How I'd fix the movie · 4:43am Oct 17th, 2017
The MLP movie left a lot to be desired. So, since everyone's had a chance to see it (right?), I thought I'd discuss my thoughts.
The Mane 6
Twilight Sparkle: Season 1-2 neuroticism
Pinkie Pie: Season 1 zaniness
Rainbow Dash: Chaotic Stupid
Rarity: Actually decent
Fluttershy: Unused
Applejack: Unused
To start, the main cast struck me as being stuck in the series' past. And there was also talk about four alicorns, when there are five now. Can we please be consistent?
I'm really sick of Worfing the princesses when the plot wants it. While the extent of the alicorns' power are not well defined, the nigh immortal beings that command the sun and moon shouldn't be defeated by every single villain. The movie staff no doubt recognizes the story constraints created by creatures with the power of Celestia and Luna, but decent writers could work around them in a more reasonable manner than "Here's an alicorn petrifying weapon". They're powerful, but not omniscient, omnipotent, or omnipresent.
Note that if there were such a thing as alicorn Kryptonite, I wouldn't mind the princesses being defeated so often.
These same princesses, ruling for centuries, apparently can't stop an invading force from reaching their capital. It's gross incompetence. Again, decent writers could arrange something reasonable; this is a world with magic, after all.
Tempest Shadow's motivation is really weak. Now, I could see a negative reaction from unicorns to a unicorn with a broken horn. But one would assume a world of unicorns would have a library of medical knowledge about how to deal with damaged horns.
And all these new races, ones which we've never seen before? What I take from that is Equestria isn't all sunshine and rainbows. It's all friendship and magic, as long as you're a pony. Other races don't feel welcome in Equestria at all. Sure, there could be other interpretations, but that's my impression given that not even egghead Twilight Sparkle knows about the catfolk and birdfolk.
So let's go to rewriting the movie itself.
First, in Season Four, show the catfolk and birdfolk somewhere in the crowd during the Equestria Games. Make them part of the world before the movie.
Tempest Shadow is a unicorn with a passion for studying magic, but her broken horn means unicorns think she can't do that. Traveling beyond Equestria, she found the Storm King, who praised her talents and put her to work. He doesn't portray himself as evil to her, but slowly corrupts her and twists her concepts of friendship and harmony.
The movie then starts with the Storm King being a known, active threat. The princesses are separated: Celestia and Luna leading the army against the invading force, Cadance protecting the Crystal Empire, and Twilight maintaining morale back home. One could still do the friendship festival, but as a way to keep ponies happy. That makes her worries all the more realistic, because the stakes are very serious.
Discord makes an appearance, making some comment that the Storm King did something beyond his pay grade, and he's forced to go off and fix it, lest the world dissolve into chaos, and not the good kind.
Twilight Sparkle is in magical communication with Celestia and Luna, and can see when the Storm King faces them, holding Alicorn Kryptonite. As they're defeated, they pass on the message to seek the queen of the hippogriffs, who specifically hold the antidote to Alicorn Kryptonite, and not just some MacGuffin.
Celestia: We have defeated enemies far greater than you, Storm King.
Storm King: Ah, but they didn't come properly prepared. [Pulls out Kryptonite.]
Celestia: [Gasps] That's impossible! I banished all Kryptonite to the sun centuries ago!
Storm King: Oh, but there's another Equestria, one on the other side of a mirror. A connection you never could sever, could you, Princess? I must say it's a fine world... to plunder!
At this point, a single ship, Tempest Shadow's ship, teleports in, using some great magic. The Storm King's real goal is an artifact within Canterlot, and the skeletal force left protecting Canterlot is defeated by Tempest Shadow. Realizing she's outmatched, Twilight Sparkle leads her friends to the south.
Egghead Twilight Sparkle excitedly tells the others about the places and races past the badlands. But reality sets in as walking across the badlands takes forever.
Rainbow Dash: I thought you said the badlands were a small area! We've been walking, like, hours!
Twilight Sparkle: But it's only an inch apart on the map!
In Klugetown, events can happen as before, but Fluttershy should gather intel from the local birds, and Applejack should confront Capper about his plan to sell them out (seeing through his dishonesty).
Rainbow Dash shouldn't be an idiot and do a Sonic Rainboom.
The whole falling out was contrived. They could still get separated, allowing for Twilight Sparkle's capture, without a fight that doesn't make any sense given what's happened through the entire series. Instead, make it a difference of opinion on what they should do. Twilight Sparkle is prideful, and as the only pony who has read about these races from beyond Equestria, she is sure her plan is right. She can see the error of her ways later.
Keep in mind the movie was written during season 4, when Twilight was still an awkward new princess and Flurry hadn't been born yet. (Though it's officially set between seasons 7 and 8, that's BS.)
Edit: While the movie was inconsistently written, and the villain was ultimately a joke, the art and animation was fantastic.
4700170
I won't complain about the art and animation, and I also liked the music.
4700170 Well, it takes bloody well forever to do any animation, double when you're switching from Flash to Toon Boom and having to redo all the puppets, then developing all the backgrounds and new characters.
4700192 I am *still* singing that darned "We got this" song.
I think they could have done a trojan horse/false flag of truce thing for the invasion to be more dramatic, with the Storm King present. They could have pulled it off as:
Storm King: Behold, Celestia. I've brought a present for your little festival. (lowers down large object covered in a tarp.)
Celestia: (narrowed eyes) I've never known you to give away anything before. Just take.
Storm King: You'll find I've become quite generous recently.
Rarity: He does seem like such a charming fellow.
Storm King: Behold (whisks off tarp to show Discord frozen in stone) It's just a sample, of course. I had to see if they would work.
Flutters (Gasp!)
Tempest: (Kicks glowing ball at Cadence and the whole thing breaks into a fight)
You're a fucking genius. :O