My Little Pony: The Movie is a fun, sweet, and rewarding watch. You will watch these cute ponies venture far outside their comfort zone both literally and metaphorically, to save their homeland from destruction. As they struggle through harsh lands and meet unfamiliar faces, the weight of their mission will weigh down on them and their willpower, patience, morals, and friendships will all be tested.
The movie's animation is gorgeous. The style is a really distinct, high-quality 2D look and the ponies appear soft and adorable. (Even cuter than they look in the Friendship is Magic TV series, in my opinion). Some angles and shots are truly gorgeous. The songs and background score are great. The idea for the plot is solid and overall easy to grasp.
But this movie has significant issues too.
The main cause is that there are too many characters. It is difficult to grow attached to any of the side characters when they each only appear for a short time and get a character arc that only lasts a few moments. You've got the Mane 6 ponies plus Spike the Dragon, three villains, Capper the cat, the Seapony queen and princess, Captain Celaeno and her whole crew, and a bunch of very minor characters. So you've got like 18 main characters and many hardly get a chance to grow on you.
Another flaw is the extended silence after very unfunny lines... It's there to give the audience time to laugh, but it's just awkward when those lines aren't even amusing enough to make anyone crack a smile. There are plenty of good jokes, but there are some misses as well.
I also feel as if most of the new characters do not look as if they fit well alongside the ponies. It almost looks like the characters came from totally different films and were all tossed together.
Even so, the movie is a delight to watch and I didn't really pay much heed to the problems until afterwards. The different locations the ponies visit creates visual interest, and there are some very sad, tender, and emotional moments. The stakes are high and the main character Twilight Sparkle is clearly impacted by the burden she carries.
The movie's animation is gorgeous. The style is a really distinct, high-quality 2D look and the ponies appear soft and adorable. (Even cuter than they look in the Friendship is Magic TV series, in my opinion). Some angles and shots are truly gorgeous. The songs and background score are great. The idea for the plot is solid and overall easy to grasp.
But this movie has significant issues too.
The main cause is that there are too many characters. It is difficult to grow attached to any of the side characters when they each only appear for a short time and get a character arc that only lasts a few moments. You've got the Mane 6 ponies plus Spike the Dragon, three villains, Capper the cat, the Seapony queen and princess, Captain Celaeno and her whole crew, and a bunch of very minor characters. So you've got like 18 main characters and many hardly get a chance to grow on you.
Another flaw is the extended silence after very unfunny lines... It's there to give the audience time to laugh, but it's just awkward when those lines aren't even amusing enough to make anyone crack a smile. There are plenty of good jokes, but there are some misses as well.
I also feel as if most of the new characters do not look as if they fit well alongside the ponies. It almost looks like the characters came from totally different films and were all tossed together.
Even so, the movie is a delight to watch and I didn't really pay much heed to the problems until afterwards. The different locations the ponies visit creates visual interest, and there are some very sad, tender, and emotional moments. The stakes are high and the main character Twilight Sparkle is clearly impacted by the burden she carries.