Trollhunters (Dreamworks/Netflix) Review

When I first saw Trollhunters on Netflix I knew I had to watch it, but I was worried that as a kids show it wouldn’t be great. Then I saw it was made by Dreamworks and I couldn’t resist. Fast forward two weeks and here I am reviewing the final product. I loved it – I have no other words to describe how I felt after watching Trollhunters. This was a seriously great series, and was such a nice change from a film.

Trollhunters follows the story of Jim, who was chosen to be the next trollhunter by a magic amulet. It started with a dramatic duel under a bridge with trolls that turned to stone in the light, which was a great nod to the traditional myths and legends, but with a twist. This was a truly original story, but I’ll hold back on the spoilers. I was immediately sucked into the story thanks to the gorgeous animation that created a kaleidoscope of colours. Each troll was drawn distinctly, with a personality to match their stone-like, yet lovable features. The protagonists were brave and valiant, as well as anxious and scared, which made them relatable. I empathised with Jim, his sidekick and best friend Toby, and all his human and troll friends, which left me on the edge of my seat, gasping at the surprises, laughing at the good times, and even shedding a tear occasionally. It was easy to believe that a world of good and evil could exist under our own world.

Another great aspect of the series is the villains. Everyone loves a good villain, conflicted in their motifs, with pure evil running through their veins. Dreamworks created several, and some of them were even loveable in their own way. I am a big fan of a well-rounded baddie with a good and a bad side that has you hating them and feeling sorry for them at the same time. Conflicting motifs, emotions, and orders made the relationship between the characters even more believable and interesting. Trollhunters seriously delivered on the villain front.

I can’t review Trollhunters without mentioning Claire, the only female lead in the show. Despite being a love interest for Jim, she was no fair maiden in the tower and did not need rescuing. I fell in love with her when she embraced the secret world of the trolls and started wielding weapons. Claire was never far behind the boys and the action, and often acted as the brains of the trio, a little like Hermione. She was even given her own ‘I am no man’ moment, and even though the build up was obvious to me, it still had me screaming girl power! As a child my favourite moment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was Eowyn defeating the Witch King, and all because she was a woman. I hope that this moment of Trollhunters brings the same feeling to young children now, and shows them that girls are capable of doing anything too. It’s great to see badass female characters in kids shows; thanks for setting a great example Dreamworks.

Whether you’re a fan of Dreamworks or not, I would encourage everyone to try Trollhunters. With vibes of How to Train Your Dragon, Tolkein, and all things fantasy, this is a well-rounded, original show. Dealing with good and evil, family and friends, death and disability, love and hate, this is an important show, told with all the fun of trolls. All children would definitely love this series, and adults alike. I can’t wait for series two already!

If you need any more persuading, it got a critics score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, so take a look for yourself. Happy watching!