Finally, I'm getting back to A New Generation, and today it's the first part of Text Review Roundup. The second part on (I hope but daren't actually promise) Monday will cover some of the fandom reviews – not all, as I'm bound to miss some – but today it's the turn of reviews from outside the MLP fandom itself.
There aren't a huge number of these, partly because the interest was somewhat limited (maybe because ANG didn't get a cinema release*) and partly because several of those that were published are paywalled. This is a bigger issue now than it was in 2017 for the G4 movie, and frankly if people want to hide their content unless I pay to read it, I don't see why I should give their reviewers free publicity. I'm looking at you, New York Times.
* Okay, technically it did. But not in the UK or US
Right, that's that little whinge out of the way, and in fact there are still a reasonable number of reviews once you count non-fandom blogs. Remember, I'm not just covering general, professional media today. Anyway, here we go. Click on the publication name to go directly to the review page.
BeautifulBallad – very positive (graded A; "a winning addition to the My Little Pony Family [...] “Gonna Be My Day”, sung by Hudgens’ Sunny, was the clear standout song [...] Whether you are someone with kids, someone without kids, or a kid yourself, this movie is an overall good time.")
CGMagazine – mostly positive ("My Little Pony: A New Generation works well as both a continuation of the nine-season series and as the launching point for the next. [...] While the computer-generated graphics lack some character of the previous generation’s animation, it still looks great and has its own charm [but] the ultimate conclusion felt a little quick")
FSM Media – very positive ("The movie is adorable and really funny and not in that cheesy kind of funny that a lot of kids’ movies peddle. [...] The animation is on another level [...] a great movie with a great message")
KPCC – kind-of positive ("I don't know if I respect what this movie is doing, but I appreciate the absurdity with which they do it.")
Mama's Geeky – very positive ("incredible cast [and the] animation [is] gorgeous [though] the plot is predictable [...] some moments are going to hit you right in your heart until you cry. This movie has something for everypony, and is the standout family film of the year!")
Movie Mom – mostly positive (graded B; "candy colors, poppy music, gentle humor, warm-hearted lessons about friendship, and basically a way to sell merchandise [...] I prefer [G4's] flat, 2D-style animation to this movie’s 3D CGI modeling [and] the characters and messages of the film are likely to raise some parental eyebrows and perhaps some hackles as well [but] the only message here is the real magic of trust, understanding, cooperation, and generosity.")
Plugged In – positive ("Unity and friendship is definitely the clarion call here [...] a sweet little film filled with bouncy musical tunes, delightfully cute characters and truly funny moments")
Pretty in Baby Food – positive (rated B+; "My Little Pony: A New Generation surprised me, and I was not prepared to like it as much as I did. [...] it is Kimiko Glenn as Izzy and Ken Jeong as Sprout who are the standouts [and the animation is] spectacular")
Skwigly – mixed ("the plot tries to pack in too many characters [...] The animation though is really well made [...] Young fans of the previous shows might enjoy what this new generation of characters has to offer, but it didn't quite cross the finishing line as someone who is not the biggest fan of My Little Pony.")
South China Morning Post – fairly positive (rated 3/5; "While the film is not Pixar-level brilliant, A New Generation doesn’t fall flat either [...] never gets too preachy [...] lively pop tunes that don’t really stick but are fun while they last [...] comfortably in the middle")
Variety – fairly positive ("retains its predecessors' lively, spirited drive centered on friendship, empowerment and magic [...] layered, smart subtext to the narrative, despite it following a predictable path [though notably disappointing are] no consequences for those in power positions who’ve defrauded the public [and] the third act climax gets unnecessarily tied up in itself [but nevertheless] with its resonant sentiments on conquering fear, obliterating bigotry and bravely facing adversity, the toon finds its strength and emotional draw.")
With Ashley And Company – very positive ("a colorful, fun adventure [...] vivid colors, big musical numbers, and plenty of adventure [...] Friendship is still working magic in Equestria and it is as strong as ever.")
Oh, I've missed these!
ReplyDeleteSome interesting comments. I was a bit confused by the Movie Mom remark about the film's message raising parental eyebrows and hackles, so I clicked through to try and work out what perspective that was coming from - I'm still none the wiser (they pride themselves on discussing 'values', often a dog whistle, but are also a regular HuffPost contributor?), but the or review did also contain a link to a spectacular piece on American public radio from about 10 years ago which I'd never heard before, wherein former President Clinton answers quiz questions on G4:
https://www.npr.org/2012/07/07/156251707/bill-clinton-takes-a-quiz-about-my-little-pony?t=1636109117714
That's a classic! :D That gave us Krastos the Gluemaker!
DeleteAs a latecomer, I'm never sure which old-school fandom things are widely known and which ones have been forgotten, but I figured if it was new to me, it might be for somepony else too :) I had not encountered Krastos before and was unprepared!
DeleteHey, it was new to me! I did notice the link in the article, but wouldn't have followed it to the radio excerpt if you hadn't discussed it! So, someone new saw it, buddy. Mission accomplished!
DeleteWow, essentially a sweep of the critics! :O
ReplyDeleteInterestingly (or not), while they clearly don't fall within the purview of a Text Review Roundup, I've seen more than one positive video review from non-fans who were decidedly negative about the G4 movie. If nothing else, this one clearly played well to the uninitiated!
DeleteI definitely do think the G5 movie was better received overall (inside and outside the fandom) than the G4 film, including (as you touch on) from some of the same critics.
DeleteIf nothing else, this one clearly played well to the uninitiated!
DeleteThat will happen when you're basically starting afresh with only the bare minimum of ties to the prior generation! The G4 movie did lead to me checking out the show, so it's not totally alien to the uninitiated, but it still coasts on our connection to the Mane 7, by and large. Not too surprising many critics just sat through it in stony silence.
I definitely do think the G5 movie was better received overall (inside and outside the fandom) than the G4 film, including (as you touch on) from some of the same critics.
It's a sentiment I've shared elsewhere, but it bears repeating here - Hasbro clearly sought to not repeat many of the mistakes of the G4 film, and I'm reasonably sure they took the almost total indifference of critics with that film to heart (not that they weren't already aware of its issues - among other things, in the leaked emails from 2017, I heard second-hand that they acknowledged the Klugetown segment in particular was a plot and tonal muddle). To whit:
* G4 movie had so many characters to the point that four of the 15 leads (Applejack, Fluttershy, Grubber, Songbird Serenade) do literally nothing. With G5, all ten leads are crucial to the proceedings. Of course, that film was obliged with existing characters and needed a decent chunk of new ones for merch - this film can do both those goals with the same characters.
* The songs there weren't all that narratively essential, and padded on top of that. Here, you can't take any songs out, and they keep themselves brief and to the point (though this is likely to have been general budget and/or pacing trims too, we know 'I'm Looking' Out For You' had to be shortened substantially because it was a late addition, for one).
* Some critics and parents felt the G4 movie was too dark and gloomy and moody. Here, the edges are sanded way off and legitimate threat is never on the cards. A bit too far, perhaps, but it definitely feels more like what a MLP film should be.
* A lagging pace with hardly any comedy, and too many moments of dramatic pausing - now we have a film that's more light, breezy and dense with stuff actually "happening" - despite being 6.5 minutes shorter when credits roll, this film has 200-ish more words of dialogue. It's debatable whether being too fast or too shallow/slow is worse, but the former is much better for holding the interest of casual viewers.
* Let's be honest, any themes of friendship is the 2017 film don't feel all that organic to the black-and-white good-and-evil story, and the film has less to say there then many episodes. Here, the film is built from the ground up around its themes and the moral greys. When it comes to kid's films, adults and parents respond to that.
* The key thing is the way the story was developed. With the G4 film, Hasbro let DHX muck around with high fantasy concepts for a year while they sketched out a loose plot. Small wonder the glue barely held the road trip setpeices together when it came time to pare it down. Here, they hit the balance of letting Boulder Media experiment early on in visuals and designs while keeping the focus on a tighter, more focused story.
Really, though a lot of the advantages for the critics comes with this film being fresh and thereby having to explain itself and its characters.
And you know what? On reflection, I totally understand - and even largely agree! - with this film being better received than the last one. It's bright, it's breezy, it's sincere in a way many modern kids' films are not, it's generally amusing to chuckle and and pretty to look at. That I have much I'd improve with it doesn't negate that it's a decent film which, honestly, acquits itself with its modest goals. I've already warmed to it a lot more in the 6 weeks since it came out, and I suspect I'll continue to do so.