Sister + Friend Movie Review: My LIttle Pony The Movie

This movie probably isn't for you. I know I just saw it but I've loved My Little Ponys since I was three. I got my sister her first pony. We enjoy Friendship is Magic because it's light, funny, and nostalgic. Oh and we have cosplayed as Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash more than once.

I was so excited when I learned there was a Movie. My Little Pony's has been out for over a month. I think I found the last theater in the area still showing the film and we drove there Saturday. Sister agreed to go but knowing the audience we offered to take Miss B with us. Miss B is in kindergarten, loves the ponies, and was also super excited to go to the movie. It was the perfect party for this particular movie. It was a big adventure and the car ride was grand. Miss B will be our movie companion for future cartoons. I feel less weird going to children's movie with a small human.

Warning: as always there are some spoilers ahead. Most of the minor but if you want to be surprised read no further.

Good:
Sister: Rainbow Dash. And it wasn't dumb.
Miss B.: Nothing...um, the mermaids
Me: The opening was perfect for the movie. The ponies flying into Equestria was a great set up followed by glimpses of many of the beloved secondary characters like Doctor Hooves and Rose. It was sad to see some key people missing like the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The songs were nice. I don't remember any today but I remember enjoying them at the time. The art style was slightly different from the cartoon and I liked the new design of the eyes. There were also some funny moments like Spike turning into a blow fish, Fluttershy befriending a shadow solider, or Rarity's giving up. There were also very in character good moments like Rainbow Dash's epic rainboom.

Less Than Good:
Sister: It definitely wasn't written for young children.
Miss B.: It was all bad and scary
Me: The whole feel of the movie was missing something. It wasn't as lovable as the cartoon. It had good moments but the whole was...less. The new characters, a cat and a crew of bird pirates, were pretty and had promise but are hardly rememberable. I don't know any of their names. The mermaid ponies were a bit better. And what was hardest to accept was the Mane 6 weren't awesome (. There was weird little things that just felt harsher or out of character. Like the Princess of Friendship yelling at her friends, saying "I would've been better off without friends like you" A movie needs conflict but some of it was out of character. It was unpleasant and disappointing. I think it also was more intense than I expected. Even the colour choices for the backgrounds were dark and oppressive for most of the movie. Miss B's reaction defiantly shaped my take on the movie. She was scared through most of it, she was engaged and happy during the first songs when it was the ponies preparing for a big party. Once the airship/villians showed up she did not have a good time. She then sat on my lap for the rest of the movie. She relaxed for a little of the mermaid scenes but it was a short lived break. If she had enjoyed it I think my take would have been less negative. She didn't have a good time and that was the point of the day. It lacked the joy of the show and therefore lacked charm of other feature animations achieve.

Mane Six:
Sister: Rainbow Dash
Miss B.: Pinkie Pie
Me: Twilight Sparkle

Another Character:
Sister: Tempest
Miss B.: Queen Novo (Merpony/Hippogriff Queen)
Me: Grubber

Great Quotes:
Sister:

Capper: Y'all sure you want the hippos?
Pinkie Pie: Ye-siree! The queen of the hippos!
Capper: Not like the queen of the lions, or tigers or bears?
Fluttershy: Oh my.

Or

Fluttershy: [to one of the Storm Creatures] You seem tense. Do you wanna talk about it?

Or

Party Favor: [after the airship pops a balloon animal] Brian, no!

 Me:

Twilight Sparkle: Celestia told Luna to find the Queen of the... "Hippos". Luna can't, so I have to.
Rainbow Dash: Uh, hippos? Seriously?
Pinkie Pie: I've heard they're surprisingly graceful for their size. Huh, but they're always hungry.
Spike: Hungry?
Applejack: Hippos? 

 Or

Tempest Shadow: Easy as pie.
Grubber: Oh, I love pie.

Or

Twilight Sparkle: [sees all her old and new friends working together to save the day] It's... It's the Magic of...
The Storm King: Yeah, yeah! Friendship and flowers and ponies! Bleh! I'm so totally over the cute pony thing.

Rating:
Sister: 3.5 sonic rainbooms out of 5
Miss B.: 1 mermaid pearls out of 5
Me: 2.8 Storm King airships out of 5

Final Thoughts:
It had good moments, there is humour, and talking ponies, but the charm and overall feeling of the Friendship is Magic show is missing. I don't know who the story was written for since Miss B found it too scary. I'm not even sure bronies would enjoy this.  Probably an older child...but ponies are normally marketed to younger girls.