This is your top-of-the-line Phantom of Stories here with his first review to post in a book.
Today, I'm gonna give you guys my take of "My Little Pony: The Movie (2017).
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Here's the rundown of this tale:
The ponies of Equestria are getting ready for the nation's very first Friendship Festival, with pop star pegasus Songbird Serenade as the main attraction. But, an evil army commanded by a broken-horned unicorn named Tempest Shadow and her sidekick Grubber crashes the party and takes over Equestria to gain the magic of Equestria's four princesses, and put it in the hands of their master, the Storm King. Now, it's up to Princess Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Spike to leave their home and seek help from hippogriff turned seapony royals Queen Novo and Princess Skystar. Along the way, they encounter a feline con artist named Capper, and a crew of parrot pirates lead by Captain Celaeno.
As a fan of the fourth generation of My Little Pony, I often couldn't help but find myself on the edge of my seat as I waited for this movie to come. I frequently watched the trailers for it, and had even made posts displaying my curiosity regarding it.
When it finally came...I found it to be absolutely worth the wait.
Now, I would like to note that my review will be the opposite of what other critic reviews have said. They've given the movie mixed or negative reviews because of it being a movie related to a toy line.
But, you know what I think?
I think they didn't go deep enough to really scratch the surface on the movie they were reviewing.
Everything about this movie was brilliant from start to finish.
For instance, the story by Meghan McCarthy and Joe Ballerini, and the screenplay by McCarthy, Michael Vogel, and Rita Hsiao, were marvelously spot-on. Especially to the point of where you'd say things like, "Wow! My mind is totally blown!" They created a film that was epic to the point of suspense, dramatic to where you'd feel like crying, and funny to the point of laughter! The team incorporated great messages in the story involving friendship, hope, and leadership as well, which are all things that people can live by and take to heart.
The animation that was done by an entire team of animators lead by veteran MLP director Jayson Thiessen was likewise awesome. One big thing they had to do was replace the equipment they used for the show called Adobe Flash and instead use Toon Boom Harmony. With the new equipment, they were able to make the backgrounds of each scene look real, especially the water. The part where our heroes go underwater and meet the sea ponies was so realistic, you'd feel like you're in the ocean. The character designs were amazing as well, especially with the characters that had fur or feathers, such as Capper and Celaeno.
On the directing, Thiessen does it again by making another winner to the franchise, and marking an excellent comeback to theatrical hand-drawn animation. The dramatic and comedy moments were perfectly timed, the cinematography was colorful, and the camera angling to every scene was so engaging, you wouldn't want to miss it even when you want to get more popcorn.
The characters were wonderful too! Each of them had a quality and personality about them that made them so interesting and lovable. The writers kept the current characters from the show the same, and the new characters were also well thought and in all seriousness great! The voice acting done by the people old and new were top-notch as well. They played their parts beautifully, especially to where you'd think their names would become synonymous to those characters.
But, the most intriguing performances come from Tara Strong, Emily Blunt, Taye Diggs, and Liev Schreiber. Their performances made their characters realistic with so much feeling, personality, and emotion. The performers showed the world why they're among some of the very best in the film industry, that's for sure. Out of all of the characters, Twilight Sparkle, Tempest Shadow, Capper, and the Storm King were the ones that particularly got my attention hook, line, and sinker, and they developed marvelously. The only thing I couldn't help but wish was that the Storm King had a lot more screen time since he was the main antagonist, but at least he had enough time to showcase his personality and what kind of villain he is.
Finally, the music and songs made by veteran MLP musician Daniel Ingram were additionally wonderful, particularly to where it'd make you joyfully emotional. The songs had lyrics that were heartfelt and fun, and they're powerful enough to touch you deep down into your soul. The overall score even had a fantastic sense of power that was on the level of an animated Disney film.
Overall, by watching it and looking at it closely without falling into stereotypes about movies based on toy lines, you'll find that this movie and everything about it is one that's worth seeing. It delivers something that hasn't been seen for a very long time in the animation industry. A movie full of heart, passion, and commitment.
So, I rate "My Little Pony: The Movie (2017)" five out of five stars.
(This review was originally posted on my personal website on October 17, 2017)
