Trolls has recently become one of my favorite movies.  I’m watching it as I write this.  I will be giving out some spoilers so if you haven’t watched it, then don’t continue to read.

The movie starts with introducing the Trolls, as the happiest creatures.  They liked to hug, dance, and sing.

One day, the trolls are found by a Bergen.  The Bergens don’t know how to hug, dance, or sing.  They are miserable.  The Bergens discover that eating a troll will make them happy because they wanted to be happy like the trolls.  The Bergens accept the fact that eating a troll will make them happy.  The Bergens create a holiday called Trollstice.  On this holiday they eat a troll so that they can be happy for one day.  The trolls didn’t want to be eaten so they eventually escaped.  They escape on Trollstice.  King Peppy leads them through a tunnel into the woods.  The Bergen chef is thrown out of the village for not finding the trolls. The  Bergen king tells his son that since he didn’t eat a troll then he will never be happy.

I thought about that concept.  Can you imagine if your parents told you that you would never be happy unless you ate a certain food that unfortunately wasn’t available any more?

I used to eat the doughnuts and cakes to try to be happy.  I found that when I was eating the doughnuts and cakes that I could temporarily feel happiness.  Just like the Bergens when they ate a troll.  After eating a troll the Bergens would only be happy for a moment and then go back to being miserable.

Also when I was growing up, I accepted a concept that if I went to college, got a career, married, and then had kids, then I would be happy.  I would have a fulfilling life if I did those things.  So after going through college and getting into my career, then I focused on getting a husband.  When the husband didn’t come I started to internally panic.  I thought that I wouldn’t be happy until I got married.  The thought didn’t occur to me that I could be happy right where I was in my life at the moment.  I learned a valuable lesson that happiness comes from me and not anyone else.  My happiness doesn’t depend on any title that I have or not have.

How many people have been taught and accepted that concept?  If your life is planned in that order then happiness will surely be in your life.  No one has to accept this concept.  We can change our beliefs.  Some people’s lives go in the order of college, career, marriage, and then kids.  Some people’s lives take a different path.  No one path is right or wrong.  The path that you choose is the right one for you.  The path that I am on right now is the right one for me.

There is a troll named Branch that isn’t happy.  He is very pessimistic.  He is always warning the other trolls about the Bergens.   Even though a Bergen hasn’t been spotted in twenty years.  Princess Poppy tries to make Branch happy by inviting him to the parties.  Poppy says that, “happiness is inside of all of us, sometimes you just need someone to help find it.”  Branch warns Poppy that the Bergens will attack if she throws her party.  The party is billed as the “biggest, the loudest, and the craziest party ever.”

Branch is secretly sad that he has no friends and he sits in his bunker most of the day.  He tells every one that he is happy with the way he is.

The party goes on as planned.  The trolls are then discovered by the Bergen chef.  She has been in the wilderness looking for the trolls for twenty years.  The trolls are attacked at the party and the chef takes all of Princess Poppy’s friends.  She decides that she needs to rescue her friends.

Poppy goes to Branch to ask for his help.  He is the only troll that knows the most about the Bergens.  He refuses because he says that it would be a death wish.  Poppy then hatches a plan to get Branch to say yes.  Branch has a bunker that is stockpiled with supplies so that he could hide in it for ten years.  Branch is very anti social.  Poppy invites all the trolls into his bunker and then leaves to go to Bergen Town to save her friends leaving Branch with all the trolls.

Poppy is very optimistic that she will succeed.  She gets into some trouble on the way to Bergen Town.  She is about to get eaten by some spiders and then Branch saves her from the spiders.  She knew that he couldn’t survive with all the trolls in his bunker and would eventually come to help her.  They set out together to go to Bergen Town.

When they get to Bergen Town, they find that the Bergens are still miserable.  They are singing this very depressing song.

The song itself is saying that they aren’t happy.  I have learned that if you think that you aren’t happy, then you can’t be happy.  Thinking positive will make your life positive.  I had to learn to train my brain to think positive.

Poppy takes this as confirmation that they haven’t eaten any trolls.

They sneak into the palace to find Poppy’s friends.  They find her friends inside of a cage.  The king’s staff is getting the palace ready for Trollstice.  The chef is “happy” because now she is back in the palace and she thinks that she will be queen one day.  She thinks that the Bergen that controls the trolls will be the ruler of the kingdom.

One of the trolls that is captured is named Creek.  Creek is Poppy’s potential boyfriend.  Creek is the enlightened troll who is into yoga and positivity.

The chef gives Prince Griselle his bib that he wore when he was a child.  It doesn’t fit and one of the trolls laughs.  Prince Griselle gets mad and threatens to eat the trolls now.  He notices that there aren’t enough trolls for every Bergen.  The chef lies and says that there will be enough trolls for every Bergen.  She takes Creek out of the cage and tries to get King Griselle to eat the troll.  King Griselle wants to wait until Trollstice to eat a troll because his father told him that his first time should be special.  Eventually the chef shoves Creek into King Griselle’s mouth.  Poppy and Branch are watching all of this from their hiding place.  The chef leaves the other trolls with a maid named Bridget.  The chef and the king leave the room.  Poppy still believes that Creek is alive.  Poppy and Branch go after Bridget to free the other trolls.

Bridget goes to her room and sings a song about being in love with King Griselle.  Poppy notices but Branch is surprised because he didn’t think that Bergens had any feelings.  After Bridget falls asleep, they rescue the other trolls.  Bridget wakes up while they are escaping and tries to stop them.  Poppy makes a bargain with Bridget.  The trolls will give Bridget a make over so that she can get close to King Griselle and the trolls can save Creek.  Bridget will get a date with the king.  Bridget agrees.

The trolls start to sing and give Bridget a make over but Bridget is concerned because Branch is not singing or dancing.  Poppy tells Branch that he has to sing.  Branch says no but Poppy keeps asking him why not.  Branch breaks down and tells Poppy that singing killed his Grandma.  Branch then recounts that when he was little, he was singing and he didn’t hear his Grandma try to warn him that there was a Bergen behind him.  His grandma pushes Branch out of the way but the Bergen takes his grandma.  That is how Branch loses his color and becomes gray and sad.  All the other trolls are happy and brightly colored.  Branch agrees to help but he still doesn’t want to sing.  Branch steps out of his comfort zone.

Some times good things happen when a person steps outside of their comfort zone.

I had to step outside of my comfort zone and get help with my eating disorder.  It was uncomfortable at first but in the end I’m glad I did it.  I also used to be afraid to do things on my own.  Now I’m comfortable doing things on my own.  I had to take baby steps at first.  I would go to the movies by myself.  Now I’m going to Australia by myself.

Part 2 coming soon.  There are so many themes in this movie.