Troll Hunter Review

• 9th Jan 2012

Troll Hunter follows a group of young people who think they’re making a film about illegal bear hunting. They tail a suspected hunter, Hans, who’s been killing bears without a license, hoping to catch him in the act. As they follow him onto a dark track, in the forest, at night, you almost feel like they deserve what happens next. So far, so Blair Witch, but the appearance of the lumbering three-headed trolls veers this film away from horror and into a very pacy, humorous docu-thrilller of sorts. All in 103 minutes.

The film then uncovers that Hans is actually a disgruntled government employee, whose sick of his role in a government conspiracy; to cover up the existence of trolls. Their misdemeanours are explained by bears that are imported from around the world. There are several hilarious scenes where this is all explained. One of the best lines from this film “bad bear, bad price.”

The film starts off in a great comic style, there’s a great reference to Jurassic Park and plenty of nods to traditional troll folklore. This includes the troll that lived under the bridge, the Billy Goats Gruff and a troll’s ability to smell the blood of an Englishman. All of this is delivered in a documentary style and I applaud all of the actors who delivered their lines in their dead-pan style. The vet is brilliant, a woman genuinely concerned about the way trolls are killed.

Pretty soon though, the film takes a tragic turn and the final part of the film is set in the barren Jotunheim. Hans is revealed to be something of a hero, risking his life to save the others and the climactic ending is worthy of any big budget adventure. The final moments of the film remind you that this is all very much tongue in cheek though, despite the government conspiracy being almost revealed by the Norwegian prime minister at the time.

The film is set in Norway among isolated, barren landscapes that give it this great sense of scale and realism. The CGI is good enough to be convincing and make the trolls a lumbering threat. All this makes for an entertaining, interesting film, well worth seeking out and counting off all the troll stereotypes. Watch out for the story about the troll who was caught eating it’s own tail – delivered with absolutely straight up by Hans, who’ll have you believing all it’s true in no time.

Maliha Basak