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Animation
'My Little Pony: The Movie' Film Review: A fun film for the kids with a positive message about friendship
October 6, 2017Britany Murphy
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Not everything in Equestria is as it seems, especially when friendships are tested on all levels. Will the ponies and their friends be able to come together to fight the evil that is wreaking havoc on their home? Or will everything be lost at the hands of the Storm King? Director Jayson Thiessen and screenwriters Meghan McCarthy, Rita Hsiao and Michael Vogel bring the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic TV show to the big screen with a story that begins with the Mane 6 — Princess Twilight Sparkle (Tara Strong), Rarity (Tabitha St. Germain), Rainbow Dash and Applejack (Ashleigh Ball), and Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy (Andrea Libman) — preparing for a party in Equestria to celebrate friendship. Pony princesses throughout the land have been invited, and the headliner is none other than Songbird Serenade (Sia). Twilight Sparkle, who’s especially nervous around the other invited pony princesses, needs everything to go absolutely perfectly. But then, just as they're about to kick things off with the main event, their party is crashed by what seems like an incoming storm, but is actually the enemy — an embittered unicorn with a broken horn named Tempest Shadow (Emily Blunt), who serves as the first-in-command for an evil wizard called the Storm King (Liev Schreiber), and her hedgehog accomplice, Grubber (Michael Peña). Confronted by Tempest Shadow and Grubber, who have come in search of the most powerful magic in Equestria, the Mane 6 embark on a mission to learn how to defeat the Storm King. Along the way, they end up meeting a bunch of fun characters, including a wise-talking cat named Capper (Taye Diggs), pirate Captain Celaeno (Zoe Saldana), and a new royal family comprised of Princess Skystar (Kristin Chenoweth) and her mother, Queen Novo (Uzo Aduba). The voice acting in this movie is truly outstanding. From the heroes to the villains, every actor hits their mark, really capturing the moments and moods of each part of the film. Schreiber knows how to play a villain, perfectly complimenting Blunt as Tempest Shadow, and the pair are most certainly a daunting duo, not to mention very fitting antagonists for the ponies. But in reference to the new characters in Equestria, the standouts are Aduba as Queen Novo and Chenoweth as the funny Princess Skystar, both of whom enter the movie during its latter half, stealing the show with their witty back-and-forth banter as mother and daughter. On top of touting an all-star cast, the film boasts a bold and visually pleasing color palette, and the catchy music and original songs are a treat for the ears. And of course, this animated feature also carries important messages about bravery, strength in numbers and the value of sticking together in the face of adversity, proving that the power of friendship really does conquer evil. Sure to be a hit with kids, My Little Pony: The Movie proves to be a worthwhile stepping stone for further adventures in the land of Equestria. My Little Pony: The Movie releases October 6th, 2017 from Entertainment One. The film has an MPAA rating of PG for mild action. Its runtime is 1 hr. 39 min. |
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