Rock Candy Reviews

My Little Pony: A New Generation, Review

Intro

In today’s political climate, young people are being encouraged to be involved and knowledgeable about social problems. Topics like prejudice and racism are being talked about more and more, which means children’s media is going to reflect that as well. Surprisingly enough, the recent film My Little Pony: A New Generation is a great example of this.

Now, I know what you are thinking. “Are you one of those stupid, creepy Bronies?” The answer is plain and simple. Yes and no. I do consider myself to be a Brony/Pegasister, but I am also a human being like anyone else. I have a life outside of the fandoms I am a part of, and if you are not willing to acknowledge that, you can click off this article right now. Good riddance.

I will be dividing the following review into two different sections. One for my fellow Bronies, and one for newcomers that dared to watch this film despite what others have said about people like me. The Brony segment will be reviewing the film in relation to the My Little Pony Generation 4 series, and the newcomer section will be for those who have had little to no exposure to the show and fandom. Sounds fair? Then let’s get started!

For the Bronies

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. After almost a full decade of the Mane Six, we are moving on to new characters, new songs, and new friends! It’s pretty surreal, right? Let me start out by saying I really enjoyed the film, especially as an introduction to a future T.V. series. I do have few nitpicks.

The Plot

For such a simple plot about overcoming prejudice, it was well paced and entertaining. Films like these have a huge risk of sounding preachy, but the dialogue across the entire film felt genuine. Breaking the film into sections for each race of ponies was actually a good move. This allowed us to see every viewpoint in the world of Equestria, which is important to teach. Everypony has different biases that need to be addressed before starting to understand each other. Also, no character is written to be perfect just because they are open minded. Flaws don’t just go away because you’re a self proclaimed anti-racist. 

The only real issue is the fact that the stakes still felt low. Ponykind wasn’t exactly suffering without magic. Instead things were a bit boring and dull with the races of ponies segregated. The only time the movie feels like something big is happening is when the ponies are actively fighting with each other, which doesn’t happen that often. It would’ve been nice to see things get more heated between the groups so that the relationships would feel more realistic.

Unfortunately, the plot doesn’t really connect well with generation 4. A lot of questions are unanswered, but that’s what the future series will be for.

The Characters

As far as the cast goes the everypony was pretty nicely developed. Except for Pipp, unfortunately. While Sunny, Hitch, Izzy, and Zipp all had great interactions with each other, Pipp was kind of left out. As a modern princess character, she felt more like a stereotypical social media influencer. She seemed like she only wanted to be friends with the other characters because she had nothing else to do, which is very sad. She could have had a great arc about finding genuine relationships while being internet famous or something, but the movie settled for a forgetful character save for the one song she sings.

The others were amazing, thoush. Izzy the unicorn was silly, but not overbearing. Sunny was a great activist role model for kids, and her enthusiasm about learning the ins and outs of her society was infectious. Hitch, being the first male main character of the franchise, was handled very well. He was never portrayed as overly masculine, and actually had an endearing personality. He was straightforward but kind in his delivery. Finally, Zipp was strong willed and down to earth, which balanced out the cast nicely. They all had clear inspirations from the Generation 4 characters, but still felt like individuals.

The Animation

The look and feel of the characters felt very much like the Trolls movies. Kind of like the ponies were made of arts and crafts. It was nice to see that the background environments from the forests to the cities, everything was colorful, but not overly “girly”. One could tell that the animators spent a lot of time trying to make the world of Equestria feel lived in. The fine details like the ponies’ hair and eyes were just cartoony enough to be striking, instead of comical. The designs for all the main cast were very well thought out. It’s a little different from the pastel look of the previous generation, but still fun to look at.

Overall

The tone and atmosphere was perfect for kids to be entertained by, but also acknowledge the older people in the fandom. There were a few times where the movie was clearly afraid to be funny, since it didn’t want to come off as immature. It’s a noble sentiment, but one of the things people loved about generation 4, was that it had plenty of unique, meme-worthy humor. That’s not to say the comedy was bad. It was simply toned down a lot. While the story could be pretty paint-by-the-numbers, it was still fun to watch unfold.

As a start of something new for the franchise, this was a solid start. It didn’t come out guns blazing so it could come across as more humble, which was actually pretty refreshing for a kids’ movie. Fans all across the world will most likely be satisfied with this movie so long as they are not hellbent on criticizing the movie for not being the same as generation 4.

For Newcomers

First things first. I’d like to thank anyone who has been generous enough to give this cute little franchise a chance. The internet has dragged the Brony fandom through the mud for years, yet you are willing to overlook that. Good on ya. Without any more stalling, let’s jump right into things.

Background Knowledge

In recent years, My Little Pony has been known for breaking down barriers between masculinity and femininity with its characters. Generation 4, which sparked the creation of the Brony fandom, evolved over time to become a well rounded show about friendship, and all the ups and downs that come along with it. It started in 2010 with simple lessons like “be honest with friends”, “face your fears”, and “arguments don’t have to end friendships”. Then, as the show writers realized that the show was gaining a following of teens and adults, they took the opportunity to start incorporating deeper conflicts and messages. Things like losing a loved one, how to handle your friend getting into a separate romantic relationship, and amending broken friendships from the past. The show also didn’t shy away from squeezing in themes of anti-racism, LGBTQ representation, and even critiques on the animation industry. Some people loved the new direction, while others dropped off of the fandom. Regardless, generation four lasted nine seasons, and received a theatrical movie as well.

As far as the lore goes, all you need to know is that there are three types of ponies; Earth ponies; pegasi; and unicorns. Generation five takes place in the same world as generation four, but decades in the future. So any names you might recognize from memes or gifs online, like Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash, won’t be the main focus of this movie. If you are interested in those characters, I highly recommend watching bits and pieces of generation four before watching this movie.

The Story

If you are going into this movie expecting a masterpiece that will blow you away, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. If you are just looking for a chill adventure/slice of life story, then you’ve come to the right place. The movie centers around young activist Sunny, an earth pony, who is determined to bring together the other races of ponies and restore magic to the world of Equestria. However, for years the pony races have been divided, and have all sorts of prejudices against each other. Sunny needs to make some new friends in order to reach her goal, and thus the adventure begins.

The cast of characters are fun and keep the movie flowing. There aren’t any annoying sidekicks or quests that are going to get on your nerves, so you can expect a tightly woven narrative. The story won’t surprise you in any way, but it probably will leave you smiling.

The Acting

Vanessa Hudgens as Sunny was a pretty great fit. She and the rest of the cast members never played up their voices too much that it sounded irritable or immature. It was nice to hear them really putting in some effort into their characters’ voices, and not just relying on their celebrity status to please people. The high energy moments were handled very well, and the laidback moments didn’t feel out of place.

The only thing that might be a bit off putting is the lack of a big, bad villain voice. Kids’ movies these days aren’t really taking the Disney route by having a nightmare inducing bad guy. Instead, the main villain is actually the most pitiful character in the film. It plays to the message that the people who are the most prejudiced are sometimes the most scared of us all.

The Music

As far as catchy songs go, this movie has a lot of potential. The musical numbers are very well done, and usually don’t drag on for too long. If you are okay with mild pop music, this movie might leave you humming a few melodies.

Overall

If you are looking to get into the fandom through this movie, this could be a nice relaxed way to start your journey. We are always welcoming of new friends, and you might find yourself enjoying the franchise as much as we do. Other critiques might tell you something different, but I give this movie a 7/10.