Trollhunter is pretty darn great. Apart from actually being a little scary at times it's also quite funny. The performances are all fine but what really makes this film stand out are the trolls. The effects are super interesting looking (in a good way.) The film can start to feel a little repetitive at times and a bit more could have been done to make it scarier but it's on Netflix and worth checking out.
274 Reviews
Original and Well Made
timothygartin16 March 2020
Believe the hype on this movie. It is one of the best found footage movies around. It follows from an original idea, a plausible reason for filming and a compelling story. The acting is convincing as well. I loved this movie. I very, very seldomly am sold on the found footage format, even though I watch a lot of them. This one is very convincing.
I love the troll effects as well. We need a sequel!
I love the troll effects as well. We need a sequel!
Mockumentary, folks ...
mobius-213 September 2011
People complaining this isn't a horror film must not understand the mockumentary genre. It's a lovely little film, rich with detail, not to mention the awesome Norwegian landscape. I understand that if one is Norwegian, there cues to culture and mythology throughout. But without getting any of that, really, I'm satisfied. Any film that ends with me smiling, I consider a good film. To my mind, the trolls are just right. A little scary, little funny. I gather if you are Norwegian, you are already familiar with the troll Hunter himself, Otto Jespersen. I had no clue he was Norway's most famous comedian, so the was no disbelief to suspend. He did an excellent job. The kids were fine. Basically I have no complaints at all and enjoyed the film very much ...
Enjoiable
gianmarcoronconi20 July 2021
A masterpiece from Norway!
kikkev6 November 2010
The Trollhunter mixes comedy,horror,brilliant special-effects,Norwegian fairy tales and our beautiful nature in an excellent way.Otto Jespersen fits perfect in the role as the Trollhunter.
The Trollhunter made me interested and curious from the beginning to the end. It's not just a movie with plenty of action and gore.Along you get good and funny explanations of things you might wonder of. The movie was filmed with a hand-held camera and that worked very well.The Trollhunter is also quite innovative.The Cloverfield,Rec and The Blair Witch Project are all in the same category, but I think that The Trollhunter has something more than those movies.They who made the movie claims namely that Trolls do exist in the woods of Norway.
The Trollhunter will definitely be a cult-classic!
The Trollhunter made me interested and curious from the beginning to the end. It's not just a movie with plenty of action and gore.Along you get good and funny explanations of things you might wonder of. The movie was filmed with a hand-held camera and that worked very well.The Trollhunter is also quite innovative.The Cloverfield,Rec and The Blair Witch Project are all in the same category, but I think that The Trollhunter has something more than those movies.They who made the movie claims namely that Trolls do exist in the woods of Norway.
The Trollhunter will definitely be a cult-classic!
Good fun in Norway.
RatedVforVinny3 November 2018
Good Fun with Jötnar
captainpass13 July 2021
I gave this one a shot as Øvredal was behind it. It hit the mark. With the exception of one or two brief scenes, it's not really a horror movie or particularly scary. What it is is a well-done fauxumentary of three (well, four . . .) young Norwegians following a chain-smoking government trollhunter in a continous hunt for his wayward charges.
The scenery is beautiful; the actors engaging. And while the film (perhaps surprisingly) does decide to use CGI more than one might expect, the injection of humor into the story-line makes the use of (night vision) CGI much more effective, as the point is not to so much to "scare" but rather to outline (faithfully IMO) a very Scandinavian depiction of these mythic forest inhabitants. This is a real gem. Watch it.
The scenery is beautiful; the actors engaging. And while the film (perhaps surprisingly) does decide to use CGI more than one might expect, the injection of humor into the story-line makes the use of (night vision) CGI much more effective, as the point is not to so much to "scare" but rather to outline (faithfully IMO) a very Scandinavian depiction of these mythic forest inhabitants. This is a real gem. Watch it.
A ten of ten, but maybe not for foreigners?
knutsindre31 October 2010
This movie deserves allot of praise, simply for how well it plays on the Norwegian cultural memes. Visually it is also quite good, as it show of the landscapes and places in which the folklore of trolls actually arose, and of course spices it with lovely computer graphics when needed. The graphics merge very well with the mockumentary style, and the movie itself falls between categories, mixing comedy, action and fake amateur documentary style.
The bad sides are simply that it lacks a bit of flow at times, and of course, the biggest drawback of them all, one which only applies for foreigners: it's a very very Norwegian story. I saw it with my Portuguese girlfriend, and she thought it was okay. I briefed her on our fairy tales before seeing it, but jokes like the three sheep on the bridge are hard to catch, or appreciate, without being marinated in our culture for a long time. One other issue for me was actually the cameo appearance of two Norwegian comedians, something which slightly spoils the illusion. Others might disagree.
I suspect this movie would be a seven or six of ten if I was not Norwegian, simply for its concepts, but because it is so rich to me, I give it a ten despite its flaws. You'll love this movie for its visual side, and some of the drama is also great. For Norwegians, this is a must see. For everyone else, it might be exotic and neat, and offer you some relief from classical Hollywood monster depictions.
And should you get curious after seeing it, Google for "Theodor Kittelsen", and "Asbjornsen and Moe" (: Enjoy!
The bad sides are simply that it lacks a bit of flow at times, and of course, the biggest drawback of them all, one which only applies for foreigners: it's a very very Norwegian story. I saw it with my Portuguese girlfriend, and she thought it was okay. I briefed her on our fairy tales before seeing it, but jokes like the three sheep on the bridge are hard to catch, or appreciate, without being marinated in our culture for a long time. One other issue for me was actually the cameo appearance of two Norwegian comedians, something which slightly spoils the illusion. Others might disagree.
I suspect this movie would be a seven or six of ten if I was not Norwegian, simply for its concepts, but because it is so rich to me, I give it a ten despite its flaws. You'll love this movie for its visual side, and some of the drama is also great. For Norwegians, this is a must see. For everyone else, it might be exotic and neat, and offer you some relief from classical Hollywood monster depictions.
And should you get curious after seeing it, Google for "Theodor Kittelsen", and "Asbjornsen and Moe" (: Enjoy!
Troll! In the forest! Thought you ought to know...
Pjtaylor-96-13804413 August 2021
'Troll Hunter (2010)' doesn't aim for chills or scares, even though it contains several genuinely tense sequences. Instead, it reaches for a kind of low-key pastiche. This subtle satire goes hand-in-hand with its light, tongue-in-cheek but not overtly silly tone and its ever-evident deadpan sense of humour. Indeed, it's a dryly funny film when it wants to be, provoking blindsiding smiles even when it doesn't provoke proper laughs (which does happen on occasion). As its protagonists become more and more integrated with the secret life of its eponymous hunter, the piece digs further and further into its source lore and has a lot of fun deciding which bits to adapt and which to claim are simply 'fairytales'. This aspect of the picture probably plays even better in its home country of Norway, but the thing does a good enough job of contextualising itself that even those only vaguely familiar with the concept of a troll (which ought to be most people) will find enjoyment here. The film's special effects are surprisingly good - fantastic, even. They bring the narrative's fantasy elements to life in an impressively realistic way, combining with the excellent 'found footage' aesthetic to be perhaps as believable as possible (especially considering the generally low budget). Overall, the movie is really enjoyable. It's also rather distinct, taking an authentic look at a lore that isn't often explored in cinema. It's well-achieved in almost every way. 7/10.
Incredibly fun
carywms24 January 2011
I saw this at Sundance last Friday and have to say it is the most fun I have had at the movies in a long while. The story is filmed in "mockumentary" style a la Cloverfield and has a healthy dose of dry Scandanavian humor to accent the dramatic and action sequences. While the story is relatively tight, it does not have the pretense as Sundance entries often do, as it never takes itself too seriously. We ran into a couple of the film's producers the next day in Park City and found them to be as grounded as the film they were behind.
I highly recommend this film and seriously hope it sees the light of day in the U.S.
I highly recommend this film and seriously hope it sees the light of day in the U.S.
Troll Hunter is a flawed but fun time
ianfarkas929 January 2011
I sincerely want to love Troll Hunter, the latest in a batch of Scandinavian horror movies that have been shipped stateside. I want to love it for its tense cat and mouse moments, I want to love it for its impressive ideas towards shaky cam cinematography, and most of all I want to love it for the trolls themselves, massive behemoths scouring the Norwegian countryside for a stray sheep or unsuspecting college student. Unfortunately, Troll Hunter is a mixed bag that brings down the good with an abundance of the bad. The film starts out with a group of doe-eyed college students who have been sent to investigate a recent influx of bear poaching, perpetrated by a mysterious man with an initial aversion to cameras and a camper full of bizarre equipment. It doesn't take long for this shady character to reveal his mission to the students: he is in fact a "Trolljegeren", a government hired Troll Hunter who ensures the illusive creatures existence is kept unknown by tracking down and killing any trolls that stray from their territorial boundaries. The students take this shocking revelation quite well, and agree to follow the hunter as he tries to decipher the new found aggressiveness of trolls in the area.
The plot is simple, and passes up time that could be spent trying to establish logical character motivation in favor of lightly comic scenes and exposition regarding the biology and history of the trolls. This is not entirely a bad thing for most of the movie, as director André Øvredal keeps things going smoothly, pushing the audience from one impressive set piece to another. Many of the troll encounters are tense and breathtaking at the same time, and one cannot help but marvel at the sight of a troll chasing our hapless heroes. This is largely due to the impressive low budget CGI used throughout the film and surprisingly smooth camera-work, ditching the tiresome technique of flinging the camera left and right (as one would most likely do in real life, to be fair) in favor of steady shots that allows the audience to marvel at the beasts without sacrificing the tension gained through shaky cam cinematography. The trolls themselves look amazing, by far some of the most imaginative and well rendered budget movie magic I have seen in a long time, especially coupled with the beautiful Norwegian scenery.
Sadly, despite all the praise I have heaped upon Troll Hunter, the movie isn't without its flaws. The film falls flat on its face several times, whether it is caused by overly bland exposition or painfully unfunny comedy that pops up throughout the film. These lulls aren't so bad in the first half, but become incredibly agitating in the second as the viewer waits for a payoff that refuses to rear its ugly head. Also to note is the films general sloppiness in the final act, in which multiple characters are introduced without purpose, are never given an exit, and don't fit at all within the story. Finally, the film arrives at a conclusion that is incredibly odd, as characters are dismissed without any closure to their arcs and events begin to happen that are head- scratchingly misplaced. Although many of these gripes cripple what could have been one of the best sci-fi movies of the New Year, Troll Hunter is still a fun but flawed ride with enjoyable scenes and some great visuals.
The plot is simple, and passes up time that could be spent trying to establish logical character motivation in favor of lightly comic scenes and exposition regarding the biology and history of the trolls. This is not entirely a bad thing for most of the movie, as director André Øvredal keeps things going smoothly, pushing the audience from one impressive set piece to another. Many of the troll encounters are tense and breathtaking at the same time, and one cannot help but marvel at the sight of a troll chasing our hapless heroes. This is largely due to the impressive low budget CGI used throughout the film and surprisingly smooth camera-work, ditching the tiresome technique of flinging the camera left and right (as one would most likely do in real life, to be fair) in favor of steady shots that allows the audience to marvel at the beasts without sacrificing the tension gained through shaky cam cinematography. The trolls themselves look amazing, by far some of the most imaginative and well rendered budget movie magic I have seen in a long time, especially coupled with the beautiful Norwegian scenery.
Sadly, despite all the praise I have heaped upon Troll Hunter, the movie isn't without its flaws. The film falls flat on its face several times, whether it is caused by overly bland exposition or painfully unfunny comedy that pops up throughout the film. These lulls aren't so bad in the first half, but become incredibly agitating in the second as the viewer waits for a payoff that refuses to rear its ugly head. Also to note is the films general sloppiness in the final act, in which multiple characters are introduced without purpose, are never given an exit, and don't fit at all within the story. Finally, the film arrives at a conclusion that is incredibly odd, as characters are dismissed without any closure to their arcs and events begin to happen that are head- scratchingly misplaced. Although many of these gripes cripple what could have been one of the best sci-fi movies of the New Year, Troll Hunter is still a fun but flawed ride with enjoyable scenes and some great visuals.
A stunning Norwegian masterpiece.
UnholyOne8 February 2011
I've been looking forward to this ever since I first heard about it, it sounded fantastic. A group of three university students are making a documentary about a series of mysterious bear killings, but soon discover that it isn't bears doing the killings but trolls, actual real Norwegian trolls.They start to follow a mysterious hunter, who they soon learn is a government paid troll hunter. It is very well made with excellent effects considering the budget. The trolls are brilliantly designed and very diverse, with a traditional 'fairy tale' look and the film delves deep into the whole troll mythology. The cave scene was very well done too and unbelievably tense and the climax is well worth waiting for. I honestly can't remember the last time I enjoyed a film as much as this, it really is that good, with some very good performances and stunning Norwegian scenery. I absolutely loved it, although it won't be to everyones taste. I am sorely tempted to give it 10/10 for pure entertainment value. In one word, amazing.
Who's that clip-clopping over my bridge?
BA_Harrison1 June 2012
Troll Hunter is another found-footage film in the same vein as The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield, albeit one with a slightly more inspired premise than most: a group of young film-makers follow a man they believe to be a poacher, but discover that he is actually a government employee trained in the art of disposing of troublesome trolls. Joining him as he carries out his work, the film crew captures amazing footage of real live trolls, creatures that the government would rather keep secret, but they put themselves in danger by doing so.
With matters played out perfectly straight, I found it fairly easy to accept the rather whimsical nature of the film, and there are some surprisingly atmospheric and tense moments that definitely qualify this as an effective horror; unfortunately, Troll Hunter doesn't know when to quit when the going is good, introducing monsters so large that they would be visible from space. Asking the viewer to believe in the existence of 200 foot tall trolls that could somehow still remain a secret from the general public is a step too far.
There are some fine touches—the creature designs and effects are fantastic, I had to laugh at the use of billy goats to lure one nasty troll out from under his bridge, and I love the idea of electricity pylons being used as fences to keep the trolls from straying too far—but the style soon becomes tiresome and the film ends in predictable fashion with the documentarians mysteriously disappearing, leaving behind their record of events.
6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.
With matters played out perfectly straight, I found it fairly easy to accept the rather whimsical nature of the film, and there are some surprisingly atmospheric and tense moments that definitely qualify this as an effective horror; unfortunately, Troll Hunter doesn't know when to quit when the going is good, introducing monsters so large that they would be visible from space. Asking the viewer to believe in the existence of 200 foot tall trolls that could somehow still remain a secret from the general public is a step too far.
There are some fine touches—the creature designs and effects are fantastic, I had to laugh at the use of billy goats to lure one nasty troll out from under his bridge, and I love the idea of electricity pylons being used as fences to keep the trolls from straying too far—but the style soon becomes tiresome and the film ends in predictable fashion with the documentarians mysteriously disappearing, leaving behind their record of events.
6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.
Rather annoying - not only to foreigners
derwunderbaremandarin3 January 2012
When I had a look at the "hated-it"-reviews, it was evident that non-Norwegians liked this movie much less than Norwegians. And yes, there were many allusions to Norwegian customs and culture. This, however, is a first big minus. The movie doesn't work for an international audience.
Secondly, even if you are Norwegian, the movie does not get much better. I am kind of half-Norwegian and got the allusions but they weren't very entertaining, funny of witty or whatever they were supposed to be.
This gets me to my third point. What is this movie supposed to be? Funny? Scary? Or just entertaining? At least to me, it wasn't very funny or scary or entertaining. The jokes are mostly bad, repetitive and the story predictable.
What's all the fuss about the effects? They are computer effects and look like computer effects. That's not a great achievement in my humble opinion. I give it a few stars for creating a truly Norwegian atmosphere: cold, rainy, uncomfortable.
But sure, if you are Norwegian and find it funny that you go on a supposedly real troll-hunt where you have to smear yourself with stinking troll smell to cover your own and where you must be careful not to believe in Jesus because that will attract trolls, and if you don't mind that for the 100th time, there is a movie filmed with a hand-camera to create authenticity, this movie is for you.
Secondly, even if you are Norwegian, the movie does not get much better. I am kind of half-Norwegian and got the allusions but they weren't very entertaining, funny of witty or whatever they were supposed to be.
This gets me to my third point. What is this movie supposed to be? Funny? Scary? Or just entertaining? At least to me, it wasn't very funny or scary or entertaining. The jokes are mostly bad, repetitive and the story predictable.
What's all the fuss about the effects? They are computer effects and look like computer effects. That's not a great achievement in my humble opinion. I give it a few stars for creating a truly Norwegian atmosphere: cold, rainy, uncomfortable.
But sure, if you are Norwegian and find it funny that you go on a supposedly real troll-hunt where you have to smear yourself with stinking troll smell to cover your own and where you must be careful not to believe in Jesus because that will attract trolls, and if you don't mind that for the 100th time, there is a movie filmed with a hand-camera to create authenticity, this movie is for you.
The "I Am Legend" for Trolls
LouAbbott9 October 2017
"Trollhunter" is reminiscent of Richard Matheson's book" I Am Legend," which concentrated as much on why vampires need blood, are afraid of garlic and mirrors, die if exposed to the sun, etc. The Trollhunter explains to college kids filming the Trollhunter's trolling for trolls the characteristics of the trolls, types of trolls, where trolls live, what trolls eat, why some trolls grow two useless heads out of their shoulders, etc. A veterinarian tells why trolls will blow up or turn to stone if exposed to the sun (hummm, sound familiar?). "Trollhunter" is a good film, and the Norwegian scenery is nice.
faux found footage documentary
SnoopyStyle10 August 2016
In 2008, the filmmakers receive mysterious anonymous film material. In it, university students Thomas, Johanna and Kalle travel to document bear poaching. There have been strange incidents going on. Norwegian Wildlife Board head Finn Haugen dismisses the mystery. The group follows suspected hunter Hans and he confesses to be a part of a government conspiracy to hide the existence of trolls.
The obvious comparison is 'The Blair Witch Project' with the faux found footage documentary. The main difference is that some people actually thought Blair Witch was real. It's still fun to have the real element and the CGI troll. The second half is too unreal with the unbelievable government conspiracy. It also becomes a bit boring as the story meanders. This has some good elements and a watchable first half.
The obvious comparison is 'The Blair Witch Project' with the faux found footage documentary. The main difference is that some people actually thought Blair Witch was real. It's still fun to have the real element and the CGI troll. The second half is too unreal with the unbelievable government conspiracy. It also becomes a bit boring as the story meanders. This has some good elements and a watchable first half.
Enjoyable mockumentary-style horror.
Bentleybowtie19 August 2013
If you don't like mockumentary style horror cinema please skip this film. Based on what the other reviews are saying you will be very unhappy.
If you can appreciate mockumentary horror it's worth it.
Troll is loosely based on Scandinavian folklore and at first glance, it seems like utter silliness. Trolls? Really? But the movie is done so well and endearing that you actually begin to really like the fact that they chose trolls to be the main focus.
It's campy, it's funny, it's kind of cheesy sometimes but its GOOD!
It's entertainment, not horror, and it knows that which is why it works. The actors, director, art direction and everything just works together in a good way.
If you can appreciate mockumentary horror it's worth it.
Troll is loosely based on Scandinavian folklore and at first glance, it seems like utter silliness. Trolls? Really? But the movie is done so well and endearing that you actually begin to really like the fact that they chose trolls to be the main focus.
It's campy, it's funny, it's kind of cheesy sometimes but its GOOD!
It's entertainment, not horror, and it knows that which is why it works. The actors, director, art direction and everything just works together in a good way.
A very new twist to monster movies
cupler212 February 2011
We have all seen the monster movies lately, they always seem to include: zombies, vampires of werewolves. The Troll throws monster movies through a loop by inserting the mythical troll.
The acting was very much above par. Not superb but well above average. The special effects were a wonder. The trolls actually looked realistic, though we all know they are fake. The realness actually pulled you into the movie.
The movie really held tight to the myths behind trolls, such as: smelling Christians, turning to stone and exploding with sunlight.
Having it set-up in a Blair Witch type, with a first person camera angle, made the movie all the more exciting. There was just enough camera shake to make you believe that the cameraman was running, but not enough to make you sick.
All-in-all this was an excellent movie. If I could make up one complaint, it is the abruptness of the end. I assume it is left this way for a potential sequel.
The acting was very much above par. Not superb but well above average. The special effects were a wonder. The trolls actually looked realistic, though we all know they are fake. The realness actually pulled you into the movie.
The movie really held tight to the myths behind trolls, such as: smelling Christians, turning to stone and exploding with sunlight.
Having it set-up in a Blair Witch type, with a first person camera angle, made the movie all the more exciting. There was just enough camera shake to make you believe that the cameraman was running, but not enough to make you sick.
All-in-all this was an excellent movie. If I could make up one complaint, it is the abruptness of the end. I assume it is left this way for a potential sequel.
Good try but delivery (and ending) needed more to it to work better
bob the moo14 January 2012
Looking into illegal bear hunting in Norway, a group of students making a documentary focus on a rather unusual character who appears to be involved - notable with his neighbours for his odd hours and behaviour. Elusive to say the least, they end up following the man on one of his typical overnight journeys, only to find that his job doesn't officially exist, his employers don't official exist and his prey is much more than the bears that are being reported as the cause of damage and then found dead.
This film got good press in the UK partly because of the cool trailer doing the rounds that made it look like an oddly amusing horror film with the central idea essentially being the "found footage" device of Blair Witch. Last Broadcast, Cloverfield and so on. Sometimes the result of this is good, sometimes not so good but the problem is rarely with this plot device in particular – indeed with lower budget films it helps excuse the rough footage and lack of steady-cams etc. No, the central idea here is not the problem because it is actually quite a good one that expands on local mythology and offers fun and horror. Sadly the film doesn't really deliver fully on any of this and often seems unsure of what it is trying to deliver.
The trolls themselves are wonderfully comic book but also seem large and lumbering with it. The film doesn't use them particularly well though, for the majority of the time they are not particularly dangerous and seem evadable by simply running and panicking. This fine when the film has a comic air but there are times when it seems to want the audience to feel horror or tension, but at these times it just can't pull it off. The lack of genuine danger and threat is also a problem in regards the conclusion – specially that it comes out of nowhere and almost without explanation; a government official that had been mocked for the whole film is suddenly someone whom the students flee from when even spotting his car coming? This sense of fear and conspiracy has no root and it makes the ending incredibly weak and unsatisfying.
The film isn't without its moments though and indeed some of the footage of trolls in caves and forests are very well shot and effective. The script throws plenty of references to Norwegian troll mythology in; some of this will translate well to other viewers but for me personally the majority of the references went over my head and didn't travel well. This has an effect because it did mean some of the wit and intelligence didn't get through to me – not the film's fault per se, but still a problem for me as a viewer trying to get the most out of it.
In terms of casting the students are reasonably entertaining in a light hearted way but Jespersen is the heart of the film and he carries it well with his performance even if his character doesn't particularly make sense. The effects are impressive throughout, although personally I don't think they should have rushed to reveal them they way they did in both the film and the trailer. I also think they needed to do more work with them in terms of delivery to maximise their effect within the film – as it was they always felt like they were never used as more than marketing tools rather than a part of a functioning film.
TrollHunter is still a fun film it must be said, but it is also a disappointing one. It frequently doesn't seem determined enough in its direction and aims and, as good as the effects are, the trolls themselves are not used well enough within this world. This general failure to build mood and tone also totally cuts the legs off the ending, when suddenly everything is urgent, sinister and fatal. A curio but doesn't work well enough as a film.
This film got good press in the UK partly because of the cool trailer doing the rounds that made it look like an oddly amusing horror film with the central idea essentially being the "found footage" device of Blair Witch. Last Broadcast, Cloverfield and so on. Sometimes the result of this is good, sometimes not so good but the problem is rarely with this plot device in particular – indeed with lower budget films it helps excuse the rough footage and lack of steady-cams etc. No, the central idea here is not the problem because it is actually quite a good one that expands on local mythology and offers fun and horror. Sadly the film doesn't really deliver fully on any of this and often seems unsure of what it is trying to deliver.
The trolls themselves are wonderfully comic book but also seem large and lumbering with it. The film doesn't use them particularly well though, for the majority of the time they are not particularly dangerous and seem evadable by simply running and panicking. This fine when the film has a comic air but there are times when it seems to want the audience to feel horror or tension, but at these times it just can't pull it off. The lack of genuine danger and threat is also a problem in regards the conclusion – specially that it comes out of nowhere and almost without explanation; a government official that had been mocked for the whole film is suddenly someone whom the students flee from when even spotting his car coming? This sense of fear and conspiracy has no root and it makes the ending incredibly weak and unsatisfying.
The film isn't without its moments though and indeed some of the footage of trolls in caves and forests are very well shot and effective. The script throws plenty of references to Norwegian troll mythology in; some of this will translate well to other viewers but for me personally the majority of the references went over my head and didn't travel well. This has an effect because it did mean some of the wit and intelligence didn't get through to me – not the film's fault per se, but still a problem for me as a viewer trying to get the most out of it.
In terms of casting the students are reasonably entertaining in a light hearted way but Jespersen is the heart of the film and he carries it well with his performance even if his character doesn't particularly make sense. The effects are impressive throughout, although personally I don't think they should have rushed to reveal them they way they did in both the film and the trailer. I also think they needed to do more work with them in terms of delivery to maximise their effect within the film – as it was they always felt like they were never used as more than marketing tools rather than a part of a functioning film.
TrollHunter is still a fun film it must be said, but it is also a disappointing one. It frequently doesn't seem determined enough in its direction and aims and, as good as the effects are, the trolls themselves are not used well enough within this world. This general failure to build mood and tone also totally cuts the legs off the ending, when suddenly everything is urgent, sinister and fatal. A curio but doesn't work well enough as a film.
The Troll Hunter (2010)
jtwcosmos23 April 2011
Warning: Spoilers
"Troll!!!"
This is the story of a Troll hunter named Hans, as recorded by a small team of amateur reporters from the university of Vorda(?), Norway. And because they didn't have the time or the money to come up with a proper story, they turned it into a lost footage kind of movie and hoped they'd get away with it. Which is... debatable.
The movie wastes no time in starting and gets to were it wants to go pretty fast. The situations are credible, things happen quickly, the main characters are introduced at once, even though it might not look that way, at first. The atmosphere of mystery and suspense is very well created and it is involving. But then... the time to explain everything comes and the answers are kinda... lame. Plus they spend 1200 years driving, which gets old really fast.
The special effects are quite good, both audio and video, some of them being pretty scary, actually. Loud, too. There is no music, other than whatever is playing on the radio.
The cinematography is... difficult. Like all movies in the genre, the framing is bad, the camera shakes and jerks like crazy (almost) all the time, the angles seem to be purposely bad and there is no hope of it getting any better. Still. The camera work is far, far better than other installments - like Cloverfield, for example - and some neat innovations are introduced. We get some glimpses of Norway's great outdoors and it is cool.
The actors do an OK job with the story they've got and render it pretty well, but I still think this would have worked much better in a different form. They could have left Hans all alone, dealing with the situation. Basically, whenever Hans is on the screen (and not driving for ages) the movie is good.
I have red some reviews mentioning humor and social comment but... I couldn't see any. Must be a Norwegian thing.
The Troll Hunter. Starts well, but then it gets boring. 8/10 for the first part, 4/10 for the second.
This is the story of a Troll hunter named Hans, as recorded by a small team of amateur reporters from the university of Vorda(?), Norway. And because they didn't have the time or the money to come up with a proper story, they turned it into a lost footage kind of movie and hoped they'd get away with it. Which is... debatable.
The movie wastes no time in starting and gets to were it wants to go pretty fast. The situations are credible, things happen quickly, the main characters are introduced at once, even though it might not look that way, at first. The atmosphere of mystery and suspense is very well created and it is involving. But then... the time to explain everything comes and the answers are kinda... lame. Plus they spend 1200 years driving, which gets old really fast.
The special effects are quite good, both audio and video, some of them being pretty scary, actually. Loud, too. There is no music, other than whatever is playing on the radio.
The cinematography is... difficult. Like all movies in the genre, the framing is bad, the camera shakes and jerks like crazy (almost) all the time, the angles seem to be purposely bad and there is no hope of it getting any better. Still. The camera work is far, far better than other installments - like Cloverfield, for example - and some neat innovations are introduced. We get some glimpses of Norway's great outdoors and it is cool.
The actors do an OK job with the story they've got and render it pretty well, but I still think this would have worked much better in a different form. They could have left Hans all alone, dealing with the situation. Basically, whenever Hans is on the screen (and not driving for ages) the movie is good.
I have red some reviews mentioning humor and social comment but... I couldn't see any. Must be a Norwegian thing.
The Troll Hunter. Starts well, but then it gets boring. 8/10 for the first part, 4/10 for the second.
One of the best and most original movies I've seen recently
Sanyi198417 February 2011
This movie was a huge surprise for me. I did not expect much, but it is one of the best movies of the year for me. I have to admit that I am getting pretty sick of the "usual" movies. Recently I noticed that after watching thirty minutes in every movie (good or bad) I got bored. The reason is that I see always the same plot lines, the same faces, the same twists, and I really don't care about them any more. If a movie does not have this effect on me, its a sign that it is a special one. And this was the case of The Troll Hunter. The Troll Hunter is a really simple story, its about a guy who hunts trolls in Norway, and about a group of students, who are filming him. This is where it gets interesting, the movie is shot in the style of Blair Witch, Cloverfield, Rec, Paranormal Activity, etc. The handy-cam thing is one those things that makes the movie different. The second thing that got me in this movie was the quite unique Norwegian humor. I have not ran into it before, but there are several moments that are really funny. Well its not hard to make funny moments, when you make a movie about trolls that pretends to be serious. The third thing that was really good in this movie is the beautiful Norwegian nature, there are many breath taking landscapes that I really want to see some day. The last (there are many other) thing that I liked in this movie was the old bearded guy, the troll hunter. He was really cool. I mean he is hunting trolls all his life. OK, so thats it, go see this movie, if you are bored with the usual ones.
Original and Promising Storyline but Poorly Executed
claudio_carvalho24 December 2011
When bears are found dead in Norway, the students of the Volda University Thomas (Glenn Erland Tosterud), Johanna (Johanna Mørck) and the cameraman Kalle (Tomas Alf Larsen) decide to investigate. They stalk the trailer of the mysterious hunter Hans (Otto Jespersen) expecting to find an explanation for the killings. The reluctant Hans tries to flee from the youngsters, but he agrees that they film him in action provided the follow his orders. Sooner the trio of students learns that Hans is actually a troll hunter that works for a secret government agency. Further, several dangerous trolls have escaped from their territory and Hans is assigned to eliminate them.
"Trolljegeren" has an original and promising storyline that explores the Norwegian legend of the Trolls. The explanations of Hans about the creatures are cynical and witty, and Otto Jespersen has an excellent performance. Unfortunately the feature is poorly executed, using the "Blair Witch Project" style that is presently one of the most used and boring clichés in the cinema industry. Further, the joke with Christians is silly, stupid and never works. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "O Caçador de Troll" ("The Troll Hunter")
"Trolljegeren" has an original and promising storyline that explores the Norwegian legend of the Trolls. The explanations of Hans about the creatures are cynical and witty, and Otto Jespersen has an excellent performance. Unfortunately the feature is poorly executed, using the "Blair Witch Project" style that is presently one of the most used and boring clichés in the cinema industry. Further, the joke with Christians is silly, stupid and never works. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "O Caçador de Troll" ("The Troll Hunter")
This is a very underrated movie and probably a top 3-5 found footage movie all time.
kevin_robbins12 July 2021
Trollhunter (2010) is a movie I recently rewatched on Tubi. The storyline follows some friends investigating some strange animal deaths in the area. They encounter an eccentric man who says if they do what he says he will show them something unbelievable...and he does. This movie is directed by André Øvredal (Mortal) and stars Otto Jespersen (Borning 1 & 2), Glenn Erland Tosterud (Orange Girl) and Johanna Mørck (All that Matters). The storyline for this is very fun for a found footage movie (much better than Cloverfield). The CGI is awesome and I loved the depiction of trolls. The backdrops, settings and night vision are magnificent and the ending concludes perfectly. The acting is also very good, especially the troll hunter (Jespersen). This is a very underrated movie and probably a top 3-5 found footage movie all time. I strongly recommend watching this and would score it a 9/10.
Lived up to expectations...
ollieboon123 January 2012
Initially thinking this Film was in English I went and had a look at some reviews. Everyone was talking about the poor English dubbing in which I do not like to partake of (the point at which I realised this was a Norwegian Film). Finding a legitimate way to watch the it in the original Norwegian format with English subs was hard. I eventually got there. After seeing mixed reviews I wondered whether it would be as good as I expected. It was, even though Many films have been made in this mocumentary format this film is pulled off well with respectable VFX and a killer mythological/conspiracy story line its great for a good few hours entertainment.
The Troll Hunter for foreigners?
failedihave29 March 2011
At first when I saw the cheesy poster of the movie I was wondering if I should take my time and watch it. I saw the high rating of the movie, so I started reading some reviews about it and they were 99% positive.In the end I downloaded it and watched it.
Most of the reviews stated that the movie is funny. In contrast, I thought that the movie is everything else but funny. It doesn't deliver humor in any way. As it was stated, there are some inside Norwegian jokes which foreign people can not understand. For me - I couldn't understand any of the jokes.
The actors tend to do a good job, except the girl holding the microphone , she is just awful. As you probably have read, the movie is filmed in a similar way as Cloverfield, so that would mean that you have to expect acting "off the radar". You should not be able to tell if the actors are acting .This is not the case whit the blond girl and the thing which was most irritating about her performance was the unusual facial expressions she made trough out the whole movie. There were some other cases which the acting seemed not natural but some of them were because of the script and not the actors.
Speaking of which, the script seemed very bizarre. I expected to see a humorous movie (reviews), if not an action/drama (as stated next to the title) but in the end I got just an adventure movie (also stated there). It takes in one way and ends up in to another.Unlike Cloverfield , you get to see the monster and in fact you get a lot of answers about the movie at the very beginning and as you move on , so this is a very different approach , which although new to me was a bit boring because there was nothing left to hang on in the end. The drama happening in the movie isn't that moving to keep you watching it and in fact it's not a big part of the movie .The characters are seriously undeveloped , so you basically don't care about them. There was some action at times but even the shaky camera couldn't intense me that much to say that it deserves to label it as an action movie.
There were some other mistakes in the camera/effects. The movie was represented as a "documentary", yet there is footage from other cameras (except the one the characters hold in their hands). The night vision effect seemed unreal because it wasn't. You can clearly see at times that there are really dark spots when they turn it on , and others are really light , even though there is no light turned on in some of the scenes. There are a couple of other mistakes as well but I do not want to get in to detail.
Finally, the movie delivered a great representation of Norwegian landscape. I was thrilled by the footage I saw and how beautiful it is there. It just feels like an Adventure movie,if I have to label a genre to it.Don't expect massive gore,action,drama or humor. Many Norwegians liked the film but I didn't know what to expect, a disaster movie or a great movie. In the end I didn't get either. I got a different movie which wasn't a masterpiece. Although it had a bunch of flaws and it's not that interesting to watch,It's worth checking out and I do not regret doing so but keep in mind that if you are not from Norway you could have some trouble with it and it's representation (reviews/rating and so on).
Most of the reviews stated that the movie is funny. In contrast, I thought that the movie is everything else but funny. It doesn't deliver humor in any way. As it was stated, there are some inside Norwegian jokes which foreign people can not understand. For me - I couldn't understand any of the jokes.
The actors tend to do a good job, except the girl holding the microphone , she is just awful. As you probably have read, the movie is filmed in a similar way as Cloverfield, so that would mean that you have to expect acting "off the radar". You should not be able to tell if the actors are acting .This is not the case whit the blond girl and the thing which was most irritating about her performance was the unusual facial expressions she made trough out the whole movie. There were some other cases which the acting seemed not natural but some of them were because of the script and not the actors.
Speaking of which, the script seemed very bizarre. I expected to see a humorous movie (reviews), if not an action/drama (as stated next to the title) but in the end I got just an adventure movie (also stated there). It takes in one way and ends up in to another.Unlike Cloverfield , you get to see the monster and in fact you get a lot of answers about the movie at the very beginning and as you move on , so this is a very different approach , which although new to me was a bit boring because there was nothing left to hang on in the end. The drama happening in the movie isn't that moving to keep you watching it and in fact it's not a big part of the movie .The characters are seriously undeveloped , so you basically don't care about them. There was some action at times but even the shaky camera couldn't intense me that much to say that it deserves to label it as an action movie.
There were some other mistakes in the camera/effects. The movie was represented as a "documentary", yet there is footage from other cameras (except the one the characters hold in their hands). The night vision effect seemed unreal because it wasn't. You can clearly see at times that there are really dark spots when they turn it on , and others are really light , even though there is no light turned on in some of the scenes. There are a couple of other mistakes as well but I do not want to get in to detail.
Finally, the movie delivered a great representation of Norwegian landscape. I was thrilled by the footage I saw and how beautiful it is there. It just feels like an Adventure movie,if I have to label a genre to it.Don't expect massive gore,action,drama or humor. Many Norwegians liked the film but I didn't know what to expect, a disaster movie or a great movie. In the end I didn't get either. I got a different movie which wasn't a masterpiece. Although it had a bunch of flaws and it's not that interesting to watch,It's worth checking out and I do not regret doing so but keep in mind that if you are not from Norway you could have some trouble with it and it's representation (reviews/rating and so on).
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