MLP: TNG · 2:04pm Oct 26th, 2021
I'm a month late to this, but here's my take on MLP: TNG (or whatever we're calling it). I was underwhelmed the first time I watched it, but I gave it a second chance, and it started to grow on me. I think my mistake was watching Raya and the Last Dragon just a few days before the G5 movie. Both movies have similar themes and plots, but they handle them differently. More on that later.
I liked the new pony characters more than I expected, with the exception of Pipp Petals. So far she's just a pop star influencer, which is not a personality. But if the movie turns into a series, her character will presumably be fleshed out more. The other protagonists were surprisingly charming, if simple. Sunny Starscout was optimistic without being a Pollyanna, and she did have a personal crisis when the one thing she pinned her hopes on didn't work, which made her relatable. Hitch Trailblazer was more charismatic than I expected, and I liked the running gag of the critters following him. Izzy Moonbow was quirky and bubbly without coming across as just a copy of Pinkie Pie, and I want to know her backstory. And Zipp Storm had some funny moments for a stoic character.
I also love how Zephyr Heights is a cross between Neoclassical and Art Deco styles, and Bridlewood is a cross between the Shire and Rivendell. If you're going to steal, steal from the best.
Although the plot is mostly predictable, the writing is smarter than I gave it credit for at first. I find it interesting that the earth pony leaders use fear to control the ponies, and the pegasus leaders lie to make the ponies feel safe, but both use emotion to manipulate ponies. And although some of the messaging is too on-the-nose for my taste, it is an important message, so I can't fault the movie for it. It's not like corporations in the real world would ever push fear to sell ineffective products, right?
I stopped visiting MLP fansites and following MLP Youtube channels, so I managed to avoid spoilers. This is a good thing, because I was honestly surprised when Sunny became an alicorn. I've seen speculation that it may be a temporary state because the horn and wings are made of light. It could end up being some sort of power-up that she uses only when it's convenient for the plot. Still, I've always wanted to see an earth pony become an alicorn, and I finally got my wish! Besides, even if it is temporary for now, it doesn't mean she couldn't attain physical wings and a horn at some point in the future.
I'm also relieved that the pegasus and unicorn crystals turned out not to be the source of the ponies' magic, because that wouldn't have fit the continuity of FiM. Friendship and love as the source of their magic makes a lot more sense for this world. I'm also pleased that there turned out to be an earth pony crystal . . . Although this poses the question of why these crystals even exist and how Argyle ended up with one of them. I guess they were just McGuffins.
I do love the glowing earth pony hoofprints in the post-credits scene, though. It's possible that magic has been gone for so long that the earth ponies forgot they even had it. Ponies are notorious for their lack of record-keeping, after all.
I'm still frustrated that the movie never explains what happened to Twilight and Spike and how the three pony tribes separated again, and what became of the crystal ponies, dragons, griffons, and various other creatures. My best guess is that Twilight died of unnatural causes. Spike may have been killed as well, unless he went into a long hibernation. Just because Twilight doesn't age doesn't mean she is indestructible. Or she could have been turned to stone, or banished to the moon or to another dimension. The problem I have is that I shouldn't have to come up with an explanation – that's the movie's job.
The other issue I have with the movie is that Sprout neither learns anything nor gets a comeuppance. Sure, his giant robot is destroyed and he's no longer the sheriff, but that's it. The pegasus queen was arrested for less. But revenge is a dish best served cold, and perhaps more and more earth ponies will simply realize that there was never any reason to be afraid of the pegasi and unicorns, and Canter Logic will be unable to adapt to the change after using the same tactics for so long, and they will simply go out of business. That's what I'd like to think, at least.
This movie is more enjoyable when viewed as it's own thing, as opposed to being compared to the latter half of FiM or an animated Disney movie. But it's hard to separate it from FiM when the main character has figurines of the G4 Mane 6, and Twilight's cutie mark shows up everywhere. Still, like Season 1 of G4, I liked G5 enough to watch the next movie or streaming series that comes out.
As mentioned, Raya and the Last Dragon has a similar lesson, but with more nuance. In the movie, the people of Kumandra lived in peace and harmony with the dragons until the droon arose from human mistrust and discord. The smoky beings turned creatures to stone until the dragons created a magical crystal that yeeted the droon and brought the stone humans back to life. All the dragons tragically remained stone, and the humans fought each other over the dragon crystal, and Kumandra divided into five nations named after parts of a dragon. I have to give the movie points for exposition – it lays it all out there from the beginning.
Five hundred years later, the Heart tribe is in possession of the dragon crystal. Raya's father, the chief of Heart, wants to unite the tribes to reform Kumandra, so he invites the other chiefs to a banquet. Raya sits with the Fang chief's daughter Namara, and they seem to hit it off. Namara even gives Raya a dragon pin. But then Raya shows Namara the crystal, and Namara orders the Fang guards to take it. In Raya's view, Namara betrayed her, but in Namara's view, she was being loyal to Fang.
The crystal breaks while the people are fighting over it, and the droon reappear and turn a bunch of people to stone, including Raya's father. Each tribe takes a piece of the crystal back to their homeland. So Raya spends the next six years searching for the crystal pieces so she can reassemble them – but only to save her father. She's given up on her father's dream of reunification. But along the way she meets Sifu the last dragon and a person from each tribe.
The tribes have negative assumptions about each other – the Talon people are con artists and thieves, the Spine people are ruffians, etc. Some of the stereotypes are true, but there is more to the characters than their stereotypes – each cares about his or her family and has pain, hopes, and dreams. The movie shows that friendship is based on trust and that it's difficult to trust someone after being betrayed, but that it's worth the effort, especially if you have no other choice. If you haven't watched this movie yet, I would definitely recommend it if you liked the MLP G5 movie.
I'd actually be fine with them letting g4 rest. Doubt they will, though.
What if Twilight isn't really dead?
And instead she got disillusioned by ponies continually loosing faith in friendship and jumped ship.
I can imagine her just enjoying life on some tropical island with Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Flurry and Spike.
Haven't watched Raya so I can't comment on that but I would like to say that I thought Pipp was pretty cool. Her overexxagerated attitude and mannerisms were pretty funny and charming, and her eventual enthusiastic supportiveness (especially when cheering Sunny) is pretty cool. Also her design is pretty great.
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As much as I want answers, I think G5 would be better for it if they let G4 rest, like you said.
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Now that you mention it, I could see Twilight giving up after a few centuries and letting the ponies figure it out themselves. I don't know how Celestia ruled Equestria for so long.
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It's fine if you like her. She does have a pretty design, and her VA does a good job with what she has to work with. She just isn't as interesting to me as the other Mane 5 so far.
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I mean, keep the teases to keep the bronies consuming, that's fine. I suspect they'll pull it out at some point regardless, the later in the run the better.