Director: Andre Ovredal
Cast: Otto Jesperson, Hans Morten Hansen, Glenn Erland Tosterud, Johanna Morck
Running time: 103 minutes
Certificate: 15
Synopsis: When a team of student filmmakers pursue notorious bear poacher Hans, they discover he is actually a Troll Hunter, charged with culling and controlling Norway’s secret Troll population. The mysterious Hans allows the young team to follow him as he attempts to find the truth behind a recent outbreak of the legendary creatures…
A whole lot has changed since 1999’s THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. Whereas the ‘found footage’ approach previously created an air of realism, a number of films have destroyed this, utilising the handheld style in the midst of monster rampages, zombie outbreaks, and even alien attacks on the moon. What was so unique to BLAIR WITCH, unquestionably the most influential of these films, was its unknown actors, improvised scenes, and rough editing and camerawork. Since then, audiences have become more than accustom to these conventions, as the once fresh and innovative found footage concept has become as formulaic and predictable as any other. What this equates to overall is the loss of realism – the very thing the handheld approach strived to create. For TROLL HUNTER, this is no bad thing, as its tongue is wedged firmly in its cheek (when not lapping up the blood of Christian men, of course), and had TROLL HUNTER been produced any other way, it would have tread the line of ludicrousness to a dangerous degree.
In utilising the found footage approach, director Andre Ovredal has found an appropriate means to tell a story that on all levels, is a very silly affair. Its inherent humour is both dry and ridiculous; its characters cartoon versions of recognisable figures from the real world; and, most importantly, its concept is as self-aware as they come. Presenting the film’s events as ‘real’ helps to emphasise these aspects to a great extent, creating what is one of 2011’s comedy highlights.
That isn’t to say that TROLL HUNTER does not have serious elements, or aspects more commonly associated with monster movies than comedies, but all are underlined with a wry and knowing grin. Consider the film’s action sequences, which deliver all the suspense and excitement one would expect, but also boast great visual gags and slapstick humour. For instance, check out Hans’ ‘Troll proof armour’, which he must don after luring a mythical beast a bridge-based battle with some billy goats gruff (yes, it’s that self aware).
In fact, the film’s best laughs all come from Otto Jesperson as the titular Hunter; his sardonic attitude and nonchalant delivery set the tone for the entire film, and he is constantly put upon by the bureaucracy of the Troll Security Service. With each Troll encounter comes a pile of tedious paperwork, and whilst the TSS strive to keep the monsters under wraps, Hans must suffer the interference of his pen-pushing boss (Hans Morten Hansen). The characters behind the camera – Thomas, Johanna, and Kalle – are less interesting, but never boring. They provide a crucial function for a film so steeped in mythology, as Hans has need to explain the history, habits, and inherent problems associated with Trolls. And all without ever having to resort to clumsy exposition.
Of course, the real stars of the show – at least what audiences will flock to see – are the Trolls themselves, and they don’t disappoint. Once again, the verite style of the film comes into play, and whilst the CG monsters may have been subject to criticism against the glossy backdrop of a Hollywood production, here they blend in seamlessly, often protected by unstable grainy framing, the cover of darkness, or night vision effects. They are also expertly designed, lumbering back and forth between comedic and dangerous from scene to scene. A great deal has also been made of their mythological roots, and traditional Norse folklore has been applied to this modern-day version of the Trolls. This creates something of a double-edged sword however, and whilst some mythical aspects of Troll lore are explained with clever and (almost) believable science, some are simply ignored: we know that a calcium deficiency causes Trolls to turn to stone when exposed to UV light, but not why they are able to smell the blood of a Christian man (though this is subtly ridiculed as Hans muses whether this applies to those of Islamic faith). It should be all of nothing, and the film may have benefitted from portraying the Trolls as purely supernatural, with no rational explanation to them at all.
Glaring plot holes aside, TROLL HUNTER is about as much fun as one can expect to have in the cinema this year. After all, this is no time to abandon your willing suspension of disbelief; the film’s title says it all, and anyone looking to scrutinize a film such as this too closely is unlikely to be enthusiastic no matter how tight its own internal logic may be.
TROLL HUNTER is completely aware of what it is, and perhaps for the first time since THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, a film has used found footage as a way of underlining how un-real it is, drawing humour and satire from the material, and ensuring that viewers are never able to dismiss it as plain ludicrous. Funny, exciting, and thoroughly engaging, TROLL HUNTER it promises to be, and a little bit more.
TROLL HUNTER arrives in cinemas 9th September 2011
