Find true happiness with inspired 'Trolls'

Like the hit single on its soundtrack, "Can't Stop the Feeling," the movie "Trolls" is irresistibly charming because of a simple but catchy hook.

This colorful animated confection introduces viewers to the happiest creatures living in the happiest tree in the happiest forest there is: a community of sparkly Trolls so renowned for their jubilance that miserable ogre-like creatures - called Bergens - eat Trolls once a year, just to experience happiness. During one such attack by the Bergens, the Troll king Peppy (voice of Jeffrey Tambor) leads his daughter Princess Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and his subjects to safety. But by saving his people, Peppy denies the Bergens their happiness fix, plunging them into decades of misery.

Twenty years later, Poppy hosts an elaborate party commemorating their flight from terror. But a fireworks show inadvertently alerts the Bergen Chef (Christine Baranski) to the Trolls' hiding spot. After Chef kidnaps a handful of Poppy's friends, she attempts a rescue mission with a Troll named Branch (Justin Timberlake), a gray survivalist who shares neither the rainbow hue nor the persistent happiness of the other Trolls.

Kendrick and Timberlake are wonderfully cast. When the opposites-attract duo sneaks into Bergen territory to free their fellows, Poppy's infectious joy convinces one Bergen, a scullery maid named Bridget (Zooey Deschanel), that she doesn't need to eat a Troll to be happy. She can, as Poppy explains, simply choose to be happy.

The make-your-own-happiness theme is driven home with evocative musical numbers, including covers of such beloved hits as Earth, Wind and Fire's "September," Lionel Richie's "Hello" and Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" - along with such inspired original songs as Timberlake's dance anthem "Can't Stop the Feeling" and Kendrick's empowering "Get Back Up Again."

Visually, the animation captures the colorful, pliable texture of troll-doll hair and their felt outfits. In one touching moment, the Trolls slowly change colors to illustrate how the joy has been drained out of them.

Although there are several moments in the film that pack an emotional punch, others are just silly. Recurring gags include Trolls breaking wind in glitter and singing in Auto-Tune. Those puerile details will certainly elicit laughs, particularly from the younger-than-10 set.

All that humor, color and happiness is an undeniable delight, making you tap your feet and, as Timberlake sings, feel as if you've got sunshine in your pocket.