Critic Reviews

Trollhunters Season 2 is a solid return for the magical adventure series that makes good on Season 1 promises, matures along with its audience, and deepens the mythology in an enchanting way, all while making bold storytelling decisions through non-traditional narrative structures. It’s everything an animated series should be, and more.

It all builds to a visually and narratively thrilling finale that, with stakes that feel sky-high, reflects just how excellent the series is, right out of the gate and throughout its length, at investing viewers in its world.

There’s a lot going on in this season, perhaps too much to address everything fans want in as deep a way as they want it, but Trollhunters wraps up nicely and rewards fans for their years of devotion.

The series, based on the book of the same name by Daniel Kraus and del Toro, is well written, although it relies on stock character situations such as the young hero standing up to the school bully; the awkward, overweight sidekick learning that he is more capable than he thinks he is; and the popular high school girl becoming friendly with a kid from a lower social stratum. All of it works, though, because Trollhunters mostly wants to tell a gripping story.

The series never fully shakes off the rigid, by-the-numbers storytelling, or its underdeveloped characters, but the frequent moments of heart and humor elevate what would otherwise be a cold, slick thing of stone.

There’s not much verbal wit in Trollhunters--the jokes are pitched to a kid audience that has probably heard better ones in DreamWorks feature films such as How to Train Your Dragon and Shrek. But it looks terrific, with sleek animation that moves back and forth between human and troll worlds with fluid skill.

What makes Trollhunters stand out, in the early episodes, is another del Toro trademark: the design of the monsters, who are significantly more interesting to look at and listen to than their human counterparts.

Trollhunters has a nice vibe to it. There is an ’80s “Goonies” flair, but it is also has intelligence and flashes of wit, such as when a creature hums “In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Edvard Grieg as it goes in for a kill, or when Toby finds out Juliet dies in “Romeo and Juliet.” Otherwise Trollhunters follows the formula for these sorts of stories, uncomfortable teen by day and superhero at night.

The series goes down easily, with one-liners alternating professionally with well-designed battle scenes, and this obliging impersonality is why it’s ultimately so dull, as zippy, attention-grabbing movement is prized over mood and poetry.