MovieChat Forums > Trolljegeren (2010) Discussion > Settle a bet for me: is this movie a com...

Settle a bet for me: is this movie a comedy or not?

posted 12 years ago by moviefool09
20 replies | jump to latest

My brother and I are having an intense debate. He feels the movie was intended to mostly be a comedy and thinks aspects like the "Troll Security Service" and blaring the Christian music at the trolls are meant to to make viewers laugh. My brother says he laughed throughout the movie.

I, on the other hand, think the film is a mostly seriously approached 'mockudrama', with SOME aspects that are amusing and tongue in cheek. I don't think it was intended to be a comedy at all.

Thoughts?

[–] drakkar 12 years ago

It's a comedy. Four of the lead actors are well known comedians, and the way they go about norse folklore is just hilarious. Just about nothing Hans does is scary, it's either hilarious or (way over the top) ridiculous.
Basically, the film is a hilarious over-the-top view on both Norse folklore and Norwegian society. Even the meal Hans have on the ferry is a little gem, but only if you do a bit travelling on fjord ferries and know the codes.

[–] nlecro 12 years ago

It was made by Norwegians to be a comedy for Norwegians. For the rest of the world it is just a fun adventure mockumentary with the occasional laugh.

[–] drakkar 12 years ago

Yeah, the film relies heavily on cultural and mythological references of Norway/Scandinavia, if you don't know them the film can come across as rather simple and straightforward.

[–] moviefool09 12 years ago

Thanks everyone, for your responses. My brother now thinks he won this bet (comedy) but we're still fighting :)

[–] singsong 12 years ago

its a comedy

TROOOOLLLLLLLL!!!
Signed :-P

[–] lantzn 11 years ago

OK so everyone pretty much confirmed it's a comedy and that your brother is correct and you still won't concede? You must be a fun brother.

[–] DisturbedPixie 12 years ago

Yeah, I didn't laugh once, but if it was funny, shouldn't it have been slightly funny to non Norwegians? I was actually pretty bored for the most part. It felt like a film for kids who might be into Scandinavian mythology. I don't even get why it's PG13, it should be PG since it's not very bloody or scary at all. The trolls were pretty silly looking really, like in Labyrinth.

And if it's a comedy everybody: why is the genre Fantasy Horror? Maybe you guys should get to changing it to comedy fantasy horror via the keyword section additions page.

[–] drakkar 12 years ago

Sounds odd, the genre of this film is Mockumentary/Comedy, so if it was presented to you as a Fantasy Horror some mistake must have occurred abroad.

Of course it is possible for non-Norwegians to find it funny, only that they have to introduce themselves to Norwegian folklore, - culture and - politics, since the comical elements rely heavily on these factors.

Still there are plenty of Norwegians not finding it funny, because it simply wasnt their form for humor.

[–] merh 11 years ago

Re: Settle a bet for me: is this movie a comedy or not? by DisturbedPixie » Sat Nov 10 2012 12:58:32 IMDb member since October 2004
Yeah, I didn't laugh once, but if it was funny, shouldn't it have been slightly funny to non Norwegians? I was actually pretty bored for the most part. It felt like a film for kids who might be into Scandinavian mythology. I don't even get why it's PG13, it should be PG since it's not very bloody or scary at all. The trolls were pretty silly looking really, like in Labyrinth.

And if it's a comedy everybody: why is the genre Fantasy Horror? Maybe you guys should get to changing it to comedy fantasy horror via the keyword section additions page.

Some kids back in the 80's thought Spinal Tap was a real band. They totally missed This is Spinal Tap was a comedy.

This isn't Wall Street-this is Hell. We have a little something called integrity-Crowley

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tallard 12 years ago

That's the entire point of a mockumentary, (mock...) to make you at least spend some good time chuckling at the ridiculous people on the screen. You two were arguing for not.

***So I've seen 4 movies/wk in theatre for a 1/4 century, call me crazy?**

[–] r_w_ingram 11 years ago

The meal Hans had on the ferry? I don't understand. He was eating fried eggs and bacon if i recall...

[–] drakkar 11 years ago

No, that was later on, in the inn, where he showed the beurocratic forms to be filled out if he killed a troll (same as you have to if you happen to kill a wolf or bear nowadays).

[–] bhobnine 11 years ago

Tongue in cheek.

"Pffft, my suspension of disbelief has higher standards than that"

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] xXnXnXnXx 11 years ago

Kinda late reply, but it's a comedy-mockudrama for most Scandinavians, outside of Scandinavia it's probably just a mockudrama, as there is a few jokes that only native speakers gets.

[–] garytw 11 years ago

Its a true story.

[–] moviefool09 10 years ago

The brother is back :)

I actually found the movie very involving and suspenseful, which is why I don't consider it to be a comedy. But since most of you say it's a comedy, my brother won the bet.

He's still gloating, a couple of years later :)

"You're telling me the future is video and NOT film?"

[–] drakkar 10 years ago

I actually found the movie very involving and suspenseful,

It sure is, however many of the actors (Hans, the Troll Security guy, the Polish bear hunter and the Power Plant engineer) are well known comedians. Together with the folklore/society slapstick humor, the hilariousness about the story and the characters overrides the suspense. If you don't know the actors or the Norwegian society, I can perfectly well see your point.

(On a side note, same thing with Head above Water http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116502/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1. This was a remake of Hodet over Vannet http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107121/. Both were issued as comedys/thrillers. However, the original used known comedians and music stars (!) in the main parts, which the remake failed to do, and I think that's the reason why the remake failed.)

In Cod we trust.

[–] moviefool09 10 years ago

Exactly. From the remarks here, I now understand that a non-Norwegian audience would likely not get the same impact out of it and get the "wink-wink" references. I guess that's why I didn't consider it a comedy originally.

"You're telling me the future is video and NOT film?"