It's time for the big one, the review many of you have been waiting for since October; my thoughts and views on My Little Pony: The Movie from 2017.
A few things before I get started:
- Because the movie was being produced as early as 2013/2014, and since we weren't to know about what happened in seasons 5-7 before the film came out, I won't let certain things bother me as I'm reviewing the film.
- I will not let the critics' reviews on the film affect my own; most likely they're people who don't give a crap about the series or the themes behind it.
- Unlike my more recent MLP reviews, I'll be talking about each plot element as I go along to see what the story gets right and wrong. And since the songs are integral to the story, they'll be discussed along the story as well. Oh, and it'll be split into sections, much like on the DVD.
2016 had been a disappointing year for MLP; season six's writing quality was inconsistent throughout, and Legend of Everfree was quite possibly the worst thing to come out of the franchise. 2017 had a lot to prove to make up for that, so imagine my surprise when season seven turned out to be really good, but the Magic trilogy for Equestria Girls left a lot to be desired. Could The Movie capitalize on the success of season seven, or was it a sign the show was on borrowed time?
Plot
The Four Princesses
We're introduced to a redesigned Canterlot (I'll get to that in the animation section) where the ponies are preparing the city for a Friendship Festival whilst others come from everywhere from Saddle Arabia to Manehattan, all to Rachel Platten's version of "We Got the Beat". Yeah, about that; it may not be the most ideal way to kick off a movie, but then, it's a really nice subtle nod to the fact that the franchise all began back in the 1980s. That being said, I do wish they'd release a longer version.
Spike shows up at Canterlot Castle to find that Princess Twilight Sparkle, not for the first time but surely not the last, is freaking out. And just why is our Princess of Friendship freaking out? Because she's in charge of the Friendship Festival, and Songbird Serenade will be performing there. Given her (Songbird's) celebrity status, you can understand why Twilight is so worried about making things perfect for her.
Of course, Twilight asks for the help of the other three Princesses - Celestia, Luna, and Cadance - to set up the stage for Songbird, but Celestia reminds her that she has all the magic needed to make the Festival a success. Twilight, of course, takes it as a "no". Oh, and have I mentioned that Celestia has been a fantastic character as of late?
We Got This Together
Outside the castle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity are making preparations of their own; clearing the weather, setting up the balloons, preparing the music, handing out cider, and decorating the stage respectively. From those two minutes, if you're a casual moviegoer, you kind of get a basic idea as to what their characters are like. Rainbow Dash is brash, Rarity is a bit of a perfectionist, Applejack is honest, Pinkie is fun-loving, and Fluttershy is a bit... well, shy. At least what they display in the movie is way more than what their human counterparts do in the godawful slog known as Forgotten Friendship. Or any Equestria Girls product from Friendship Games onward.
This is perhaps the biggest issue with the movie as a whole; it feels like it was made for the fans and not a general audience. Diehard fans will know of the events from Sonic Rainboom, Magical Mystery Cure, and The Return of Harmony, but what about everybody else? Most likely they'll dismiss it as a girl's show without giving it a proper chance.
Honestly, I think it'd work a bit better if there was a five minute prologue at the start where Twilight narrates what had happened in the seven seasons. Sure, it would bog the film's pacing a bit, but at least you're giving those who aren't familiar with the show an idea as to how they got to this point so they might end up interested in seeing the first three seasons.
Anyway, after Twilight's disappointment, the rest of the Mane Six brighten her spirits with a song; it's pretty decent, but not what I'd call one of the most memorable of the entire show. That said, it does show how everypony is getting ready for the Festival, and we have a great foray of characters who turn up like Big Macintosh, Moon Dancer, Starlight Glimmer, Cheese Sandwich, DJ P0N-3, etc. And before anyone questions why the likes of Ember and Thorax aren't there, keep in mind, again, that this was produced long before season six and whilst it was airing. Most likely they had other things to worry about.
And no, I'm not that bothered about Discord not being involved in the story. Most likely it'd end very quickly, and let's consider that John de Lancie is a busy guy. Besides, he's in the end credits, so it's not like Discord wasn't featured in some capacity.
Enter Tempest Shadow
Songbird Serenade shows up just after a giant cake lands on Twilight. And... if I'm honest, she's pretty much my least favorite of the characters introduced in the film. I don't necessarily hate her - she's no Juniper Montage - but Songbird Serenade, as a character, is pretty flat. She's all style and no substance, and I genuinely believe she was featured so Sia could have a song for the film (I'll get to that later). She does not appear to be bothered about little things like buttercream is splattered onto her, and... that's it. She's a character that just exists. It's especially disappointing when you consider that most other guest stars of the show have some backstory and character to them; Songbird has neither.
Suddenly, some dark clouds begin to loom over Canterlot, and a giant airship lands. Out comesSonic the Hedgehog's overweight cousin, Grubber, who introduces us (and the ponies) to the Storm King's lieutenant Tempest Shadow; she's a unicorn whose horn is broken. (Hey! No laughing there!) That's a really dramatic moment there, especially for a kid's movie. You don't know what's going to happen, and you get the idea that Tempest Shadow is bad news to everypony.
It's shown more so when she demands the four Princesss surrender, and when they refuse, an army of Storm Creatures attack Canterlot, and Celestia, Luna and Cadance get petrified. And can I just say how sweet that is that Celestia tells Luna to seek help from the Queen of...? We'll come to that later, but it's nice to see that Celestia trusts her younger sister, especially if you consider the events of A Royal Problem. And before she gets petrified herself, Twilight escapes with Spike and the rest of the Mane Six but take a dive into a waterfall to their doom...
Tempest and The Storm King
...except that it isn't. Realizing they can't return to Canterlot, Twilight decides to head south to find what she thinks is the Queen of the Hippos. The others are scared at first, especially because they don't know what's beyond Equestria, but they choose to stick by their friend, no matter what. It's a bit of a breather scene, especially since they barely escaped with their lives, and it's also really heartwarming that they're willing to go with Twilight despite the dangers of what's beyond Equestria.
Back in Canterlot, the three Princesses have been taken to the throne room, and everypony else outside has been captured and put in chains. It's really sad to see them like this, especially as they were just about to prepare for their Festival, something which Tempest sees as a waste of time and magic.
She communicates to her boss, the Storm King, via potion spell, and we learn that she's working for him so he can restore her horn. Because Tempest has only captured three Princesses, the Storm King gives Tempest three days so he can prepare for his arrival. It's a tense moment there, but it's also very subtle as you don't know what the Storm King would do when he doesn't get his way. That being said, his actual arrival is... a bit anti-climactic, we'll come to that later.
I also like how the dynamic between Tempest and Grubber plays out in the film; although the latter's backstory is unknown, you get the feeling that she won't tolerate his crap when he thinks about food instead of taking over the world. The way she shocks him (and the spongecake he's holding but still eats anyway) is also quite funny to see.
I'm the Friend You Need
The Mane Six and Spike are now in the middle of the desert, with Pinkie on the verge of delirium. It's nothing we haven't seen in other films about getting lost, though it does serve to lead them the main characters to Klugetown.
Understandably, the look of Klugetown is creepy and dangerous, and it's also a good way to show kids that you should never approach anyone suspicious, something Twilight points out to Pinkie Pie.
They get noticed by an anthropomorphic cat by the name of Capper, who cons the creatures living in Klugetown by claiming they're infected with pastelus coloritis. He then offers to lead them to the Hippos, but Twilight is wary about trusting him.
Capper charms his new friends with an Aladdin-influenced song that he can help them through the city. It's brilliant, charismatic, and it shows off Taye Diggs' vocal performance really well, and I'd never even heard of the guy before! (Fun fact: He was in Hedwig and the Angry Inch along with Lena Hall, and married to Queen Elsa's voice actress for some time.) And as the song comes to a close, he sends a creature to tell someone named Verko to come here to settle his debt.
Escape from Klugetown
Tempest Shadow and Grubber show up in Klugetown to find Twilight and friends. Tempest is assumed to be an accomplice to Capper by a large fish creature, but she beats him down and asks for information. Once again, you can tell she's not a pony to be messed with.
Twilight and friends are at Capper's house. As thanks for earlier, Rarity fixes up Capper's coat, which has a lasting effect on him we'll come to in a bit. Twilight discovers that they need to find the Queen of the Hippogriffs - Celestia was unable to finish her sentence earlier.
And that's when Capper's initial intentions unravel to the Mane Six; he was going to sell them to Verko, a naked mole rat crime boss, to settle a debt! The ponies and Spike are angered by this, and Capper is horrified at what he'd just done. The problem here is that Verko and his relationship with Capper are never brought up again, almost as if it were an afterthought. I doubt it'll be an episode of the actual series, but you have to tie up all loose ends, something that Equestria Girls fails to notice these days.
By convenience, Tempest and Grubber turn up, and whilst Verko is distracted, Spike and the Mane Six make their escape to the docks and onto an airship. That scene is pretty over the top, but then again, this is My Little Pony; what else do we expect? It also shows more than ever how determined the Mane Six are to find help. The ship they land on is filled with... more on that later.
Time to Be Awesome
I really feel for Capper here; you can tell that he feels terrible for betraying the Mane Six by almost selling them for money, so he makes up for this by deliberately misguiding Tempest that they're headed to Black Skull Island instead. With a name like that, I don't think I'd want to go there! Or Klugetown, for that matter, which, again, is never mentioned after this, making the scenes there feel kinda pointless... except Capper would've come from nowhere.
It turns out that the Mane Six are stuck on an airship run by anthropomorphic parrots, led by Captain Celaeno. On first glance, she looks quite intimidating, but we learn that she and her crew used to be sky pirates before being taken over by the Storm King, becoming delivery parrots. It's also not personal, but they don't want to help the Mane Six unless they suffer the Storm King's wrath.
This causes Rainbow Dash to encourage them to go against the Storm King's orders through song - and another great one at that! - which they do... pretty easily. But then, it must've been the final straw in getting them to rebel, and you get the impression that they've been doing this for years, against their will. Oh, and that crazy parrot with the lazy eye - who lets a guy like that on board a ship?! (That's not criticism; that's actually quite funny.)
Another Awesome Escape
To celebrate Celaeno and crew's return to glory, Rainbow Dash performs a Sonic Rainboom catching the attention of Tempest Shadow, glaring at Capper for deceiving her, and attacks Celaeno's ship. Twilight and friends hastily duck below deck, and you can see Twilight is not happy with Rainbow Dash for blowing their cover; it's also a great build up to Twilight's pot boiling over.
Thinking up a way to get out of this jam, Twilight brings together a crate, a Storm King flag, and a bit of rope to MacGyver a hot air balloon to fly to Mount Aris. It's a great way to show how you can improvise your way out of a bad situation, as well as a good showcase of Twilight's ingenuity, especially with using Spike as a blower.
We're introduced to a redesigned Canterlot (I'll get to that in the animation section) where the ponies are preparing the city for a Friendship Festival whilst others come from everywhere from Saddle Arabia to Manehattan, all to Rachel Platten's version of "We Got the Beat". Yeah, about that; it may not be the most ideal way to kick off a movie, but then, it's a really nice subtle nod to the fact that the franchise all began back in the 1980s. That being said, I do wish they'd release a longer version.
Spike shows up at Canterlot Castle to find that Princess Twilight Sparkle, not for the first time but surely not the last, is freaking out. And just why is our Princess of Friendship freaking out? Because she's in charge of the Friendship Festival, and Songbird Serenade will be performing there. Given her (Songbird's) celebrity status, you can understand why Twilight is so worried about making things perfect for her.
Of course, Twilight asks for the help of the other three Princesses - Celestia, Luna, and Cadance - to set up the stage for Songbird, but Celestia reminds her that she has all the magic needed to make the Festival a success. Twilight, of course, takes it as a "no". Oh, and have I mentioned that Celestia has been a fantastic character as of late?
We Got This Together
Outside the castle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity are making preparations of their own; clearing the weather, setting up the balloons, preparing the music, handing out cider, and decorating the stage respectively. From those two minutes, if you're a casual moviegoer, you kind of get a basic idea as to what their characters are like. Rainbow Dash is brash, Rarity is a bit of a perfectionist, Applejack is honest, Pinkie is fun-loving, and Fluttershy is a bit... well, shy. At least what they display in the movie is way more than what their human counterparts do in the godawful slog known as Forgotten Friendship. Or any Equestria Girls product from Friendship Games onward.
This is perhaps the biggest issue with the movie as a whole; it feels like it was made for the fans and not a general audience. Diehard fans will know of the events from Sonic Rainboom, Magical Mystery Cure, and The Return of Harmony, but what about everybody else? Most likely they'll dismiss it as a girl's show without giving it a proper chance.
Honestly, I think it'd work a bit better if there was a five minute prologue at the start where Twilight narrates what had happened in the seven seasons. Sure, it would bog the film's pacing a bit, but at least you're giving those who aren't familiar with the show an idea as to how they got to this point so they might end up interested in seeing the first three seasons.
Anyway, after Twilight's disappointment, the rest of the Mane Six brighten her spirits with a song; it's pretty decent, but not what I'd call one of the most memorable of the entire show. That said, it does show how everypony is getting ready for the Festival, and we have a great foray of characters who turn up like Big Macintosh, Moon Dancer, Starlight Glimmer, Cheese Sandwich, DJ P0N-3, etc. And before anyone questions why the likes of Ember and Thorax aren't there, keep in mind, again, that this was produced long before season six and whilst it was airing. Most likely they had other things to worry about.
And no, I'm not that bothered about Discord not being involved in the story. Most likely it'd end very quickly, and let's consider that John de Lancie is a busy guy. Besides, he's in the end credits, so it's not like Discord wasn't featured in some capacity.
Enter Tempest Shadow
Songbird Serenade shows up just after a giant cake lands on Twilight. And... if I'm honest, she's pretty much my least favorite of the characters introduced in the film. I don't necessarily hate her - she's no Juniper Montage - but Songbird Serenade, as a character, is pretty flat. She's all style and no substance, and I genuinely believe she was featured so Sia could have a song for the film (I'll get to that later). She does not appear to be bothered about little things like buttercream is splattered onto her, and... that's it. She's a character that just exists. It's especially disappointing when you consider that most other guest stars of the show have some backstory and character to them; Songbird has neither.
Suddenly, some dark clouds begin to loom over Canterlot, and a giant airship lands. Out comes
It's shown more so when she demands the four Princesss surrender, and when they refuse, an army of Storm Creatures attack Canterlot, and Celestia, Luna and Cadance get petrified. And can I just say how sweet that is that Celestia tells Luna to seek help from the Queen of...? We'll come to that later, but it's nice to see that Celestia trusts her younger sister, especially if you consider the events of A Royal Problem. And before she gets petrified herself, Twilight escapes with Spike and the rest of the Mane Six but take a dive into a waterfall to their doom...
Tempest and The Storm King
...except that it isn't. Realizing they can't return to Canterlot, Twilight decides to head south to find what she thinks is the Queen of the Hippos. The others are scared at first, especially because they don't know what's beyond Equestria, but they choose to stick by their friend, no matter what. It's a bit of a breather scene, especially since they barely escaped with their lives, and it's also really heartwarming that they're willing to go with Twilight despite the dangers of what's beyond Equestria.
Back in Canterlot, the three Princesses have been taken to the throne room, and everypony else outside has been captured and put in chains. It's really sad to see them like this, especially as they were just about to prepare for their Festival, something which Tempest sees as a waste of time and magic.
She communicates to her boss, the Storm King, via potion spell, and we learn that she's working for him so he can restore her horn. Because Tempest has only captured three Princesses, the Storm King gives Tempest three days so he can prepare for his arrival. It's a tense moment there, but it's also very subtle as you don't know what the Storm King would do when he doesn't get his way. That being said, his actual arrival is... a bit anti-climactic, we'll come to that later.
I also like how the dynamic between Tempest and Grubber plays out in the film; although the latter's backstory is unknown, you get the feeling that she won't tolerate his crap when he thinks about food instead of taking over the world. The way she shocks him (and the spongecake he's holding but still eats anyway) is also quite funny to see.
I'm the Friend You Need
The Mane Six and Spike are now in the middle of the desert, with Pinkie on the verge of delirium. It's nothing we haven't seen in other films about getting lost, though it does serve to lead them the main characters to Klugetown.
Understandably, the look of Klugetown is creepy and dangerous, and it's also a good way to show kids that you should never approach anyone suspicious, something Twilight points out to Pinkie Pie.
They get noticed by an anthropomorphic cat by the name of Capper, who cons the creatures living in Klugetown by claiming they're infected with pastelus coloritis. He then offers to lead them to the Hippos, but Twilight is wary about trusting him.
Capper charms his new friends with an Aladdin-influenced song that he can help them through the city. It's brilliant, charismatic, and it shows off Taye Diggs' vocal performance really well, and I'd never even heard of the guy before! (Fun fact: He was in Hedwig and the Angry Inch along with Lena Hall, and married to Queen Elsa's voice actress for some time.) And as the song comes to a close, he sends a creature to tell someone named Verko to come here to settle his debt.
Escape from Klugetown
Tempest Shadow and Grubber show up in Klugetown to find Twilight and friends. Tempest is assumed to be an accomplice to Capper by a large fish creature, but she beats him down and asks for information. Once again, you can tell she's not a pony to be messed with.
Twilight and friends are at Capper's house. As thanks for earlier, Rarity fixes up Capper's coat, which has a lasting effect on him we'll come to in a bit. Twilight discovers that they need to find the Queen of the Hippogriffs - Celestia was unable to finish her sentence earlier.
And that's when Capper's initial intentions unravel to the Mane Six; he was going to sell them to Verko, a naked mole rat crime boss, to settle a debt! The ponies and Spike are angered by this, and Capper is horrified at what he'd just done. The problem here is that Verko and his relationship with Capper are never brought up again, almost as if it were an afterthought. I doubt it'll be an episode of the actual series, but you have to tie up all loose ends, something that Equestria Girls fails to notice these days.
By convenience, Tempest and Grubber turn up, and whilst Verko is distracted, Spike and the Mane Six make their escape to the docks and onto an airship. That scene is pretty over the top, but then again, this is My Little Pony; what else do we expect? It also shows more than ever how determined the Mane Six are to find help. The ship they land on is filled with... more on that later.
Time to Be Awesome
I really feel for Capper here; you can tell that he feels terrible for betraying the Mane Six by almost selling them for money, so he makes up for this by deliberately misguiding Tempest that they're headed to Black Skull Island instead. With a name like that, I don't think I'd want to go there! Or Klugetown, for that matter, which, again, is never mentioned after this, making the scenes there feel kinda pointless... except Capper would've come from nowhere.
It turns out that the Mane Six are stuck on an airship run by anthropomorphic parrots, led by Captain Celaeno. On first glance, she looks quite intimidating, but we learn that she and her crew used to be sky pirates before being taken over by the Storm King, becoming delivery parrots. It's also not personal, but they don't want to help the Mane Six unless they suffer the Storm King's wrath.
This causes Rainbow Dash to encourage them to go against the Storm King's orders through song - and another great one at that! - which they do... pretty easily. But then, it must've been the final straw in getting them to rebel, and you get the impression that they've been doing this for years, against their will. Oh, and that crazy parrot with the lazy eye - who lets a guy like that on board a ship?! (That's not criticism; that's actually quite funny.)
Another Awesome Escape
To celebrate Celaeno and crew's return to glory, Rainbow Dash performs a Sonic Rainboom catching the attention of Tempest Shadow, glaring at Capper for deceiving her, and attacks Celaeno's ship. Twilight and friends hastily duck below deck, and you can see Twilight is not happy with Rainbow Dash for blowing their cover; it's also a great build up to Twilight's pot boiling over.
Thinking up a way to get out of this jam, Twilight brings together a crate, a Storm King flag, and a bit of rope to MacGyver a hot air balloon to fly to Mount Aris. It's a great way to show how you can improvise your way out of a bad situation, as well as a good showcase of Twilight's ingenuity, especially with using Spike as a blower.
Where's the Hippogriffs?
Back on Celaneo's airship, Grubber shows Tempest a map that the Mane Six left behind, and out of anger for betrayal, Tempest destroys the ship with Celaneo, her crew, and Capper on board. The way the scene ends implies that they've all been killed, but, as we'll see later, that's not the case. Still quite dramatic though, don't get me wrong.
Back to the Mane Six and Spike, and I can definitely understand how frustrating it was for poor Rarity to climb up the mountain. Only, in my case, I once had to travel to my local library after school whilst snow was blowing, and it left me physically drained for about three hours (true story!)
They finally make it to the Hippogriff Kingdom... except there's nopony there. Just as they feel the journey had been for absolutely nothing, they hear a voice coming from an underground pond and end up sucked down a whirlpool. Thankfully, they don't drown, so they're able to breathe with magic air bubbles, courtesy of...
One Small Thing
I'll say this right now; I have not loved a character this instantly since Quibble Pants in Stranger Than Fan Fiction. I'll talk more about her in the New Characters section, but Princess Skystar is adorable, through and through.
You also get what her relationship with her mother Queen Novo is like; Skystar has this habit of going against her mother's wishes, even if Novo wants to keep her people safe from the Storm King. We also learn why they're seaponies (by the way, good mythology gag about Generation 1) - they were transformed from Hippogriffs and hid Novo's pearl to protect it from the Storm King; how's he expected to get their magic if he can't last more than two minutes underwater?
I really felt sad for Skystar when the Mane Six and a pufferfish Spike couldn't stay; they have friends and family on the surface, and you also understand that Skystar wants a friend to play with. I just wanted to reach out and give the poor girl a hug!
Whilst Skystar mopes, Pinkie turns up to sing "One Small Thing" - a really cute, innocent song - offering to have fun before they leave, eventually resulting in even Novo to get swept up in the celebration as well! It looks like they're about to become allies...
...except Twilight suggested this as a distraction to steal the pearl. Novo is furious and banishes all seven to the surface. The whole scene is handled brilliantly with the right emotions. No complaints there.
Friendship Fallout
The rest of the Mane Six are angry at Twilight for attempted theft, but Twilight is angry at them for their methods not being good enough. This is perhaps the most contentious scene of the film, but let's take it apart, shall we?
Remember the confrontation scene in the first part of A Canterlot Wedding when Twilight's friends abandoned her? Twilight was suspicious about Cadance not acting like the Cadance she knew in her foalhood, but nopony really listened to her because they were more concerned with how the wedding would go. Yet many fans would rather believe that it was "mean-spirited and cruel towards Twilight" and take their anger out on many of its issues than actually analyze the situation!
From Twilight's view, her home has been under invasion and she was blinded by stress and trying to follow Celestia's orders, all whilst completely failing to notice her friends gaining allies as they head to Mount Aris; what didn't help her case was that she thought her friends weren't taking the mission seriously.
On top of that, making this scene even more dramatic is when Pinkie Pie, of all ponies, calls Twilight out for her stubbornness. This is quite possibly Pinkie's best moment as a character. We usually expect her to be a party-throwing goofball, not someone who calls you out for doing something incredibly stupid. That is when you know you've messed up big time.
And then comes the breaking point; Twilight says she'd be better off without them. Her friends leave her, making Twilight realized she spoke without thinking, and how much she screwed up. It's far more powerful than any scene in Legend of Everfree where Sci-Twi mopes. You don't care that Sci-Twi is suffering because it's practically shoved down your throat to the point you'd be forgiven for thinking it's her only character trait. Here, though, Twilight realizes where she went wrong and feels like she's failed altogether, and you relate to that.
Open Up Your Eyes
Suddenly, as if from nowhere, Twilight gets kidnapped by Tempest Shadow. It's there we learn Tempest's backstory; she lost part of her horn in an Ursa minor attack, which caused her magic to become unstable and dangerous, and her friends shunned her out of fear.
This is perhaps another contentious scene in the film, especially with my gripes over the "villain redemption" trope (which we'll get to later), and how overused it's become - Forgotten Friendship being the nadir of that cliche. Yet, for Tempest, her backstory... actually makes sense. An accident like that can be harmful to young children, both physically and emotionally. With Starlight's backstory (yes, I'm going there again), it feels weak that she'd just give up after one friend got a cutie mark. With Tempest's, I figure that if she tried making more friends, it wouldn't last long because of her disability. And it's a damn sight more believable than Wallflower Blush's backstory, which made the green-haired abomination look like a complete dumbass!
As for the song itself? I love it. It's probably the best bad guy song MLP has ever made. The flashback is also very effective, especially with the instrumental; they don't tell you what happened, and instead, they expect you to fill in the gaps. That was really great!
Return to Canterlot
Back with the rest of the Mane Six, they decide to speak with Twilight, but Spike tells them that Twilight has been captured. Just as all hope seems to be lost, Capper suddenly turns up alive and well, and even gives them an uplifting speech. I'm a bit disappointed he didn't apologize to them for almost selling them into slavery, but given what they had to focus on, I'm assuming he apologized off-screen.
And no, I didn't forget Calaneo and her crew; they too join the Mane Six to join the battle, but it's Princess Skystar who's the real highlight of the scene. She's willing to risk getting into trouble with her mother for sneaking off just to help her friends. Definitely not your average princess, is she?
Finally, we return to Canterlot, and you can see how much depression the Storm King has caused among the ponies; seriously, the poor Crusaders are stuck in a cage! If that doesn't show how heartless he is, then what does?
We finally see him in person at the throne room, and it's... pretty anti-climactic overall. Seriously, he turns up like seventy-three minutes into the film, and has about ten to fifteen minutes of screen time, tops. You'd expect he'd be a dangerous foe like Lord Tirek or King Sombra, right? Nope! Instead, the Storm King's pretty much a clown occasionally throwing a temper tantrum when things don't go his way. He feels like a complete joke of a villain; even Starlight Glimmer was a more threatening villain, and her backstory was badly handled.
The Siege to Canterlot Castle
Whilst the Storm King fools around with his newfound powers in his staff, Capper turns up carrying a big cake with the Mane Five pulling it (and with Spike as a candle). I dunno if the Storm Creatures are that easily fooled, and it feels a bit cliched itself, but it's still a fun little scene.
Speaking of which, things fall into predictable territory when the pirate crew and Skystar jump out of the Trojan cake, but again, it's still really fun to watch. And who would dare question Pinkie Pie using cupcakes as a weapon against a Storm Creature? Oh, and the bit where Fluttershy comforts a crying Storm Creature? Equally sweet and hilarious. But I don't think you can get cooler than Capper using Spike as a flamethrower.
Frustrated and sickened, the Storm King uses the staff to create a bigger storm over Canterlot, where Pinkie Pie has an idea of getting to the castle...
The Storm King's Last Stand
When Tempest reminds the Storm King of their deal, he refuses to fulfill his end of the bargain. He used her just for his own ends - ouch. And this is why Tempest Shadow is a far more effective antagonist than Wallflower; Tempest believed someone she shouldn't have trusted could restore her horn, but the Storm King was merely using her as a pawn to his plan, and so you feel more for her. Meanwhile, Wallflower erased awkward memories using the Memory Stone and blamed Sunset Shimmer for her own problems!
And even though Tempest caused her some grief in the last few days, I actually don't mind Twilight saving and forgiving Tempest this time, especially after the betrayal Tempest had been given from the Storm King. Just as he's about to finish them off, he's stopped by the rest of Twilight's friends with the party cannon from earlier. Her and Pinkie apologizing did feel a bit like it was glossed over, but then again, they nearly lost Twilight forever, so maybe that puts things into perspective for them.
That being said, it was probably the fifth time in the film alone that Twilight nearly got herself killed. We got the message by now; she's the main character and she can't be killed. Did that have to be shoved down our throats multiple times in the film? This is followed by Tempest sacrificing herself to save them and killing the Storm King by shattering to pieces! (Which, I should find, is pretty satisfying, especially with all the bad guy redemptions we've had as of late.) And of course, the Princesses (and Derpy) are de-petrified, the ponies freed, and Canterlot's restored to normal. All that in about a minute which feels a bit anti-climactic overall.
Rainbow/Off to See the World
Finally, the Friendship Festival begins. As Songbird Serenade sings "Rainbow", Twilight offers Tempest to live in Equestria, but she's still upset about her broken horn, but Twilight says it can still be useful, so Tempest makes some fireworks with her broken horn. And she reveals that her true name is Fizzlepop Berrytwist. Really? Who gives a (formerly) dangerous character a name like that? That being said, Pinkie's reaction to it is hilarious.
"Rainbow" is an absolutely beautiful song. I can't tell you how many times I've heard it; it gets better every time. "Off to See the World" can't exactly hold a candle to it, but since it's only heard in the end credits and soundtrack, it's not too bad.
Animation
Because My Little Pony: The Movie is a theatrical release, the Flash animation we've come to expect for the actual show wouldn't really do the film any justice at all. I think traditional animation is due for a comeback, given how many people are more drawn to flashy CGI films these days. Now, before anybody has a go at me for bashing CGI, keep in mind that without it, we wouldn't have Toy Story.
Overall, the presentation for My Little Pony is really good. I like the redesigns for Canterlot and its castle; they definitely feel bigger and more realistic, like you expect to see in a city. I wonder how that will translate onto Flash animation for season eight.
The character designs also feel more realistic as well, especially the movements. If you take a look at how they move their mouths, they feel much more fluid and natural, especially given that it's traditional animation. It's a shame it's all for the movie; I'd love to see how well it could work in the actual show.
Overall, the presentation for My Little Pony is really good. I like the redesigns for Canterlot and its castle; they definitely feel bigger and more realistic, like you expect to see in a city. I wonder how that will translate onto Flash animation for season eight.
The character designs also feel more realistic as well, especially the movements. If you take a look at how they move their mouths, they feel much more fluid and natural, especially given that it's traditional animation. It's a shame it's all for the movie; I'd love to see how well it could work in the actual show.
New Characters
Songbird Serenade
I'm gonna be talking about how I see them from least favorite to most favorite. Not that Songbird Serenade is awful, but as I've mentioned before, she's got nothing going on. What if she were substituted for Rara (if Lena Hall wanted to return) or Sapphire Shores? Yes, her song is great (as is Sia's performance), but her lack of substance makes Songbird, as a character, weaker than a bad guy who barely grasps the bar of mediocrity.
I'm gonna be talking about how I see them from least favorite to most favorite. Not that Songbird Serenade is awful, but as I've mentioned before, she's got nothing going on. What if she were substituted for Rara (if Lena Hall wanted to return) or Sapphire Shores? Yes, her song is great (as is Sia's performance), but her lack of substance makes Songbird, as a character, weaker than a bad guy who barely grasps the bar of mediocrity.
The Storm King
Sure, he's got a few funny moments here and there, but the Storm King, as I've said, is a very anti-climactic bad guy. He kind of feels like Discord and Lord Tirek put together, only for a discount price. Maybe if he was given more screentime, I'd probably like the Storm King better. As his role stands, however, Liev Schreiber's performance is fairly serviceable.
Sure, he's got a few funny moments here and there, but the Storm King, as I've said, is a very anti-climactic bad guy. He kind of feels like Discord and Lord Tirek put together, only for a discount price. Maybe if he was given more screentime, I'd probably like the Storm King better. As his role stands, however, Liev Schreiber's performance is fairly serviceable.
Grubber
Whilst it's debatable as to how much of a point Grubber serves, he is at least a good foil for Tempest Shadow, especially if things get tense. Whether you laugh at his moments or find him annoying depends on who you ask, but you can tell Michael Pena had fun voicing him. Fun fact: He also voices Vincent Tong's character in The Lego Ninjago Movie.
Queen Novo
Queen Novo
So now we're getting to the characters that, I feel, are done a fairer degree of justice. For the small amount screentime she gets, Uzo Aduba really brings out the sarcastic wit of Queen Novo. You can also tell that she is someone who do not want to steal from, unless you want to end up close to drowning. I'm hoping she and Skystar return for season eight (maybe with different voice actors), but it would be a shame if that wasn't the case.
Captain Celaeno
Captain Celaeno
Zoe Salanda portrayed a pirate in The Curse of the Black Pearl, and now she plays a parrot pirate fourteen years later! You can understand why Celaeno's stuck in the position she's in, and it's very satisfying when she defies the Storm King. She also gets better when you realize how much she cares for her crew.
Tempest Shadow/Fizzlepop Berrytwist
Tempest Shadow/Fizzlepop Berrytwist
If the Storm King wasn't announced as being the big bad, you'd be forgiven for thinking Tempest Shadow was the lead villain. Although her relationship with the Storm King is a bit vague, you do feel for her when she loses her ability to control magic. But despite this setback and not being able to get her horn restored, Tempest works around the problem by making a great fireworks display, which is perhaps one of the movie's most clever hidden messages.
Add that to Emily Blunt's performance, and you end up with one of the best MLP bad guys since Lord Tirek... but why isn't Tempest in the Top Two?
Capper
Add that to Emily Blunt's performance, and you end up with one of the best MLP bad guys since Lord Tirek... but why isn't Tempest in the Top Two?
Capper
Tempest Shadow might have a more complex backstory, but Capper ranks slightly above her for one reason alone - charisma. In fact, he's probably the best male character in the series, as well as the most sympathetic. Many male characters we have these days are either poorly utilized by the writers (Flash Sentry), horribly unlikable stereotypes (Timber Spruce), or just plain forgettable (Sunburst). Thankfully, Capper doesn't fall into any of those traps. His character development really shines when he feels guilty for almost selling off Spike and the Mane Six to Verko, even though Capper (initially) had a reason for this. But happily, he makes up for it by deliberately misguiding Tempest and then joining in for the final battle. Taye Diggs may have voiced the best new character for the film if it wasn't for...
Princess Skystar
Princess Skystar
...this precious little cinnamon roll. Just... everything about Princess Skystar I love. From her cute, lovable personality, her sympathetic plight of feeling lonely, her friendship with Pinkie, all the way down to Kristen Chenoweth's performance. She's even fierce when she wants to be! I could go on for days, so to make it short, she's the third best character of the franchise behind Fluttershy and Sunset Shimmer.
Voice Acting and Music
I've already given my thoughts on the guest stars for the film; all of them are fantastic in their own way (even Sia, despite having little screentime), but you can't overlook the voices behind the show. Tara, Andrea, Ashleigh, Tabitha, and Cathy all do the job they've done for the past seven years, but for me, Andrea Libman as Pinkie Pie is the standout, especially in the scene where she confronts Twilight. I can imagine how everyone felt when recording that scene!
Oh, and can I just say that it's really heartwarming to have Nicole Oliver perform alongside her husband Mark? It'd be nice to see him voice someone in the show; maybe a love interest for Celestia (could be Good Sombra)?
Unlike in the show, Daniel Ingram actually uses a live orchestra to record the music, and my Celestia, is it great or what? Especially in the title sequence. I think the best moment was when I heard it for the first time, and it still gives me the chills to this day. Though, sadly, I don't think my headphones do the music any justice at all; it sounds way better listening to it in theaters.
And as mentioned earlier, the songs are all really good, and even the weakest of the bunch is better than most of season seven's offerings (barring the song from The Perfect Pear, the only good song of season seven). I haven't heard those exclusive to the soundtrack, so I can't comment on them.
Oh, and can I just say that it's really heartwarming to have Nicole Oliver perform alongside her husband Mark? It'd be nice to see him voice someone in the show; maybe a love interest for Celestia (could be Good Sombra)?
Unlike in the show, Daniel Ingram actually uses a live orchestra to record the music, and my Celestia, is it great or what? Especially in the title sequence. I think the best moment was when I heard it for the first time, and it still gives me the chills to this day. Though, sadly, I don't think my headphones do the music any justice at all; it sounds way better listening to it in theaters.
And as mentioned earlier, the songs are all really good, and even the weakest of the bunch is better than most of season seven's offerings (barring the song from The Perfect Pear, the only good song of season seven). I haven't heard those exclusive to the soundtrack, so I can't comment on them.
Final Thoughts
I honestly don't get the hate the film gets. I know My Little Pony isn't for everyone, but maybe those who haven't seen the film yet should do some research on the show before declaring it one of the worst films of 2017 - there's no way it can be worse than The Emoji Movie, am I right?
For all the minor issues I have with the film, it's very solid as far as films based on TV shows go; one of the better ones for sure. Okay, so it uses a few cliches I don't like that much, a couple of characters are underutilized, and maybe a few scenes are not for all people, but I haven't much of a reason to hate it. The characters in general are all really good for the most part, the songs are fantastic, and the themes they depict are absolutely wonderful, the big one being that friends can be found in the most unlikely of places.
Overall, I can look past the issues and call it one of the best films of 2017.
For all the minor issues I have with the film, it's very solid as far as films based on TV shows go; one of the better ones for sure. Okay, so it uses a few cliches I don't like that much, a couple of characters are underutilized, and maybe a few scenes are not for all people, but I haven't much of a reason to hate it. The characters in general are all really good for the most part, the songs are fantastic, and the themes they depict are absolutely wonderful, the big one being that friends can be found in the most unlikely of places.
Overall, I can look past the issues and call it one of the best films of 2017.
Rating: 9 out of 10