It's time, yes it's time, for me to watch pony movie!
So ... seeing the trailers and promos, you may remember that I was not especially hyped for this film. The art seemed different but not really better, the new characters looked bizarre and nothing about the first trailer tried to sell the concept to anyone who wasn't already going to see it. So my expectations were not sky high.
But I ended up liking it a lot!
Some of the things I'd been apprehensive about were justified. I never did get used to Cat Guy or the rounder, Rankin-Bassed shape of everypony's face. They ended up being minor quibbles, though, in an experience that quickly put a big stupid grin on my face that stayed there for most of the running time. There was nothing I hated, a few things that were "eh", a bunch of things that were good and a bunch of things that were great. Just like the show!
I now share my notes (tweaked retrospectively):
- 1:30 - Our first song and it’s an embarrassing ponified Go-Go’s cover? Well, at least it’s an energetic way to introduce things. The main goal here, I think, is to keep the parents from falling asleep -- show that the next 90 minutes are going to be different from what they probably imagine, which is:
And the song accomplishes that, as does the nifty extended zoom around Canterlot. But still ... ugh. Sorry Rachel Platten.
- Are Spike’s ear-flaps supposed to be translucent?
- “You Got This” - a good song!
- At this point it's clear they haven't designed this film to make pony fans out of people who weren't already pony fans. There's not any sort of introduction to this world or to life in Equestria or even to the main characters.
They're magical ponies, go with it! That said, everyone's perfectly in character and there's plenty of quick cameos, so if you
are a pony fan then you're good to go. But this wasn't going to be like the LOTR films, introducing the wonder of this setting to a brand new audience and creating millions of new fans of the material in the process. They're not trying to make bronies out of the whole world, is what I'm saying. Just making a decently pleasant experience for the non-fans who've been dragged along.
- First big laugh: the pony yelling “Brian! Nooooo!” when his balloon animal gets squished.
- RIP Twilight’s crown.
“I think my bottom’s on backward.”
- Emily Blunt's killing it, but the Storm King is a poor man’s Hades.
“I can multitask.”
- Weird animal town is like something out of Samurai Jack, and cat person looks like he comes from a different cartoon altogether. Doesn't he have a duet with Paula Abdul to get back to?
- “The Friend You Need” is good though. Nobody can say Taye Diggs doesn't have chops.
“So many fun breakables!”
- “Time to be Awesome” is good!
- Big screen rainboom is great.
“I hate the big adventures.”
- MOTHER FUCKING SEA PONIES.
- Sea pony princess is the best. Oh, that's Kristen Chenoweth! That makes her the double best. KC rules.
- Twilight gonna motherfuckin' steal that pearl.
- “One Small Thing” is great.
- Everypony’s pissed at Twilight and that rules. This is the end of Act 2 so you have to have a "group falls apart" moment, but I think it's well set up on both sides. And it's nice that they have the courage to make their main character do a bad thing. But it doesn't seem forced. And Twilight's frustration with Pinkie and Dash is shared by the audience, so it's nice to see that come into play.
- "I just can’t talk to you right now”, for those who know Pinkie, know this is the most horrible thing you could possibly hear from her.
- Tempest song!
- Fucking Ursa ruins everything
“Well, look what the cat dragged in!
Himself!”
- AJ immediately getting that "he's just talkin' about us".
- Fight scene: Psychotic Pinkie, pink frosting as murderblood. Awesome.
- Dr. Fluttershy is the best. Sorry Fluttershy and AJ, you don't get to do anything plot-relevant but you have good character moments.
- RIP The Throne Room
- Storm King is fucking
dead.
- nm, Long live The Throne Room!
- “We're all in one piece”? Oh Songbird,
too soon. Too soon.
- Good Sia song! I wonder which pony is Maddie Ziegler?
- Fizzlepop Berrytwist
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So yeah, solid adventure, not overpacked (there are really just a few locations), fast moving, everypony's in character and gets great character moments. There are nods to Rarity's generosity and AJ's honesty for those who know about those aspects of the characters. Spike got things to do. And I felt some feels.
Tempest's design at first screams "edgy OC", but then I realized that only bronies like me would make that association and really, fuck bronies. Nothing wrong with a broken horn, a scar and a dark color scheme as long as you ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING WITH IT, and with Tempest, they do. She's great. Emily Blunt plays her mean, not over the top, it's just right. And her character arc is not mindblowingly original, but it's done well and hits all the necessary beats. What more could one want? It's also nice that they didn't feel the need to fix her horn in the end. Though she probably should file it down or something.
Grubber is fine, I guess -- he's your silly kid-appeal not-really-a-villain villain that I suppose you gotta have. For the kids. If Storm King is Hades, Grubber is your Pain & Panic mooshed together. Really thought he'd be the one who switches sides and saves the day, but instead he just disappears around Act 3.
There's a kernel of interesting idea in the Storm King, and I like Liev Schrieber's performance, but in the end he's just too silly and lightweight to matter much. It's okay because Tempest is the real villain and she's the one who matters, dramatically.
Bird pirates are fine. Cat guy still doesn't belong. Sea ponies/hippogriffs rule.
OK I'm done.