Y'know what? I kinda like G5 better than G4. (And Sunny Starscout is my favorite.) · 2:30am Sep 27th, 2021
Don't get me wrong, I still love G4, though. G4 is what got me into the fandom in the first place.
My gut reaction watching the G5 movie was positive. Lots of funny gags. First and foremost, I love the more realistic art style. The way the light scatters on the ponies' mane and fur, mwah, so nice. The ear fluff detail is especially adorable. (Although at certain points I get weird visions of Filly Funtastia and that freaks me out.)
G5 songs. They're all pretty good, for a kids' show! Izzy's rap solo was surprisingly not that cringe. They sound like modern pop songs for all ages, especially Glowin' Up. Voice acting and singing was excellent. Everyone's on their top form. Izzy's voice has wonderful expressive range, from sneaky/sultry to chipper/peppy.
Minimal spoilers below the break.
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G5 "cinematic style"
The cinematic style, at least in the G5 movie, feels much more refined. I really enjoyed that silent scene of Sunny sitting with her back turned on the street bench, and just slowly, slowly hearing the screams of the terrified earth ponies go into a crescendo. The motif of Sunny's family photo being tilted was especially poignant (if a bit predictable).
The plot was lacking, in general. Average by modern film standards, though.
The plot was okay, for a kids' show. Overall, I felt it was rushed, and lacks depth. The overall moral of the story was way too blatant, but I had that issue with a lot of the G4 content as well. There's been an increasing loss of subtlety and nuance in film and TV, and the new MLP movie is merely a reflection of that. I wish we could have seen both sides to the argument: why it might be better for earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi to stay separate. Unity can still triumph in the end, but I'd like to see a compelling case for why the three pony races don't like each other, other than "they don't like each other." It would make the final resolution all the more satisfying.
These plot issues don't make me hate the movie, though. I'm a simple boi and seeing cute ponies make me happy. 
I treat the numerous plot holes (and I do mean numerous) as a challenge, for me as a fan fiction writer to fill them with my own creativity.
The disconcerting post-credits miniscene
There was this one short miniscene after the credits that left me questioning. This is after magic returns, and the ponies are unified once again. There's three foals, one of each pony race. They're playing outside, and they challenge each other to race across the field. They start running, and the earth pony foal says to the unicorn foal, "Don't use your magic this time!" (something like that) Somehow implying that earth ponies are at a disadvantage to unicorns. This also feels backward because before unification, unicorns were often accused of being "cheaters."
Aren't ponies unified now? Aren't unicorns known to be good now? It just felt like the plot took two steps back in that miniscene. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it? Let me know what you think.
I wish we knew more about Argyle.
No, not that Argyle. But I would like to know more about this Argyle too UwU
I'd like to know more about Argyle's story (i.e. Sunny's father). How did he procure such a peculiar lighthouse with such peculiar artifacts? Was he some sort of "angel" sent by Twilight Sparkle to help the G5 world rediscover magic again?
Why I like Sunny Starscout
I know Izzy's the most popular among bronies, but I love Sunny Starscout the most. I resonate with her "dreamer" personality. She's someone who still retains her childlike wonder in adulthood, and who everyone calls crazy or "eccentric" simply for having big dreams. Her similar appearance to Scootaloo feels appropriate, in this regard. Throughout her life, Sunny sees her wonder and curiosity dampened by the outside world. It reminds me of a lot of my own life experiences. (Now if only I can be as successful in achieving my dreams as Sunny...then again, I'm not in a kids' show 
)
Sunny's last name, "Starscout"? I think it might be a subtle nod to Scout Finch, the intelligent, adventurous child protagonist in the classic To Kill a Mockingbird, who lived in segregated 1930s rural Alabama.
also izzyscout is otp k thanks bye~
Queen Haven X Alphabittle could be a cute "mature" ship.
Oh, and Hitch x Pipp anyone?
The big question
And without spoiling the movie too much...do I think that Sunny deserved her "ascension" at the end of the movie?
Put it this way, Sunny deserved it as much as Twilight did in G4. 
Sawtooth Waves' video on (G4) alicorns feels especially relevant to the discussion.
Pretty much agreed with a lot of your points.
So that's a "no," then? At least Sunny isn't in a position to cause the fall of civilization.
I think it's a little early to compare a single movie with a 9-season television show (and movie). Though if you still feel that way after the G5 show gets going, I feel like that will be totally valid. :)
As is liking Sunny! She's definitely my #2 after Izzy, and that's a firm "I also like this horse" kind of #2. :D
I didn't really read that into the post-credits scene. I mean, the takeaway is ultimately "earth ponies have magic, too, they just might not know it yet". But like, they're kids. Figure that filly's friends are just excited to have magic/flight and are too caught up in the excitement to consider, y'know, being considerate of others. Besides, that latent earth pony magic means she'll suddenly have an edge, too! What's it going to be? Will she easily beat them in a hoofrace? Call swarms of fluffy animals down to cuddle her opponents into submission? Make the earth tremble beneath their hooves?
I'll bet it's one or half of those. :B
Wow, that's high praise.
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Thanks for letting me watch the movie.
We'll see how I feel a few days after watching.
I suppose your opinion isn't as "luminescent"?
Ok but EqG still has Sunset and Wallflower so 👏
(though apparently the memory stone is canon to gen 5 too? G5 SunFlower when??)
I'm hoping that ethereal magic was temporary. Alicornhood has some meaning (let's ignore Flurry for a moment) to the world if it's set in the same world, and I honestly didn't really like that 180 from "we don't need magic" to "I'm the magic-est thing in the world now"
Also, about Sunny's father. Are we going to mention that he had, apparently Grogar's bell and at least knew enough of the Memory Stone to have a paper replica? Are they finally making EG canon?
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A power-up, on/off alicorn honestly is a good way to combine the best of both worlds--super saiyan power without the complications of immortality and whatnot. (Although the temporary alicorn theory kinda ruins the G5 story I had been working on with the aid of some spoilers.)
Understandable.
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I never noticed the memory stone. That was an interesting easter egg to include.
I would definetily want to know more about both Argyle as for why he's so cute
for the first and the second for why he was knowing so much thing about G4 content and had the final crown pieces. The song of Angry Mob was really good and shown some reality from here with the Fear issues and propaganda.
I can't believe I didn't even note that, when TKAM is my favorite book of all time... I'm a terrible fan!