MLP movie review · 12:20am Oct 7th, 2017
When it was first announced that MLP would be coming to the big screen (that wasn't EG), I didn't really think much of it but was excited to see what they came up with. As time went on, however, I began to realize this movie is a lot more significant than most people were making it out to be. If it does well, we could see 2D animation return in full force to cinema. People who watch this movie could be inspired to become better, and considering all the shit that's been happening recently, I think this movie has a golden opportunity to change some people's lives in a significantly positive way.
But even with all that in mind, I'm going to give this movie a fair (spoiler-free) review. This will be significantly more in-depth and fleshed out than my reviews of the EG movies, so buckle in, my fine followers, because uncle Raz is here to give you the 411 on whether I believe this movie is worth one's hard-earned money.
Animation
I don't believe anyone with fully functioning eyes (not to slight blind people, I promise you) can watch this movie and truthfully say it doesn't look f*cking phenomenal. It feels like theatrical 2D animation never died, that's how evolved it looks from what we used to see in the 80s and 90s. Smooth and vibrant, the visuals are ten steps up from the show, with the characters' actions fluid and the lighting effects dazzling. The 2.5 look really makes the models stand out more ala Paper Mario, and I'd be totally fine if this was the new standard for theatrical 2D animation moving forward.
That said, I thought I noticed some weird audio lip-syncing mishaps from time to time. I say 'I thought' because we don't have proper editing tools in the theater, so I can't conclusively say this is true. Even if it is, it isn't more than once or twice, so don't fret.
Characters
One of the biggest hurdles the movie had to overcome was re-introducing the established cast from the show to casual moviegoers, and it certainly succeeds in that department. You very quickly get the general gist of each character as they're introduced, with extra layers built upon them as the movie continues. And this extends to the newly introduced characters. For the most part, they're all very likable and hold your interest with their developed personalities, even as most of them are based on tried and true archetypes. What sets them apart is mainly the voice acting and the dialogue, which are both excellent.
Out of all the new faces, I'm thinking the only one people might possibly take issue with is The Storm King. Or, as I've decreed him, Evil McBadDude.
McBadDude is totally in your face with 'I'm the big bad villain who's evil and stuff and evil and bow before me and did I mention that I'm evil'. And yet, next to Colonel Volgin in Metal Gear Solid 3, I've never seen such a captivating two-dimensional villain in my life. The way Liev Schreiber delivers his lines manages to draw you in with how over the top the character's apathy is, yet leave you wanting more for the wrong reasons. I don't mean to say he's 'so bad he's fun to watch', at least not in an ironic way. It's clear this guy enjoys being the bad guy, but you never really get a sense of why. He's an enigma, is what I'm trying to say, but one that ultimately doesn't bring down the entire movie.
Story
This kind of movie is best served to keep the story simple, and it does. Things are happy and normal; villains come and take over everything; heroes seek out a way to stop them; heroes succeed. Of course, there's more to it than that, and this movie does sprinkle in enough extra details to make the overall narrative stand out, but the basic foundation is as simple as it ought to be. What helps keep the narrative engaging is the variety of places the characters travel to and the different kinds of people they meet, as well as the various hurdles the characters have to overcome, of which there are a quite a few.
Those who look super deep into things, however, might think that some of those hurdles are overcome too often by coincidence rather than cleverness and resourcefulness on the part of the characters. This is a reasonable argument, but it should be noted that nothing is a deus ex machina, nor is anything illogical to assume could transpire. There's only one part of the movie that I feel is asking a little too much out of the viewer; we're just left to assume Evil McBadDude's influence extends farther than Equestria without any elaboration until much later on in the movie.
Pacing
There's a lot of stuff squeezed into this movie. We've got a large cast of key characters, in addition to several big events leading to the finale. Adding in all the necessary pauses in the action, plus a limited hour and a half running time, and this had potential to be a blur of causality that one couldn't hope to process in a first viewing. The large number of songs was probably necessary to remedy this potential issue, and still, there are a few times where I felt the movie could've used a little more running time to flesh out some important bits.
On the whole, however, everything flows very smoothly and properly. It's quick and energetic when it needs to be, and just as quiet and soft when similarly appropriate. Not much more I can say about it.
Writing
There's definitely competence behind this script. The themes of friendship, empathy, and tolerance are on full display here just like the show, but with an added layer of epic adventure on top of it. It's all juggled fairly well, with plenty of humor and drama and even scares to provide a large diversity of emotions. Not just dialogue and character interactions, but there's a fair bit of action as well to provide some bursts of adrenaline. The whole package delivers a compelling tale that's sure to be a delight for families, and maybe even more outside of the fandom. But people in the fandom are sure to get the most out of this movie, no question about it.
Recommended?
Totally. It's got some rough patches, but the film as a whole is totally worth your money. Anyone reading this who was on the fence about seeing the movie need not worry. The care and passion that went into crafting this movie by the staff and cast shine through just as much as the show. Think of it like a season premiere/finale but with more money thrown at it and an increase in celebrity voices. Definitely worth $8 (or however much it costs wherever you live) if one were to ask me. Take the kids/spouse/lover for a sugary saccharine ride of rainbows and merriment that's going to tug at your heartstrings as much as it'll make your cheeks sore from all the smiling you'll have done by the movie's end.
I saw it on the 5th, it was awesome, period! :))
Good to hear it. I'll try to find some time to watch it.
Good review. I'm a bit more conflicted on the movie. I think the Mane Six breaking up could've been paced better so we could spend more time with them apart. Imagine the feels. Most reviews from non-fans online seem to be positive too, which surprised me actually.
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I think the movie’s biggest issue is that it didn’t up the ante for the big screen in regards to story. Hopefully if they make another one, they’ll set their sights higher.