Movie Review: Troll (2022)

Troll (2022) co-written and directed by Roar Uthaug

In the tradition of King Kong, Godzilla, Jaws, Jurassic Park, and Pacific Rim, Norwegian director Roar Uthaug presents a monster movie with a very Norwegian antagonist--a giant troll. The movie starts with paleontologist Nora (Ine Marie Wilmann) at a seashore dig, finally making a discovery. Meanwhile, a train project is blasting a tunnel through the Dovre Mountains. Protestors chant outside while the workers inspect the results of their latest explosion. Something starts coming out of the cave, forcing everyone to flee. The government's emergency center is able to get some amateur footage from the chaos which shows dirt and rocks flying everywhere. They also see mysterious foot-shaped craters leading away from the tunnel. They decide to bring in Nora as a scientific expert. She manages to spot a two-armed, bipedal creature in the amateur footage, which leads to all sorts of speculation. Nora expects the worst and is forced to go visit her father, a folklorist who has gone crazy. He clearly thinks it's a troll and is not shy about saying so. Soon enough, they discover the creature in the countryside. The troll is heading toward the capital, so it's up to the army and the plucky band of scientists to stop it from destroying everything.

The movie is a very entertaining yarn, following the standard plot beats in giant monster movies. The government is ineffective in its brute force efforts to stop the beast ("you're only making it mad," says the crazy father). The scientists slowly figure out more and more of what the audience already knows. The troll does follow some of its mythology, though not exactly, because "this is science!" Some things are very implausible, like the movie repeatedly blaming Christian missionaries for wiping out the troll population of Norway. Apparently unarmed missionaries can slaughter dozens or hundreds of trolls while the modern Norwegian military can't even scratch a lone troll. The troll's purpose for going to the capital is also fun but bonkers. The ending relies on a clever way to beat the beast rather than nuking it. The movie has a new setting for monster fighting with a monster that has plenty of folklore that's acknowledged throughout the film. The special effects are good and the performances are earnest enough for viewers to buy into the plot and have a good time.

Recommended if you like big monster movies.