MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE Blu-ray Review

MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital)

Release Date: January 8, 2018

Studio: Lionsgate Home Entertainment

Video: 2.38:1 1080p Widescreen

Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English DVS 2.0, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1

THE RATINGS

The Movie Itself - ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Video Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Audio Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Special Features - ★ ★ ½ ✰ ✰

Overall - ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰

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THE FILM ITSELF Our Reviewer's Take
No horsin' around - this movie is really hoofin' good.

Reviewed by Gavin King

It's never been all that much of a huge secret to my closest friends that I've been a guilty fan of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic reboot, and at this point it's probably safe to say that I'm (bare with me here) a devout Brony. My appreciation for the show sprouted back in 2011 when the Brony community came into play with society. I was fairly young at the time and my favorite show at the time was Family Game Night, a game show in which iconic board games such as The Game of Life and Connect 4 were converted to game show form in which families of all kinds would step on up to play said games and win big prizes. Additionally, this show was broadcasted on the brand-spanking-new (at the time) channel that went by the name "The Hub", which was formerly Discovery Kids and in 2010 got converted to the aforementioned Hasbro-owned channel. (The channel is nowadays referred to as "Discovery Family" and is still owned by Hasbro.) I had the channel on all night one night as I was sawing logs and woke up the next morning with an episode of Friendship is Magic on the television. It occurred to me that FiM was also shown on The Hub and at a first impression I wasn't really crazy about it but after a watch of the FiM episode Baby Cakes I was hooked. I suppose FiM is just one of those shows that simply grows on you after you give it some time to sink in and let its irresistibility cling to your heart. Of course, I was both relieved and enticed to hear about the "Bronies" soon after - the male (mostly) adult fans who piqued an interest of the show in a somewhat similar way I did. This unexpected popularity no doubt sparked the greenlight of the theatrical release of My Little Pony: The Movie, which features the "Mane Six" ponies we all know and love as well as a few new friends and faces thrown into the mix. Obviously the film is not going to appeal to everyone - whether die-hard fans of the show expecting more or non-fan moviegoers scoffing off at the supposed sickly sweetness - but when you've been a true, true fan (yes, that's a reference!) of Friendship is Magic for the past few years, what is simply not to love?

Gasp!

Twilight Sparkle (voiced by Tara Strong) is prepping up for the annual Friendship Festival in Equestria, with a little help from her best friends - party planner Pinkie Pie (voiced by Andrea Libman), high-flyer Rainbow Dash (voiced by Ashleigh Ball), animal caretaker Fluttershy (voiced by Andrea Libman), apple farmer Applejack (voiced by Ashleigh Ball), and fashionista unicorn Rarity (voiced by Tabitha St. Germain). Everypony is doing their part to participate in getting ready for the big event - as well as giving the star of the show, popstar Songbird Serenade (voiced by Sia), a magical appearance - but their excitement is soon halted by the mysterious appearance of a huge ship that lands smack dab in Equestria. Inside the ship is Tempest Shadow (voiced by Emily Blunt), a unicorn who ended up getting her horn broken as a filly. She takes the ponies hostage and demands the magic of the city's four princesses - one of them being Twilight - in a hostile and unsettling manner. Twilight and her pals safely find a hideaway from the menacing pony and realize in order to save Equestria they must embark on a perilous journey beyond their home and meet new faces who just might give them the help they need, even if the ponies don't know it yet.

My Little Pony: The Movie is a consistent entertainment vessel, full of toe-tapping musical numbers, infectiously colorful and fun characters, slick and clean animation, and a core story that may not be the most novel in the world but always manages to entice with its fun execution and quick-paced delivery. You don't have to watch the Friendship is Magic show in order to enjoy the film - again, the film works extraordinarily well as an entertaining little ride - but fans will clearly understand some of the subtler hints, references, and easter eggs scattered around the film. In that sense, the film knows exactly what it's trying to be - it aims to be a bubbly, approachable, warm-hearted animated adventure, all while giving fans of the franchise little fun surprises scattered throughout. Better yet, it doesn't feel like nerve-grating fan service, a crude animated juncture, or, probably the most relieving, an uneven mix of both. The film instead balances its sole purposes with assured confidence and an enormous warm heart, and succeeds extremely well in the process.

Just Pinkie being Pinkie.

A number of reviews have explained in great detail how the film is reminiscent of the golden age of Disney animation (in lieu of films like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, etc.). And it’s no surprise why it’s been so frequently brought up; several animation techniques sprinkles throughout, Alan Menken-inspired musical numbers, and even baseline story nodes recall classic trademarks of those iconic animated features, though certainly not in any glaringly obvious way. The film doesn’t try hard to follow in the footsteps of the master Walt Disney. It’s all rather subtle to be completely honest but it’s all effortlessly well done, and it’s clear that several aspects of the film – whether lush background elements or overall character mannerisms – were made with a tribute to the acclaimed Disney name in mind.

As a briskly-paced, incredibly entertaining, and altogether satisfying animated option, the film never disappoints. Some die-hard fans of the Friendship is Magic television series may have a bone to pick with the filmmakers for the Mane Six’s dominance over much-beloved side characters in FiM such as The Cutie Mark Crusaders (Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Applebloom), arguing that such characters didn’t get as much screen time in the final film as they should have. But fans will be fans, and suffice to say the finished product as a whole is lovably delightful from the first minute to the last. This review, again, is coming from the point of view of a longtime fan of the franchise, so perhaps I am being a little bit biased in my taste in the film, but it’s just so much fun to see these beloved six ponies interacting with new challenges as their journey continues on and on. Not everyone is going to love it, but in this reviewer’s honest opinion it’s one of the better animated adventures of the year and a blast not just for fans but also those hungry for a satisfying animated jaunt, too. As Fluttershy would say, Yay!

MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE Blu-ray - Video Quality

I’ve already mentioned how My Little Pony: The Movie nods much-appreciated throwbacks to Disney animated classics, and one of those reasons is due to its unconventional animation style in this day and age populated with 3D CGI animation. The majority of the film (with the notable exception of a small handful of CGI animated models, which actually mesh quite well with the dominant animation style I’m about to mention) was animated using 2D hand-drawn techniques, a rarity (pun intended) in today’s animation landscape. Needless to say the entire thing looks fantastic on Blu-ray. Colors truly spill from the screen, with of course the highlights being the Mane Six’s bright splashes – Twilight Sparkle purple, Pinkie Pie pink, Rainbow Dash blue, Applejack orange – each of which pop with vigor, punch, and vitality. But there’s also quite a bit of nuance in the palette as well. Gray beaches, drab in color as they may be, give off pleasant naturality and authenticity, as well as brown dingy wood and the like that prove you don’t need constantly gaudy coloring to impress and audience. Detailing and line art impress the eye as well, with the latter giving zero noticeable sign to stair-stepping aliasing and the former breathing life into giant pirate ship interiors, underwater intricacies, and many more. Darker scenes occasionally struggle with light banding, but in the end is it really worth taking a half-point off an already excellent video presentation for? No, because the image as a whole surprised me so much that taking even one half off would be sinful. My Little Pony: The Movie makes for exceptional reference material from beginning to end, a presentation that’s guaranteed to overjoy fans and excite videophiles equally.

MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE Blu-ray - Audio Quality

My Little Pony: The Movie is curiously absent the film’s theatrical Dolby Atmos mix, which, for a film with this many musical show-stoppers and fun action sequences, would have seemed only fitting for enhancing the experience. Disappointments aside, the included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack offers absolutely no reason to walk away disappointed. It’s not the loudest and most dynamic track on the market, but the overall execution of it leaves nothing to be desired. The film’s main musical numbers make for very strong aural presentations here, with intelligent positioning of different instruments utilized in the songs in each channel to create a very amusing, stage-like effect that do the film’s songs justice. Surround activity is frequent and cleverly done, with sublime and seamless positioning of all sorts of effects, whether in high-stakes action or even simpler, dialogue-driven exchanges. The soundstage takes full use of its wide array in an impressively lifelike way as different elements – spoken dialogue, zany sound effects, etc. – realistically represent the onscreen camera angle, for example as an offscreen Rarity speaks to the far left early in the movie. The sonic rainboom in chapter eight is a fun sonic standout, with extensive surround accompaniment, honest, though never overbearing, bass, and to top it off standout clarity, making it one of the track’s most entertaining pieces. A few ambient environments spring to commendable life, such as a barren beach with waves, general din of Equestria, and creaky pirate ship ambience. Dialogue is of course clear and well prioritized. Again, this isn’t the biggest and most bombastic soundtrack out there, but there are zero complaints to be had.

MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE Blu-ray - Special Features

Deleted Scene (1080p, 1:16) I’m frankly kind of surprised the filmmakers didn’t keep this in the final cut, as this deleted scene is surprisingly attention-grabbing from the get-go and would make a strong opening.

Equestria Girls Short (1080p, 2:47) “Road Trippin’”. The Equestria Girls find their road trip a lot more adventurous than they planned out.

Baking with Pinkie Pie (1080p, 3:51) Making cupcakes with Pinkie Pie can be a lot of fun!

Making Magic with the Mane 6 and Their New Friends (1080p, 14:36) This is the best piece of the handful. This featurette talks up major story specifics, introducing new characters, the challenges of meshing together familiar faces with brand new additions, and lots more. This is a piece that fans curious about what went on behind the scenes will adore. 

The Journey Beyond Equestria (1080p, 11:28) Another mature piece, looking at the challenges of moving from the simplicities of the TV show to the complexities of the motion picture.

“I’m the Friend You Need” Music Video (1080p, 2:51) One of the movie’s musical numbers intercut with movie clips and behind the scenes videos.

Hanazuki: Full of Treasures (1080p, 5:05) Premiered theatrically with My Little Pony: The Movie. A mishap involving a young planet inhabitant and a small yellow creature takes a turn for the unexpected.

Trailers (1080p, 7:04) Additional Lionsgate titles.

MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE Blu-ray - Overall Recommendation

My Little Pony: The Movie is probably one of the best animated movies of 2017. Divisive, yes, but the film as an entertainment value whole is immensely delightful, funny, fast-paced, and equally engaging for fans and newcomers alike. It’s all wrapped together by a devoted, all-star cast who fit their onscreen animated roles seamlessly and earworm-inducing musical numbers that will hit with Disney classic devotees and the franchise’s beloved fanbase. It’s a genuine surprise of an animated adventure and makes for one of 2017’s better entries. Lionsgate’s Blu-ray serves up wonderful video and audio, along with a decent, though not really extensive, set of supplemental material. Highly recommended, not only for the aforementioned fans but also for the kid at heart in just about everyone.

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