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| If you can look at this without smiling, you're made of stronger stuff than me |
A little bit later than I'd hoped this would be up, but at last here's what I thought of My Little Pony: A New Generation aka "the G5 film". I shan't keep you in suspense any longer about the main point: I liked it. No, I liked it. Actually, it was considerably more enjoyable than I'd feared, and even a little more so than I'd hoped. It's a bit more surface-level entertainment than G4 was even at the beginning, but I was expecting that. Flawless it isn't, and though I don't dwell on them here there are plot holes without doubt. But do I recommend it to My Little Pony fans? Yes, I do. I really, really do.
Past the break you'll find lots of spoilers but also a more detailed review of the movie.
Yes, A New Generation is a success for me. Not "best film in the history of films" level, but certainly entertaining and enjoyable. It helps that the characters are generally likeable, at least those who are meant to be likeable. Sunny lives up to her personality, Izzy is just all-round fun... and Hitch, perhaps the surprise package, is a more appealing character than his "token male" casting might have made one think. Pipp and Zipp are less memorable, and Zipp's facial design is a little odd, but frankly I've seen much worse. The likes of Alphabittle are there to serve the plot and not much more.
On the other hand, the villains are maybe a little bit on the weak side, especially for those of us used to the more serious threats we saw in G4 from the likes of Nightmare Moon, Chrysalis or pre-reformation Starlight Glimmer. Phyllis Cloverleaf doesn't really seem a strong enough character to keep an entire reasonably modern city (hey, Maretime Bay has trams!) living in fear, while Sprout is presented as a bit of a buffoon more interested in impressing his mother than anything else. I suspect that G5 as a whole will not get as dark as G4 occasionally did. A slight shame, but expected.
The voice acting in the movie is decent for the most part, though the brief presence of the G4 VAs at the start (I'll get to that in a bit!) does inevitably remind you of just what a stellar job they did in FiM. Here, the quality runs from generally very good (Izzy) through a bit more variable but still solid (Sunny) down to really a tad on the awkward side (Zipp). It's never bad enough that it took away from my enjoyment of the film, at least. Who we'll get to voice the characters in next year's special and series remains to be seen.
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| Izzy leads her new friends on the quest for Crystal Baked Beans |
As for the actual plot... well, it's serviceable. The first act is very nice, with enough time to take in the surroundings and get used to how G5 operates. Thereafter the pace picks up to a degree that makes some things feel rushed, and though I get the reasoning for keeping a film for this target audience reasonably short I can't help feeling another 15 minutes could have helped. The last act is perhaps the weakest, with some very convenient plot points. I don't mind the "we need friendship, not just artefacts" moral, though. Predictable, sure, but it's right for Pony.
One big question that is seemingly answered, but perhaps isn't really, is whether this is the same Equestria we saw in G4 or an alternative take on that land. You can argue that the introductory scenes and occasional Easter eggs are intended to say that this is the same place, just far in the future. Or you can argue that fandom nods are all they are and that no deep meaning is intended. It's true that you need no G4 knowledge to enjoy ANG – it's not like the 2017 film, where a lack of knowledge of FiM will definitely hinder you. There will be two camps, but I'm in "yes, same place" unless canon specifically says no.
At this point I have to mention Sunny's dad Argyle, who is only in the movie for a few minutes but a lovely character all the same. His part in the film works best if you buy into the "yes, this is the same Equestria" line, but as I've said I think I do. Honestly, I don't really care whether the film-makers meant it that way or not: to me it's what feels most satisfying. We never find out why Argyle's no longer around once Sunny's grown up, and we never hear a single word about her mum, so perhaps an Applejack-style situation pertains.
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| "I wish you were here, Dad." It's liquid pride. Honest |
The animation is actually lovely, from sylvan Bridlewood to high-tech Zephyr Heights. According to Mike, the budget for this film is unlikely to have surpassed $20 million, which is far below what the really big guns can offer. (As a comparison, DreamWorks' first Trolls film had a budget of around $125 million.) Considering those restraints, I think the team at Boulder in Ireland did an excellent job. In most respects, A New Generation is an absolute joy to look at – indeed, it's one of the aspects that I'm most saddened we haven't been able to see on a really big cinema screen.
Not leaked or previewed at all was the one-minute sequence right at the start starring the Mane Six from FiM,
complete with their original voice actors. This is animated in a 2D
style, though I'm not sure what with: Toon Boom or something else? Not my area, sorry! What a
moment it would have been to see Twilight fly into shot from a cinema seat,
but oh well. This may be the last time we ever see our beloved
half-dozen in an official piece of film media, so it's something I'm
sure a lot of us will treasure despite its brevity.
There are several places where you can tell that the animators have really gone to town. Sunny's rollerblading sequence in "Gonna Be My Day" is an early example, while later on Bridlewood looks truly beautiful. (Is it the Everfree Forest? The jury's out on that.) Some of the close-ups of ponies are really impressive, with individual hairs and even skin pores looking just right. A mention too for Zephyr Heights, which although vastly more modern than even G4 Manehattan does feel surprisingly convincing as the pegasus capital.
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| Emperor? Nah. That's clearly Colonel Sproutaffi |
There are half a dozen or so songs, which vary somewhat in quality and general appeal. Probably the most widely liked is Sunny's "Gonna Be My Day", an upbeat and catchy tune that goes very well with the sunny (hah) surroundings of Maretime Bay. Although I also really like it, my own favourite is the perhaps slightly more divisive rock number "Danger, Danger" in which Sprout whips up an angry mob. Its blatant nods to various rock videos will be Marmite, but I enjoyed the whole thing. Pipp's song, however, is generic forgettable pop.
As for the humour, it's really rather nice, if fairly understated. The whole "forbidden words" thing is mildly amusing — fun fact, the word "mayonnaise" was uttered just once in FiM — but it's just made by the single pony's quiet "bing-bong" in a later sequence. For a modern kids' movie, there's also a refreshing absence of toilet humour. Well, near-absence: "this is how a unicorn... oops" is, I suspect, a deliberately averted example. That apart we get no stronger than "Watch us shake our unicorn butts." (As an aside, "butt(s)" is used a few times, but oddly there's one use of G4-style "flanks" too.)
Apologies if I haven't covered some aspect of A New Generation that you think I should have done. I was anxious not to make this a novel-length review, but to keep it to a reasonably moderate size. I think you'll have got the idea, though, that even if perhaps this isn't a great film, it's certainly one I found very enjoyable. Would I have paid to see this in the cinema? Without question. In objective terms, it's probably a solid three-star film. However, these are subjective reviews, and despite its flaws I had a great time. So it gets a four, and I'm not apologising for that. G5 has started well!
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| Brief, but one of the very few times a hint of real darkness felt possible |
Choice quote: Sprout: "Well, it's all gonna work out painlessly / If you follow my orders brainlessly!"
Yays
- Beautiful animation pretty much throughout
- Mostly likeable mane characters
- Several very catchy songs
- Lovely opening sequence with Argyle
- The FiM VAs return! (For about 55 seconds...)
- Lots of Easter eggs for G4 fans to enjoy
- Very nearly free of toilet humour
- Uneven pacing: pleasant in act one, almost manic later on
- Less in the way of depth than FiM had
- Sprout is a slightly underwhelming villain
- Zipp's voice acting wasn't the greatest
- Pipp's social media stuff was a bit cringy and will date very fast
Perhaps most importantly (or at least hearteningly!) it was a big hit with the Target Audience (TM), if my sample of 2 is representative - within moments of the (intriguing) mid-credits scene, my daughter was playing as Sunny on a new quest.
ReplyDeleteI liked it a lot, I thought most of the songs were somewhat forgettable (the "dressing up as unicorns" one was good fun - Grinded Pony Hooves!) but the voice acting ranged from fine to surprisingly good, and the visuals were fantastic, there world felt consistently huge and the believable sense of being outdoors was constantly better than anything in the G4 movie. Really though I just thought the whole thing was sweet and enjoyable, and definitely better than I'd feared and expected.
within moments of the (intriguing) mid-credits scene
DeleteThat bit was unironically one of my favourite moments. And I normally don't like credits teasers! Perhaps it just hit all the right notes for me, what with the building strings on the score as we pan down to the grass, and teasing actual earth pony magic. Everybody is already looking to the forthcoming series, while I much prefer to live and appreciate my animated cinema for a while - this is the only exception to that for me right now!
Perhaps most importantly (or at least hearteningly!) it was a big hit with the Target Audience (TM), if my sample of 2 is representative
Though I think, even for its target audience, the film could stand for a lot of improvements, had I any kids, I would not hesitate to show it to them. So your verdict isn't a big surprise!
there world felt consistently huge and the believable sense of being outdoors was constantly better than anything in the G4 movie.
Won't argue with that - on a pure technical level of visual scale, the film did a great job at making the most out of its restricted amount of sets (you barely notice how much of Maretime Bay is reused) and limited amount of landscape shots. And a Pony film being an outdoor film always feels right, doesn't it?
Yeah, pretty much agreed. :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't take much notice of what other people were saying until I watched the film. I was really quite surprised (pleasantly so!) that it was received so warmly. :)
DeleteI really enjoyed the movie, much more than I expected and even more than I'd hoped.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to add a couple of comments about things I found particularly impressive, first the way Izzy was written. She is spot-on, the perfect Shakespearian fool, carefree and apparently brainless, while still being able to come up with gems of wisdom at the perfect moments. Also, kudos to her animation team for the fantastic facial expressions. On my third re-watch, her "zipper-mouth" move still cracked me up, and well as her bit just after Zipp leaves them on the mountaintop.
Also, the incredibly smart use of asset management for the production blew me away! Pixar or Dreamworks would have spent months on building digital sets in establishing shots where Boulder very wisely (and economically) used matte paintings. That doesn't mean they couldn't turn out brilliant work when it was appropriate: The abandoned balloon station was a masterpiece of design, texturing, and lighting.
I'm not only looking forward to new pony from this studio, I'll be closely watching anything else they do in the future.
I'd like to add a couple of comments about things I found particularly impressive, first the way Izzy was written.
DeleteWhile I'd never feared she would be a Pinkie Pie clone the way many did, I was surprised how that thought never came to my mind in any of my watchings. They share almost nothing outside of being over-eager to make friends with everypony and being good vehicles for gags and one-liners. Izzy's deep-rooted loneliness gets quite probing at times. And yes, it stands to reason the best written, acted and designed character would get much of the best character and facial animation - I'll see your zipper-mouth and raise you her stage whisper of "unhealthy power dynamic" and the following delightful tune she makes.
Also, the incredibly smart use of asset management for the production blew me away!
Beat me to it again! But yes, in an era of unnecessary set-building (I still remember learning that the Peach Tree set in Kung Fu Panda was almost fully matte painted, while in contrast they built the whole of Gongmen City in the sequel just three years later), this is a textbook example of how to save a lot of money. Even Maretime Bay has very little built beyond the main path from the overhead bridge around the tram corner to the path up to Canterlogic, but you wouldn't know it if you weren't obsessively hunting for it (or people like you or me, ha). Zephyr Heights uses most outside streets as two separate sets for different functions by swapping lighting and props. And of course, there's that shot outside Izzy's cottage which is literally half a set and a matte painting at once.
Whatever else one wants to say about the film, the Herculean work and finance management of the artists and technicians speaks for itself.
I'm not only looking forward to new pony from this studio, I'll be closely watching anything else they do in the future.
I certainly do hope Boulder Media's feature division created for this movie is able to move on to another feature, rather than get dissolved back into TV CG animation. Though it's possible that, with this movie, they and Hasbro planned it like Jimmy Neutron, designing high quality feature assets that could be reused for the TV show. The character animation won't be able to compare, but it's something!
"I'll see your zipper-mouth and raise you her stage whisper of 'unhealthy power dynamic' and the following delightful tune she makes."
DeleteOh yeah! And Hitch's "who, what, where?" reaction was the cherry on top!
Just some asides for today - more general stuff can wait until TRR!
ReplyDeleteWe actually agree on almost everything, just with the caveat that I feel more strongly against the flaws. The one exception being the FiM connection, but I won't dwell there.
a tad on the awkward side (Zipp).
Honestly, I only have to call the voice acting a mixed bag because of Zipp - Pipp's weak performance isn't distractingly so. Izzy and Hitch are the two best, easy.
Who we'll get to voice the characters in next year's special and series remains to be seen.
About half could return under TV pay. The VAs for Izzy, Alphabittle and Sprout voice cartoons regularly. Liza Koshy is new enough to acting that she'd probably take Hasbro money, and Sofia Carson's done a little guest voicing in junior kids' shows. Sunny I'm doubtful on, while it's very unlikely for Phyllis or Queen Haven. There's no chance for James Marsden.
I don't mind the "we need friendship, not just artefacts" moral, though.
Honestly, neither do I, it's pure Pony. I just wish the MacGuffin chase wasn't so wooden. Predictability's fine if it's not irritatingly so.
His part in the film works best if you buy into the "yes, this is the same Equestria" line
Might explain why I didn't adore him or the prologue the way I wanted to. Though the "I wish you were here, Dad" line does tear me up.
I'm not sure what with: Toon Boom or something else?
Toon Boom, yes. The Ponyfest stream with Lea Dabssi (aka Imalou) confirmed that it was animated by Boulder Media's 2D TV studio (also Dublin based). Though with more time than the same people get for a minute of Pony Life! Interestingly, it was one of the last things in the pipeline, the model sheets dating from October 2020.
Brief, but one of the very few times a hint of real darkness felt possible
That was a bit weird, yeah. Moody shadows - then welp! It's gone, and the forest is never again dark. Given there's lots of evidence for pacing cuts - all songs are longer on the album, the pre-heist scene had an extra storyboard of Haven gently asking Zipp if she had anything to tell, which would have made her heel-face turn more natural - it's quite likely context was cut. But it could be just to contrast the bright, sunny locale of Izzy's cottage.
I liked it a little less than the G4 movie, but it was still enjoyable. I haven't really organized my thoughts, so I'll randomly stab.
ReplyDeleteAlphabittle was the part that threw me off the most. He's just a bartender, not some sort of leader within the unicorn community. Heck, we never even got anything about what the unicorn leadership was. I just didn't understand why his involvement mattered in the least. None of the sings stuck with me at all. They were pleasant enough as they went on, but nothing especially appealed to me. I did love the single quiet bing-bong in the background the one time everyone was rapt by the mention of magic. One criticism I've seen is that they went to all this trouble to get unicorn and pegasus magic back, but earth ponies got the short end of the stick. Yet at the end, there was a little teaser of an earth pony's hoofprints leaving magic on the grass, making me think they're going somewhere with it. If it was just a throwaway thing, I'll be disappointed, but it doesn't seem like it will be. I can't tell whether Sunny is an alicorn now, though. Or for that matter, whether alicorns are a thing, since none of their lore mentioned any. I'd guess the glowing horn and wings on Sunny were for display purposes only, but eh. I do think there are too many nods to G4 for it not to be real for them. The Tree of Harmony being there, and Argyle having a picture of Star Swirl when he wasn't played as being someone into the kind of fiction that would include him. I was let down that the lighthouse itself didn't come into play. The sun shining through the sphere inside it did create an effect once, and it seemed to be built to broadcast the combined gems through it. Maybe they're just leaving that for the series. I agree, Hitch's characterization turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
I would argue that, in a town where everyone is depressed all the time, the bartender would indeed become a figure of esteem. :V
DeleteI've posted my own views on DeviantArt rather than Blogger, but to make my views short, I never saw the point of making it a sequel to Generation 4. Regardless of what I think about The Last Problem, that ended the show pretty well for many fans, and that should've been enough for most people.
ReplyDeleteBut right now, from what I've read on a few other reviews, it looks as though Generation 5 is stuck in a limbo between being a sequel to FiM and being a new entity in and of itself. I can only hope it figures out an identity when the new show begins next year; it has to be one or the other, but not both. Otherwise, it'll run the risk of confusing people.
Do I think it's the worst film ever? No; a lot of the issues I pointed out are more personal gripes if anything. But if kids like it, since it's aimed at them, that says more than I possibly could. If I were to rate A New Generation, it'd be either a 1 or 2 out of ten, and even that's being generous.
Link in case you miss it for TRR: https://www.deviantart.com/railfanbronymedia/journal/My-Little-Pony-A-New-Generation-893025667
Cheers; I'll add it to the TRR list whenever I get around to doing that. (It'll be a little while because of UK PonyCon this weekend, but it will happen!)
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