Movie review
October 12, 2023 · 91 min · PG · Kids · Fantasy · Animation · Comedy · Adventure · Family
Branch is a blue troll who used to sing in a boy band with his four older brothers. Years after the band broke up, his brother Floyd is taken by two fake pop stars who steal his talent. Branch and his girlfriend Poppy gather the other brothers and race to free Floyd. The movie is bright, silly, and full of songs. The tone is sweet family comedy for kids, with jokes for parents too.
Most of the story is about family, siblings, and working hard instead of cheating for fame. The clearest woke-style signal is in the big wedding scene: rainbow pride-style flags line the streets, and drag star RuPaul voices the wedding leader, Miss Maxine. The cast also includes several well-known LGBTQ stars in speaking roles. A normal viewer will mostly notice a fun music adventure. Some will also notice the pride flags and celebrity choices, but they are not the main plot.
Community feedback
Was our 40% Woke rating accurate?
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Trolls Band Together.
Woke representation / casting
Fantasy troll world with a mixed celebrity voice cast. Stronger signal is LGBTQ-linked casting and visuals: RuPaul as female wedding leader Miss Maxine, Troye Sivan, Andrew Rannells, Patti Harrison, Lance Bass, plus clear rainbow pride-style flags at the wedding. That is easy to spot in an early scene but not the whole cast focus. Queer-linked choices raise the score into the mid range.
52%
Woke political dialogue
Lines push family, teamwork, honesty, and that fame needs real work. No big activist speeches about race, gender, or modern social-justice slogans. Mild adult jokes only.
0%
Identity-driven story themes
Main arc is lost brothers, rescue, and family harmony, not race or gender politics. Pride-style rainbow flags at the wedding and a RuPaul-voiced officiant add a light identity signal. No central queer or DEI plotline. Queer visual cues add weight without owning the story.
28%
Western institutional / cultural critique
Villains mock empty pop fame and cheating for stardom. That is generic music-biz satire, not a modern attack on Western faith, family, or “toxic” men as politics.
0%
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant. New brothers, Viva, and the villains expand the series. No clear identity rewrite of known characters or history for DEI goals.
0%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Faith and parent outlets (e.g. Christian Post, Plugged In notes) and some online comments objected to pride flags, RuPaul, and LGBTQ stars in a kids film. Real but limited; no huge national boycott or nonstop “too woke” news cycle.
24%
Creator track record context
Cached crew scores are mostly 0. Mild lift from Gina Shay’s older soft body-image comments and low teens for a few producers. No strong activist pattern among the key directors or writers.
10%
Production
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