Anthomation Assesses My Little Pony: A New Generation

Howdy guys, Anthomaton here. Today I shall spread my wings and find my inner friendship for My Little Pony: A New Generation.

My Little Pony: A New Generation is a 2021 animated film released by Netflix. Based on Hasbro’s My Little Pony franchise, the film marks the start of the fifth incarnation of the franchise, which is set in the same universe as the previous generation’s, a first for the franchise. Originally set to be released theatrically by Paramount Pictures, the film was instead released in most countries on Netflix on September 24, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while still being theatrically released in several Asian countries. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics for its message, though its pacing and plot received some criticism.

The film follows Sunny Starscout, an earth pony who, after meeting the unicorn Izzy Moonbow, embarks on a quest to reunite all pony kinds and restore magic to the land.

The story is so blase in every way. It is literally earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns – have grown apart, living separated from one another in paranoia and prejudice. No background whatsoever, just go with it. You can literally predict every move the film will make. It is one of those movies that are almost impossible to be engaged with, considering that NFL games were going on during the viewing of this feature. This film also happens to be a musical, and these are some of the most boring songs you will ever hear. At least we know what happens when My Little Pony and Radio Disney join forces. If you can’t already tell, this review will be incredibly short.

The animation is not impressive at all. From the CGI character models, to the character expressions, to their movements, it has all been seen before. The backgrounds are not too badly conceptualized with nice colors, but that’s about it. The only thing that the animation can save is a three-year-old’s attention span toward the movie. 

I’ve used the word cookie-cutter to describe characters in a lot of previous films…and this is no different. There is Sunny Starscout (voiced by Vanessa Hudgens), an adventurous and virtuous earth pony-turned-alicorn who enjoys roller skating and wants all pony kinds to get along. There’s Izzy Moonbow, an energetic and curious unicorn from Bridlewood Forest that loves crafting, who is the first non-earth pony Sunny befriended. Hitch Trailblazer, (voiced by James Marsden), an earth pony who is the kind and hard-working sheriff at Maretime Bay and Sunny’s childhood friend. And then there is Sprout Cloverleaf (voiced by Ken Jeong), an earth pony stallion, Phyillis’ son, and deputy sheriff to Hitch at Maretime Bay. The celebrity voices don’t add anything to the characters, keeping them as stale as ever.

This My Little Pony film will not spread friendship and kindness. With the story, animation, and characters all being unimaginative, the only thing that should be spreading is our distance towards the film’s merchandise. Hollywood, STOP making My Little Pony movies!

Score:

2.5/10