Watch My Little Pony: The Movie
- PG
- 2017
- 1 hr 39 min
-
6.1 (8,157)
My Little Pony: The Movie is a 2017 animated fantasy musical film directed and co-produced by Jayson Thiessen, based on the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic television series. The movie features the voices of Emily Blunt, Kristin Chenoweth, Liev Schreiber, Michael Peña, Sia, Taye Diggs, Uzo Aduba, and Zoe Saldana, among others.
The story follows Twilight Sparkle (voiced by Tara Strong), an alicorn princess of Equestria who is tasked with saving her homeland from a vengeful unicorn named Tempest Shadow (Blunt), who seeks to enslave all of Equestria under the rule of the evil Storm King (Schreiber). Twilight teams up with her friends Pinkie Pie (Andrea Libman), Rainbow Dash (Ashleigh Ball), Rarity (Tabitha St. Germain), Fluttershy (Libman), and Applejack (Ball), as well as new allies like the pirate parrot Captain Celaeno (Saldana) and the hippogriff queen Princess Skystar (Sia), to stop Tempest and the Storm King's plans.
The movie opens with a prologue that shows the Storm King's arrival in Equestria, seeking to steal the magic of the four princesses who rule over the land. He is helped by Tempest, a unicorn whose horn was broken in childhood, leaving her with a jagged and powerful magic. The Storm King offers to restore Tempest's horn in exchange for her loyalty, which she accepts. Together, they set out to conquer Equestria and capture the princesses.
Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle is planning a Friendship Festival to celebrate the unity of Equestria, and invites delegates from other lands to attend. However, the festival is interrupted by the Storm King's invasion, and Twilight and her friends are forced to flee. They journey to a distant land called Hippogriffia, seeking the help of the sea-dwelling hippogriffs who once lived there, but find the land desolate and abandoned. They discover that the hippogriffs were transformed into seaponies by a magical artifact called the "hippogriff's pearl", which was stolen by the Storm King's army. The group sets out to find the pearl and restore the hippogriffs, enlisting the help of Celaeno and her crew of sky pirates.
The movie's themes center around the importance of friendship and acceptance, as well as the idea that one's strengths and weaknesses can be used to overcome challenges. Each of the Mane Six characters has their own subplot and moments of growth, such as Pinkie Pie learning to reign in her impulsiveness, and Fluttershy finding the courage to stand up to the intimidating Storm King.
The animation in My Little Pony: The Movie is colorful and whimsical, with a mix of hand-drawn and computer-generated imagery. The musical numbers, composed by Daniel Ingram, are upbeat and catchy, featuring a blend of pop and show-tune styles. The standout song is "Rainbow", a duet between Sia and Blunt that showcases their powerful voices.
Overall, My Little Pony: The Movie is an enjoyable adventure for fans of the show and newcomers alike. The writing is sharp and witty, with plenty of humor and heartwarming moments. The voice cast is top-notch, with Blunt and Chenoweth in particular delivering standout performances as the villainous Tempest Shadow and her bubbly sidekick Grubber. The movie offers a satisfying conclusion to the story arc of the TV show, while also setting the stage for future adventures in the world of Equestria.
My Little Pony: The Movie is a 2017 kids & family movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 39 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.1 and a MetaScore of 39.