Sulky baddies undermine Pony fun
My Little Pony: The Movie (G, 104 mins) Directed by Jayson Thiessen
Not to be confused with the 1986 movie of the same name that featured Rhea Perlman, Madeline Kahn, Tony Randall and Danny Devito, this candy-coloured animated musical offers undemanding fare for under-sixes and bronies alike.
Events this time centre on Equestria’s Friendship Festival. It’s Princess Twilight Sparkle’s (Tara Strong) time to shine, yet she’s plagued by doubt. ‘‘What if no pony makes a new friend,’’ she frets, while also sweating on all the party preparations and the happiness of star guest Songbird Serenade (Sia).
However, those concerns become the least of her worries when their mountaintop kingdom is invaded by troops of Storm King (Liev Schreiber).
Led by disfigured and disaffected unicorn Tempest (Emily Blunt), they demand the ponies’ complete and total surrender. Their plan is to capture the four princesses and harness their power so the Storm King can rule with magic, as well as an iron fist.
But somehow, Twilight Sparkle and her squad manage to evade their grasp and, with the help of some new friends, seek to find a way to face down Tempest and the Storm King and defeat them.
A kind of reverse Smurfs (a matriarchal society with the token male – a faithful assistant dragon named Spike), the Ponies have been entertaining pre- and primary schoolers (as well as more than a few adult males) and pushing plastic toys for more than 35 years.
But after dominating the 1980s (when 150 million ponies were sold), times were tough for one of Hasbro’s mane attractions. Only the third attempted revival stuck, resulting in the 2010 series
Friendship is Magic and now this movie.
As with other similar franchises, such as Disney’s
Fairies, the story places a big emphasis on delivering life lessons (some twee, some more pertinent) in among the preppy pop tunes and knockabout action.
There are some gags for the grown-ups – look out for nods to The Exorcist and The Wizard of Oz – as well as some not-so-subtle Hasbro product placement: ‘‘Hungry? Hippos,’’ asks one pony of their new Hippogriff mates.
There’s also a healthy amount of cynicism (‘‘I hate epic adventures,’’ bemoans Spike, as the journey seems interminable) to dissipate a potential tidal wave of saccharine action.
However, your tolerance for nearly two hours of at times garish, throwback animation (there’s also a five-minute Hanazuki short) will also depend on how many empowering songs and equine wordplay you (and your kids) can handle in one sitting. – James Croot