Review Date: 2018

Jim, Toby, Claire–these are the main characters in this CGI animated half-hour series produced by renowned movie-maker Guillermo Del Toro, three of a menagerie of colorful personalities (literally colorful, when referring to the troll creatures). When characters become less like characters and more like people that you actually know, then you know that a TV series has crossed that line from drama to magic: that is the hallmark of a great series, and that is what defines “Trollhunters.”

Yes, there’s also the amazingly beautiful, feature-movie-grade animation, there are the myriad of creatures whose creative visual design match the eccentricities of their personality, there are the excellent action scenes; it’s not just the characters. But characters–enchanting, engaging, expressive–are the heart of a great series, and that is where this series truly excels.

I didn’t think as highly of the series when I first reviewed it after it’s first season. I gave it 74% because I was somewhat disappointed in it. I was hoping it would reach the level of the great Pixar-animated movies like “Up” and “Coco.” But when I finished all 3 seasons, I realized that I had to judge this differently, that this was not the same kind of animal as “Up.” It would be like saying a car is better than a boat; it might be better for some things, but not for others. “Trollhunters” should be judged by what it is trying to be: an imaginative, emotional family-friendly animated adventure. As a result, I now raise the rating and give it an 85%.

If it’s so great, why not give it something higher, like a 90% or above? Well, it isn’t perfect (but what is, right?). The series has us expecting the Big Showdown, that huge battle where the major players finally face each other off. But it doesn’t happen… not in Season One. Not in Season Two. Finally, it happens in Season Three, in which the whole series comes to an end. This is not a spoiler; in fact, I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had known that the Big Showdown was going to happen at the end of three seasons, so I wouldn’t be expecting it at the end of each one. Don’t get me wrong, there are big climaxes at the end of the first two seasons, just not as big as what the story was leading up to. But the Big Battle does happen in the last season, and it does not disappoint.

A “Pan’s Labyrinth” for the whole family, this CGI-animated half-hour series tells the story of a high-school boy who must defend both the human and troll worlds from evil forces after being chosen by a magical amulet. It’s very comparable to that great dark-fantasy 2006 classic “Pan’s Labyrinth” for a number of reasons, Both “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “Trollhunters” were made by Guillermo Del Toro, who served as the writer/director for “Pan’s Labyrinth” and the creator/producer for “Trollhunters.”

Both works display Del Toro’s love of fantastical beasts and fantasy worlds (think also of the “Hellboy” movies, which Del Toro directed). “Trollhunters” is filled with a spectrum of very imaginative creatures, highly-detailed fantastical settings and lots of well-orchestrated action.

“Trollhunters” had me binging an hour every night until the season was done. The sets of characters are quite engaging—the Trollhunter boy and his human friends, the good trolls, and the monsters of all different species and varieties. And ultimately, that’s what keeps you watching a series—characters that evolve, surprise and deepen as these do.

“Trollhunters” is highly recommended for everyone who wants to see a lively, imaginative and engaging “for-the-whole-family” series. It’s definitely one of the best animated series available for streaming.

And any series that has an animated garden gnome called “Gnome Chomsky” is certainly worth a look.

2021 Update: The past few years added even more series to the Trollhunter canon, with the two spin-off series “3 Below” and “Wizards,” capped with a feature-length straight-to-streaming movie called “Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans” that brings the characters together from all the Trollhunter programs for a grand finale. It’s definitely an entertaining journey to go through them all.

Extra:

• The actor who voiced the protagonist, the high-school Trollhunter Jim, was Anton Yelchin (27), who died in 2016 when his car rolled back and crushed him against a pillar and a fence at his home. His voice was used in the first two seasons and some of of the third, and someone else recorded the remainder of his character.
• One of the neat things about the series is how Del Toro incorporated a number of Latino elements in a very natural way, including a Latina heroine.
• Based on a book co-written by Del Toro.
• Streamed from Netflix