My Little Pony: The Movie
FRIENDSHIP indeed is magic, as evident in My Little Pony: The Movie, which is based on the uber-popular My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic TV series that began in 2010.
The TV series (and now the movie) has been known to attract not only children but also adult men who call themselves ‘Bronies’, with its positive, upbeat message.
The story starts in Equestria, where the Mane Six make their international movie debut.
Princess Twilight Sparkle (Strong) is in charge of her first Friendship Festival, with the help of her cute dragon sidekick, Spike, and pony friends, Applejack,
Rainbow Dash (both voiced by Ball), Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy (both voiced by Libman), and Rarity (Tabitha St Germain).
Alas, a foreboding black cloud brings calamity to happy Equestria, and it’s up to the Mane Six to save their home from Tempest Shadow (Emily Blunt) – a pony working for the Storm King (Liev Schreiber) – and her greedy gofer, Grubber (Michael Peña).
In their quest to save Equestria, they meet several colourful characters, including the solution to their troubles, Queen Novo (Uzo Aduba), and Princess Skystar (Kristin Chenoweth).
From the perspective of someone who only played with the mid-2000s Little Pony toys, the plot is slightly predictable. However, what saves this movie is the truly inspiring and optimistic values it portrays.
Even though the film has a young target audience, adults should definitely give these little rainbow ponies a chance.
The magic of friendship is often forgotten, and sometimes we need to be reminded that friends can be a powerful support system.
My Little Pony also tackled what can be perceived as career burnout, when the characters encounter the jaded Captain Caelano (Zoe Saldana) and her crew, a situation which is made easily digestible for younger minds, but aimed at those of us who might have lost our spark.
My Little Pony: The Movie is a fun film that delivers on classic feel-good vibes and deserves a watch for its sense of nostalgia, despite its predictable storyline.