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TROLLHUNTER (TROLLJEGEREN)Movie Reviews
Norwegian language fantasy thriller about three student filmmakers who stumble upon a government conspiracy to cover up the existence of trolls in Norway. Cast:Otto Jespersen, Glenn Erland Trosterud, Hans Morten Hansen, Johanna MørchDirector:André OvredalRelease Date:June 10, 2011DVD Release:August 23, 2011From:Magnet ReleasingRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 43 min
AUGUST 23, 2011
TrollHunter (Trolljegeren), Good (Not Great) Reviews, Mixed Key Cities
TrollHunter (Trolljegeren) played in key cities to good not great reviews. Reviews were mixed. • Curt Holman wrote in Atlanta Creative Loafing, "...a strange, diverting expedition into unknown territory." • And Ty Burr wrote in the Boston Globe, "...this is clever stuff and surprisingly engrossing on its own terms. What 'Trollhunter'' isn't is particularly scary, but in its defense, it's not trying to be." More Reviews Below...
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD(cg) "...loopy... whenever the trolls aren't on screen, it verges on tedium. As the stoic titular slayer, Otto Jespersen is the one actor who holds you."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 89 words, 06/10/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...nicely explains the partial glimpses and incomplete shots during the hunt, although we get a nice look at some of the beasts, who have amazingly ugly schnozzolas."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 565 words, 06/24/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (10 Reviews)
Mike Hale, New York Times: GOOD "...clever... The film's ultradry Nordic humor informs the slowly unfolding story... The found-footage conceit is getting awfully old, but it works here for comic effect..."(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 260 words, 06/10/11
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...spry, amusing and pulse-pounding... It's to the movie's credit how sweetly anthropological the film's take on these fairy-tale stalwarts is..."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 216 words, 06/24/11
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "The adventure ends in a pitched battle with a super-troll. You'll want to catch this clever movie before Hollywood ruins everything with a dumb remake."(See all of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 211 words, 06/10/11
Logan Hill, New York Magazine: WEAK "What was fresh and scary in 'Blair Witch' twelve years ago... just isn't anymore, and director André Øvredal has little else in his bag of tricks."(See all of Logan Hill's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 315 words, 06/11/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...nicely explains the partial glimpses and incomplete shots during the hunt, although we get a nice look at some of the beasts, who have amazingly ugly schnozzolas."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 565 words, 06/24/11
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...often a dull movie... as de-mythologizings go, 'Trollhunter' has neither the wit, nor art, nor social insight to honor the legacy of George A. Romero's 'Martin.' "(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 211 words, 06/08/11
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...so steeped in troll and paranoia lore, it risks boring you with the details at times. But it also makes you more inclined to believe it, and the frights are real enough."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 308 words, 08/19/11
Andrew Parker, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a bit of a slow burn, but attention to detail heightens the intensity greatly once the scares finally arrive.... one of the best genre exercises of the year."(See all of Andrew Parker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 186 words, 08/18/11
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the sight of those frost-dusted hills in the gray light before dawn - it's breathtaking, even if there is a giant furry monster obstructing a good portion of the view."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 306 words, 07/01/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "With impressive technical credits, stunning fjord and forest locations and a winking ownership of its own absurdity... at once spooky, satirical and endearing."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 315 words, 07/01/11
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...this is clever stuff and surprisingly engrossing on its own terms. What 'Trollhunter'' isn't is particularly scary, but in its defense, it's not trying to be."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 485 words, 07/01/11
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...good horror-spoofy fun -- right down to the Polish bear deliveryman (don't ask) and the repellent 'troll stench' in which the students must coat themselves..."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 265 words, 07/08/11
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "...there's genuine fright, if only intermittent, and some remarkable images of desolate Norwegian landscapes. It's contrived, but that doesn't keep it from being kinda nifty."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 246 words, 07/01/11
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...has a lot of down time as the crew treks to the fjords, but it's also got dryly subversive humor and, eventually, some impressive special effects."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 267 words, 07/01/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (10 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...often a dull movie... as de-mythologizings go, 'Trollhunter' has neither the wit, nor art, nor social insight to honor the legacy of George A. Romero's 'Martin.' "(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 211 words, 06/08/11
Perri Nemiroff, Cinema Blend: VERY GOOD(cg) "...doesn't take itself too seriously and the combination works beautifully not only making the piece wildly enjoyable, but surprisingly believable, too."(See all of Perri Nemiroff's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 815 words, 04/22/11
Tom Meek, Boston Phoenix: MODERATE(cg) "How the Nordic government has kept the wraps on something so conspicuous is hard to imagine, but if you just go with it, it may satisfy your taste for cult campiness."(See all of Tom Meek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 153 words, 06/30/11
Noel Murray, AV Club: MODERATE(cg) "...here's what's not so good... the actual troll hunting.... while the countryside is beautiful, the cinematography isn't. (Because, y'know... 'found footage.')"(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 307 words, 06/09/11
Chris Cabin, Slant: WEAK(cg) "...ultimately too dumb to be satisfyingly dumb and its attempts at being smart are always too brief and pointless... doesn't have a clue as to what it wants to be."(See all of Chris Cabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 714 words, 04/19/11
Andrew Parker, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a bit of a slow burn, but attention to detail heightens the intensity greatly once the scares finally arrive.... one of the best genre exercises of the year."(See all of Andrew Parker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 186 words, 08/18/11
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...one of the most satisfying examples of found-footage flicks yet... This is a totally fresh fantasy that nevertheless takes place fully in the larger modern world..."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 312 words, 09/09/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Mike Hale, New York Times: GOOD "...clever... The film's ultradry Nordic humor informs the slowly unfolding story... The found-footage conceit is getting awfully old, but it works here for comic effect..."(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 260 words, 06/10/11
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...spry, amusing and pulse-pounding... It's to the movie's credit how sweetly anthropological the film's take on these fairy-tale stalwarts is..."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 216 words, 06/24/11
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT " 'The Blair Witch Project' may have gotten there first, but 'The Troll Hunter' embellishes the candid, caught-on-video format to thrilling effect... enormously entertaining..."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 861 words, 01/18/11
David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...inventiveness, folkloric idiosyncrasy and deadpan humor... writer/director Andre Ovredal, a seasoned commercials director, knows how to spin a captivating yarn."(See all of David Rooney's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 794 words, 01/21/11
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...spry, amusing and pulse-pounding... It's to the movie's credit how sweetly anthropological the film's take on these fairy-tale stalwarts is..."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 216 words, 06/24/11
Mike Hale, New York Times: GOOD "...clever... The film's ultradry Nordic humor informs the slowly unfolding story... The found-footage conceit is getting awfully old, but it works here for comic effect..."(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 260 words, 06/10/11
20.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
TrollHunter (Trolljegeren)'s reviews are separated by an average 20.4 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
TrollHunter (Trolljegeren) (30 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:TrollHunter (Trolljegeren)'s reviews cover 33.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 12,202 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 407 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 5 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
TrollHunter (Trolljegeren)'s reviews on average broke 5 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is TrollHunter (Trolljegeren)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
TrollHunter (Trolljegeren) (30 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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