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Friday, February 11, 2011

[9.25/10] Trolljegeren a.k.a. Trollhunter (2010)


Brief review: Written and directed by, André Øvredal, "The Troll Hunter" is a mockumentary that explores the real existence of trolls in a remote regions of Norway. Presented as a rough-cut footage, retrieved from a missing student camera crew and kept 'in secret' by the Norwegian government, "The Troll Hunter" is a breath of fresh air in the mock-doc horror genre, as it offers an incredibly original story, inspired by an old Scandinavian legend, presented in a somewhat believable way, and executed to perfection. Not only "Trolljegeren" is authentic, but also consistently tense, suspenseful and utterly terrifying in moments, plus, its script includes a medical explanation about the trolls and their physiology, which is probably the most curious and interesting part of the story. Visuals-wise, "Trolljegeren" never fails to impress. Thanks to the competent and absolutely flawless CGI work, every single troll is spectacularly-designed, and has its own unique look and feel - they all are formidably huge, ominous and downright mean. Not to speak of the stunningly beautiful forests and mountains of Western Norway, where all the action takes place in. The scenery is as sublimely-imposing as it's creepy, especially during the night sequences, and all this is captured entirely in glorious HD, in order to add even more depth and detail to the already striking visuals. The cast also deliver. Otto Jespersen is tough, yet likable as the Troll hunter himself. He's so composed, confident and fearless, you'll believe every ounce of his performance. Glenn Erland Tosterud delivers the second-best performance in the movie as the enthusiastic Thomas. Tomas Alf Larsen as the cameraman and Johanna Mørck as Johanna, both known to the audience for their roles in "Cold Prey" and its sequel, also give an extremely convincing performances.

Overall summary: Thanks to its uniqueness, chillingly-original concept, pitch-perfect execution and mind-blowing visuals, "The Troll Hunter" is a breath of fresh air into the genre and ranks right up there with such 'found footage' masterpieces as "[REC]" and "The Blair Witch Project".

20 comments:

Jaccstev said...

It looks like you also adore this one, just like me :) That's why I can't agree more with every point on your review.
And yes, I remember now, Johanna Mørck starred as the nurse who die first in "Cold Prey" sequel. Am I right?

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I'll have to seek out this movie!

Unknown said...

This sounds fantastic and so utterly original. I'm dying for something unique because there are so many retreads, reboots and remakes out there, I want to scream. Besides, I love a great monster story. :) This was an excellent review, you really make your reader want to see this movie right now.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

I did! I was so entertained, I couldn't blink :)
Glad you agree with me on this one Jaccs. I remember reading your Halloween post that included TH review, and thinking.. damn, I so want to see this.

Yep, you got it right, Jaccs. It was her ;)

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Alex, "The Troll Hunter" hits US theaters this March. Give it a shot. It's incredible!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Mel, it's very original indeed. I'm also sick and tired of all these remakes and reboots /and sequels/, so I found the TH to be quite refreshing.

Oh, really? :) Mission accomplished then :)

Mel, you should wait just a little bit. It hits theaters in March.

Vapor said...

I want to see this!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Vaper, you need to! :)

FilmMattic said...

Sounds like a really interesting mockumentary. Plus, that movie poster is sick! I'll have to get my hands on this.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Matt, it's beyond interesting. It already leaked online, so if you download films from the internet, you don't have to wait until March. ;)

M. Hufstader said...

I would've never found this on my own, but it looks seriously epic. Trolls are kind of those monsters you never really take seriously, so it'll be interesting to see a serious take on it.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

M. Hufstader, would you really like to see this one? I could help you with that :)

If I have to be honest, I've always imagined trolls much tinier and not as mean and creepy as those shown in the film.

Andrew said...

This sounds absolutely amazing....
Thanks for tipping me off to it!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Andrew, it was absolutely fantastic and so different from what we've used to see in most mock-doc films. Give it a shot ;)

filmrruss said...

I'll echo some of the other thoughts here: I'd never had heard of this if it wasn't for your blog. Cheers! I'm very much looking forward to catching this when it comes out.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Russ, if you're into POV / found footage horror flicks, as I am, you'll thoroughly enjoy this gem from Norway. I thought it was brilliant in many aspects. So glad my blog was the reason you wanna see it. Give it a shot as soon as you can.

filmrruss said...

Trollhunter is FINALLY release in the UK this Friday (9th September). I'm still really looking forward to it!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Russ, finally! I'm glad you'll be able to see it. Let me know what you thought of it, after you check it out. I hope you like it as much as I did.

filmrruss said...

Finally got to see it! Really enjoyed it. I wasn't so scared, but I did LMAO! I thought that Otto Jespersen was great as the very nonchalant hunter, and "Thomas" was good as well. Overall a tremendously fun film.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Russ, this film was by no means scary, but I loved its originality and uniqueness. It didn't take itself seriously and it was brilliantly executed. Loved it.