The Troll Hunter [Trolljegeren]

The opening minutes of this film had me concerned: text describing how the ‘footage’ was obtained, then how it was examined and found to be “genuine”. It then begins with student reporters tracking down a story about some bear shootings and all the footage is done with a hand-held camera.

‘Oh no,’ I thought, ‘could this be a Norwegian ‘Blair Witch’?’

Maybe, in it’s original appearance, but it is so much more than whiny teenagers getting lost and freaked out in the woods.

The bear shootings, we soon find out, are all part of a “larger” problem: Trolls. These university reporters eventually find their way to a strange man who is very evasive at first, but then concedes to have them tag along as long as they do exactly what he says, when he says. It turns out that he is a Troll Hunter (hence the title) that is hired by the government to control the troll population of Norway.

What does all this add up to?

FUN!

I loved the whole thing! Such unpretentious fantasy is so refreshing! I’m rather concerned that Hollywood will find this one and remove its charm in the process of remaking it for an “American Audience”.

Troll Lore is worked in well, including the usual “you can’t believe what you hear in fairytales” that seems to make an appearance in all modern retellings of anything originating in folklore.

The CGI is convincing as well, particularly considering the ‘poor’ quality of the hand-held footage. You could almost believe what you were seeing, which works in a strange positive way for Tourism Norway. I know I want to go to see the trolls, if not the amazing scenery.

Love it!