Ryan Clement (Scabloonshki) My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic was a show that I was quite enthralled with at an earlier time of my life, almost to an unhealthy extent. I still defend my thoughts on the show to this day, I think it still holds up as a competently put together series with cute and endearing characters that was perfect for when you had some off time on the weekend. With the writers of the shows and hand drawn animation FINALLY making a return to theaters with the My Little Pony Movie one can't help but ask: what the **** happened? The weirdest thing about this film is that I can't exactly pin point what made it such a forgettable snooze fest for me. I mean, it was predictable as all hell but I mentioned in my Incredibles 2 review that a film can be predictable and still be engaging as long as it was creative and well written enough that it can be overlooked. Looking back, I think that was the problem here: the My Little Pony Movie completely lacks creativity, it feel like it exists solely to get money out of suckers like me who liked the television series. At certain points it actively felt like it was following a checklist of criteria that had to be met in order for it to meet it's 1 hour and 40 minute run time that it honestly doesn't need in hindsight. There is a point near the end of the film where certain characters reunite with the main 6 and it feels so forced into the writing that it actively took me out of the film. I would comment specifically about other scenes in the film but I'll be honest, I don't remember the film well enough to do such a thing and I haven't felt inclined to return to it so I can so. When that's the case, what can I say? It's not a bad movie, I can't recall anything in the film that actively annoyed me and most bronies seem to happy with it. Maybe I'm just not as enthralled with technicolor ponies as I once was. If you are a brony and want to go see it I'm confident that you will be able to watch it and be satisfied, but for me, it just went on and on and on and on and on and zzzzzzzzzzz.

marcvalenzuela I've heard so much of this movie at a panel at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con, so I was curious to know what makes the hype grow so strongly among its committed fans. When I learned of familiar guest celebs involved like Zoe Saldana, Kristin Chenoweth, Emily Blunt, Taye Diggs, and Sia, I just had to see what makes it work.The story goes, in the land of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle has the duties of a princess in the Kingdom of Canterlot. But when a mysterious dark force lead by Tempest Shadow and the villainous Storm King invade the land, it's up to Twilight and her pony friends to venture outside their home to put a stop to the chaos and save the kingdom.Admittedly, I was never into its TV show from the very beginning, but thanks to some insight from my younger niece and a few fans I've met at the convention and social media, I've gained newfound respect for it. Since this movie derived from the 2010 TV series, it looks legitimately like an animated film and not an extended episode. I certainly don't regret watching every minute of it. Like it's leaning toward the quality Don Bluth once did with his animated films in the 80s.While big-name animation studios like Disney, DreamWorks, and Illumination are dominating at the box office with their CGI films, Lionsgate and Hasbro definitely released a flick that relies on the very animation medium that truly began over a century ago: Traditional 2-D. And the songs both lighthearted and dramatic began to remind me of the non-Disney animated titles I remember as a kid. I say no matter how old you are or what your interests may be, "My Little Pony: The Movie" is definitely a must-see for all because underneath its cute, whimsical exterior, there's a sense of morals that can pertain to real-life. Plot-wise it's not a perfect movie since the focus looks to be more about character and the situations they face. Whereas a not-so-threatening villain (most likely a way to attract newcomers to the series), but the guest voices delivered great performances right alongside the original main cast from the TV show. It's also noteworthy in seeing that 2-D is still pretty much alive in the animation field. Worth a look.

aka-45316 The story and screenplay of the movie will make you say something like, "Wow! My mind is totally blown!" It's epic to the point of suspense, dramatic to where you feel like crying, and funny to the point of laughter! The writers incorporated great messages in the story involving friendship, hope, and leadership. The story was written by veteran MLP writer Meghan McCarthy, and by newcomer and fan Joe Ballarini (best known for contributing to the Blue Sky Studios films "Epic" and "Ice Age: Continental Drift", and the Dreamworks film "Turbo"). The screenplay was also done by McCarthy, but also by veteran MLP writer Michael Vogel, and newcomer Rita Hsiao(best known for her work on Disney's "Mulan" and Pixar's "Toy Story 2").The animation was done by an entire team of animators lead by veteran MLP director Jayson Thiessen. One big thing they had to do was replace the equipment they used 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 is so realistic, you feel like your in the ocean. The character designs were amazing as well, especially with the characters with 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 are also perfectly timed. The cinematography is colorful, and the camera angling to every scene is so engaging, you don't want to miss it even when you want to get more popcorn.The characters were wonderful! 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. The new characters were well thought out and in all seriousness great!The voice acting done by the people old and new were top-notch. But the most intriguing performances come from Tara Strong, Emily Blunt, and Liev Schreiber. Their performances made their characters realistic with so much feeling and emotion.Tara Strong's performance as Twilight gives a sense of the conflicts she's going through, and how she's feeling in certain moments, places, and situations.And I know Tempest Shadow is a villain, but Emily Blunt's performance helps give great sympathy towards her character because of what she's been through in the past involving her horn. To top it off, she even sings!With Liev Schreiber, his performance as the Storm King delivered the best and most intense MLP villain by far! His character has a range of emotions and personality. He's sarcastic, comedic, enraged, delighted, and evil, all with a voice that chills your spine. The Storm King was made for him! It makes you wonder why he didn't star in a family or children's film before or become a voice actor in the first place!The music and songs made by veteran MLP musician Daniel Ingram will make you joyfully emotional. The lyrics are heartfelt, and will touch you deep down into your soul.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 is 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.

TVChannels98 Director: Jayson Thiessen Release Date: October 6th, 2017 (US) Runtime: 1hr 39minsPros: Does the original TV show justice - Feels more than an extended episode - Triumphant 2D animation - Beautiful looking visuals - Some 3D visuals blended well - Mane Six bring fun - Emily Blunt's developed villian - Top notch original voice acting - Solid additional voices - A few decent songs - Added orchestra for cinematic feel - Emily Blunt's highlight songCons: Formulaic as expected - Mostly made only for fans, Bronies/Pegasisters - Rushed climax - Additional characters didn't hold up memorable value - Liev Schreiber's generic characterShort Thoughts: It's hard for a cartoon show like MLP: FiM to have a movie that can impress those who aren't familiar with them. At least this tried. Of course, it'll delight it's fans but in short, it's a 'giddy-up' for fans but a 'woah' for others. But honestly, if I wasn't familiar with the show, I wouldn't be as favourable as I am with this colourful decency.TVChannels98 Rating: 7/10