G5 movie

Both Baron Engel and I give it a B–. It is watchable, even re-watchable, but it lacks the “lightning in a bottle” quality of its G4 predecessors. I enjoyed it, but I doubt I will write anything set during its period.

Weaknesses

• The pacing is a breakneck steeplechase without pause for reflection or reinforcement. Once the bell is rung for each story beat, it races off to the next, giving the viewer little chance to catch a breath.
• The setting does not have the snap, the solidity, the allure Ms. Faust brought to her world-building. It’s not quite as disjointed as pre-G4 worlds, but the more one thinks about it, the less sense it makes.
• The writing is by the numbers, tugging the appropriate heartstrings, but shows only a glimmer of the sweep or grandeur FIM was able to conjure even for middling episodes or EG did at its best.
• The conclusion is not completely satisfying. There are no consequences for misdeeds or misbehavior. Yes, the directive is go lightly on the concepts of crime and punishment, but still.

Strengths

• The design, art, and animation are competent and appealing. CG 3D is all the rage these days, so its use probably was inevitable, but at least it’s handled reasonably well for this iteration of the franchise.
• The characters are well-realized, within the limits imposed by the breathless pacing, and do not echo G4 too closely. What similarities exist are leavened by enough differences to make them distinct.
• The arc remains clear and direct, without the plethora of digressions or world-breaking extraneous elements that made the 2017 movie so dreadful and such a mismatch for its generational milieu.
• The story does a decent job of presenting more questions than answers without dangling them too obtrusively. If the goal is to set up for a series, as rumor has it, these will make good episode hooks.

Comments

[PresentPerfect]

I think I agree with every word of this! :O