
• Ironic Echo: See Be Careful What You Wish For.
• Jerkass Has a Point:
  • Branch, though he's far more of a buzzkill than a jerkass. Life isn't all fun and games, especially when you know that another species exists that wants nothing more than to eat you. Acting like it is can get people seriously hurt.
  • (Make Archer one)
  • (Make Judie one)
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold:
  • Branch, who may seem selfish and gloomy, but really does have a heart, as shown when he saves an unconscious Poppy from spiders.
  • (Make Judie one)
  • Archer, who starts out as a selfish jerk who frequently bullies Poppy by calling her an "idiot" just for being always happy and it seems that he just accepted to join her and Branch to get the reward she promised, but he really does have a heart by leading his fellow animals to rescuing the Trolls after escaping the dungeon with the bar's animals' help, and shows his complete redemption while applauding Poppy when she is crowned queen, despite saying "You know, I was never proud of an idiot before".
  • (Make Reynard one)
• Jukebox Musical: This film can be considered as one. There are a few original songs written for it though - such as "Move Your Hair", "Get Back Up Again" and "Can't Stop The Feeling" (though that was released as a tie-in single).
• Karmic Death: The Chef, Lancy, Rascal, and Creek are eaten by a monster.
• Know Your Vines: Poppy eats a berry and ends up swelling into a ball.
• Line-of-Sight Name: The Trolls help Bridget come up with her disguise name, "Lady Glittersparkles", to impress King Gristle.
• Love Confession: While singing to bring back her hope, Branch, using the lyrics of "True Colors", tells Poppy that he loves her.
• Magic Hair: Not only are the Trolls able to control the shape of their hair the way humans control their arms or legs, but they can extend or retract them almost instantaneously and change the colors.
• Magic Skirt: Averted with Poppy's dress when she's inflated into a ball and rolling around.
• Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Poppy is like this at the beginning with her efforts to defrost Branch's cynicism, down to making glitter-spewing pop-up dioramas to celebrate their (in her mind) inevitable triumph. Later in the movie, Branch has to act as Poppy's manic pixie dream guy when she becomes depressed after Creek's betrayal, as his singing restores her colors and her hope.
• A Minor Kidroduction: Poppy, the main protagonist, is seen as a baby in the beginning when her father led the Trolls to escape the Ogres. Gristle and Bridget are also seen as young children during that scene.
• Missing Steps Plan: Poppy's plan is just "rescue everyone and make it home safely".

Branch: That's not a plan, that's a wish list.

• Monochrome to Color: Used as a plot point. When a Troll loses all happiness in life, all the color in their skin and hair fades to gray.
• Mood Whiplash: Played for funny. Gristle and Bridget touch hands when reaching for the same slice of pizza. We're led to believe that it's going to be a romantic moment... until she smacks his hand away hard to get the pizza for herself and wolf it down. Then whiplashed AGAIN as he then calls her fantastic and is even more entranced.
• Multicolored Hair: The Trolls use their hair to give Bridget's Lady Glittersparkles persona a rainbow wig.
• Mythology Gag:
  • At the start of the film, when the Ogres discover that all the Trolls have escaped from the tree, the wooden decoys look exactly like the classic Troll dolls. In fact, the earliest Troll dolls were made of wood.
  • DJ Suki having a gem in her belly is a reference to the Good Luck Trolls who had various gems in the same location while Cooper is a nod to the animal trolls.
• Naked People Are Funny: King Peppy moons the viewers in the prologue, when he reunites with the escaped Trolls and declares, "No troll left behind!"
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!: Poppy making her party too loud and flashy causes the Trolls to be discovered by the Chef and her henchanimals.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain!: When he was a kid, the Chef takes Branch's grandmother away right in front of him, causing him to lose his color. Later when the other Trolls lose their color waiting to be eaten in the Chef's pot, only Branch can help get them back on their feet because he's been gray long enough to be able to work around the hopelessness.
• Obliviously Evil: As explained in the beginning of the film, the Ogres want to eat Trolls not out of malice or cruelty, but because they genuinely believe that eating a Troll is their only way to be happy. So when Poppy points out Gristle and Bridget finding happiness despite never having eaten Trolls in their lives, the Ogres see the error of their ways and willingly give up Trollstice for good. Except the Chef, who has to be dealt with more directly.
• Offscreen Teleportation: The Troll child who watches his parents while they sleep appears in other Trolls' hair about three times.
• Older Than They Look: The bulk of the film takes place 20 years after the prologue, but Gristle and Bridget, who were children then, come across as adults and are half the height of most other Ogres.
• Only Sane Man: Branch gives off vibes of this, compared to the hyperactive Poppy and her happy-go-lucky brethren.
• Orbital Shot: Peppy has one in the prologue as he addresses the Trolls, announcing the groundbreaking of their new homeland following their escape from Ogre Town.
• Orphaned Etymology: The Parrot asks for a high-five from Branch, despite Branch having Four-Fingered Hands.
• Opposites Attract: Poppy and Branch at the end of the film.
• Overly Long Gag: The Parrot's Secret Handshake lesson.
• Pink Girl, Blue Boy: As it turns out, Branch used to be blue. He turns back at the end and becomes the Blue Boy to Poppy's Pink Girl.
• Playing Cyrano: The Trolls attempt this for Bridget while she's on her date with King Gristle Jr.
• The Pollyanna: Poppy is very close to the actual Trope Namer in that she admits to Branch she knows life isn't all cupcakes and rainbows but she likes to believe most of it is and focus on the good things.
• Pooping Food: Cooper poops cupcakes at one point.
• Potty Failure: When the Chef and her henchanimals arrive at Poppy's party, all the trolls freeze in fear, and Cooper poops out cupcakes.
• Prehensile Hair: The Trolls' hair can be used as anything from a whip, to an extra arm, to a grappling hook.
• Properly Paranoid: Branch may be ridiculously paranoid, but he's right about the Ogres being able to find them.
• Rhetorical Request Blunder: When Poppy, Branch and the animals are camped out for the night and about to get some rest:

Branch: Seriously, more singing?

Poppy: Yes, seriously. Singing helps me relax. Maybe you ought to try it.

Branch: I don't sing and I don't relax. This is the way I am and I like it. I also like a little silence!

Archer: Yes, you idiot! Stop your stupid singing and accept reality!

• Room Full of Crazy: Seen in Branch's bunker, the animal bar, and Bridget's room, respectively.
• Romantic False Lead: Creek was set up as Poppy's love interest until he betrays all the other Trolls, including Poppy, in exchange for his freedom.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: Princess Poppy, who takes it upon herself to go out and save her friends, even if no one else wants to. In the past, her father King Peppy led the Trolls' initial escape from the Ogres.
• Rule of Three:
  • Poppy's cow bell is rung three times. The first by baby Poppy after the Trolls find a new home, the second by an older Poppy in the present during the beginning of "Move Your Hair", and the third by Creek to lure out the other Trolls so they can be eaten instead of him.
  • The "boop" on the nose gesture. First, when Creek reassures Poppy about her party after Branch cynically dismisses the said party. Second, when Poppy does it to a picture of Creek. The third and final time is the darkest since Creek reveals his true, villainous nature and blatantly admits that he is planning to betray the other Trolls in order to spare his own life, and before he leaves with Poppy's cowbell, he does the "boop" thing.
• Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: Branch and Poppy, respectively.
• Scullery Maid: Bridget, who undergoes a makeover to greet young King Gristle disguised as Lady Glittersparkles.
• "Setting Off" Song: Poppy sings "Get Back Up Again" as she heads for Ogre Town.
• Shout-Out:
  • Bridget's makeover as Lady Glittersparkles is a notable Cinderella Circumstances example, even down to the lost roller skate as a Glass Slipper.
  • The younger Gristle is introduced riding a tricycle down a hallway.
  • Wacky and Archer bear striking resemblances to the woodpecker from the 1955 Dreamtoons short Red's Bird Trouble (starring Red Riding Hood) and the Hare from the Aesop's Funny Fables short film Hedgehog Beats Hare, respectively.
  • During Gristle and Bridget's date at the pizzeria, a Pac-Man machine can be heard in the background.
  • The Chef's line "He who controls the Trolls controls the kingdom" resembles the Arc Words from Dune ("He who controls spice controls the universe.")
  • At one point, Branch accidentally knocks a deceased Troll's body out of the casket at the funeral- much like what happened during the infamous "Lost Scene" in Clerks.
  • One song that didn't make it onto the soundtrack featuring The Ogres being introduced to "Clint Eastwood".
• Sidetracked by the Analogy:

The Chef: He who controls the Trolls controls the kingdom, and I am that he!

Cooper: You're a dude?

• Slapstick Knows No Gender: Poppy is subjected to this, especially through the "Get Back Up Again" montage.
• Small Role, Big Impact:
  • King Gristle Sr. only appears in the prologue but his decision to banish the Chef and her henchanimals from Ogre Town is what leads them to devote their lives into recapturing the Trolls and planing to overthrow the monarcy.
  • The Crook Badgers only appear in one scene but their attempt to capture Poppy and Branch is what leads Poppy and Branch to meet the Seven Animals for the first time.
  • Branch's grandmother only makes one appearance but her action is what sets off Branch's cynicism which would affect the future.
• The Starscream: The Chef intends to use the captured Trolls to overthrow Gristle and make herself the Ogres' new ruler.
• The Stinger: When the ending credits begin, the viewer may be wondering what happened to the Chef, Lancy, Rascal and Creek after they are defeated and sent out of Ogre Town in a burning pot by Poppy, Branch, and the Seven Animals. The answer is revealed partway through the credits: the pot comes to a stop on what appears to be a hill, and while Creek sighs in relief, the Chef then attempts to eat Creek. But it turns out they're not really on a hill, they're on a giant monster, which then eats them both.
• Straight Man:
  • Branch, to the rest of the Trolls.
  • Judie, to the rest of the Seven Animals.
• Time Skip: A 20-year time skip after King Peppy succeeds in leading the escape of the Trolls from the Ogres.
• Too Dumb to Live: Quite honestly, most of the Trolls qualify — after escaping from the Ogres in the opening prologue, they establish a new home in the forest, but don't bother with ANY defenses or warnings against any possible future discovery by the Ogres. Similarly, Branch tells Poppy that her loud singing and boisterous party celebrations might attract the Ogres, but she blithely dismisses his warnings with terrible consequences.
• Unintentionally Sympathetic: The Chef. While she plans to overthrown Gristle, the viewers would think that her plans and her Villain Song are because she genuinely wants to restore happiness to Ogre Town.
• Villain Song: The Chef's song "Bringing Back Happy".
• Vocal Dissonance: Smidge looks a little girl but has a raspy, Harvey Fierstein-like voice.
• Wedgie: This is how Ogres greet each other, along with kicking one in the butt.
• Wham Line: When the Trolls give Bridget a makeover, Poppy wants Branch to sing along as well, to which he refuses. When Poppy tries to get an answer out of him as to why he won't sing, he angrily snaps, "Because singing killed my grandma, okay?!"
• Wham Shot: After all the Trolls are captured thanks to Creek, Poppy is so distraught at the fact that Archer was right when he said that she and the rest of the Trolls are idiots and as good as dead, all the color drains from her person, leaving her looking like Branch. All the other Trolls then follow suit.
• Whole Plot Reference: Gristle and Bridget's storyline is one for Cinderella, complete with Bridget losing a skate at the castle steps.
• Wide-Eyed Idealist: Poppy, who's stated as having never faced a real problem before. However, this is played with: Poppy eventually admits that she knows that life isn't all cupcakes and rainbows, but she'd rather go on hoping it is, because if she didn't, she'd end up perpetually depressed like Branch. Later in the movie, that does finally happen, as during the Trolls' darkest hour, Poppy falls into despair and loses all her colors.
• You Gotta Have Blue Hair: The Trolls have a variety of hair colors (silver, blue, pink, etc.), and can change them at will. The Ogres also have a variety of hair colors.