Troll 2: The Greatest Sequel of All Time

By Jill McKay

Published: August 30, 2009

Forget The Godfather II. Forget The Empire Strikes Back. And yes, although it might be hard, forget Speed 2: Cruise Control. Without a doubt the greatest sequel of all time is Troll 2.

This gem from 1990 breaks all the rules. It has nothing in common with the first movie: there are no characters in common, the setting is totally different, and most striking, it has nothing to do with trolls. The bad guys in Troll 2 are goblins that terrorize a family in a small town called Nilbog. Making a sequel that has nothing to do with the first movie was a dramatic departure from the traditional way of making movies in Hollywood. It was such a dramatic change, in fact, that no film maker has been so daring as to do it ever again.

The acting in Troll 2 is spectacular. It’s a crime that none of these actors have been awarded for their work in this amazing movie. Darrin Ewing, in particular, stands out. The scene where he watches as the girl he met running through the woods turns into green goo and is devoured by a gang of horrifying goblins is especially terrifying. His reaction is intense and real: “They’re eating her! And then they’re going to eat me! OH MY GAAAAAAAAAAWD!” This scene was so intense, I had to turn away. Chilling. Watch it here if you dare:

But that’s not even the most impressive scene of the movie. When the hero, played by the always fantastic Michael Stephenson, sees the town sign reflected in a car’s side mirror and shouts: “Nilbog! It’s goblin spelled backwards! This is their kingdom!” I was floored. What a treacherous bunch of bastards, these goblins are.

I implore you to watch Troll 2 if you want to know what true terror is. It’s definitely the greatest sequel of all time. It might just be the greatest movie of all time.