G5 Media News, movie is now out on Netflix!

[Taffeta]

I think you guys are putting too much thought into the plot. I get the feeling that this movie is aimed at younger kids compared to the demographic for FiM, which was for a bit older kids and had more complex stories.

I think all the pony species split up and live separately now solely because they wanted a "main character brings everyone together" plotline, and in FiM they put enough emphasis on the three different types of ponies that it was logical for a movie follow-up to treat them as entirely different species that live apart.

I would be surprised if we even get a thoughtful explanation on why it happened. If anything, I'll bet it's going to be similar to the FiM Harthswarming Eve episode, where it happened because the three species began arguing and not working together, and then it just got worse.

While that's certainly the case for the movie's plot, if this turns into a full fledged show they'll have to come up with deeper storylines eventually. It might get fleshed out later on; there's only so much you can do with slice of life. The massive time jump allows for all kinds of yet to explore opportunities.

If this is the case, it's a little more worrying that they're delving into deeper issues in a superficial kind of a way. Again that running away from the different kid scene is exactly the kind of thing that could happen to a kid in the playground - the fact Izzy thinks it's funny/is ok with it means kids might think it's funny, rather than conveying a deeper message.

I don't know what FIM's target audience started out as (ignoring the brony pandering later on) but I can't imagine G5 has an older audience target than G1 did, mind you. G1 did have some heavy stuff going on in the plots so maybe it's not that big a deal. I just think that because these are currently very active issues, and there are some very...adult ideas (by which I mean sensitive and controversial, not xrated!) going on in this. Like Phyllis's rally, which as I said, seems weirdly political.

There is the argument that Monsters Inc had the characters terrified of humans, so there is a precedent. I just wonder...whether if the age target is lower, if they're handling these issues in a comprehensive and unambiguous enough way to not cause serious confusion. Associating discrimination/segregation with humour and slapstick is potentially a risk if the age target is lower?

I never thought about the unicorns and mind-reading stuff. I don't remember any of the ponies being able to mind-read in the comics, so I assumed it was just fake news for fear mongering, rather than founded in any kind of reality. Ribbon is the only one in the movies. I think maybe Majesty in the comics conveyed ideas through song and her magic to other ponies far from wherever she was...but mindreading doesn't seem to be a common pony trait.

It's probably a bigger question whether any of the FIM unicorns could do it, bearing in mind that this is still Equestria.

BTW, am I imagining it or is there not a tale somewhere in FIM of unicorns, earths and pegasi being segregated and ponies being mutually suspicious? Did I dream that or did it happen? Bear in mind I've only seen some of FIM and no episode more than once, so I may just be inventing this. But it just feels like this theme is really...familiar...to Equestria somehow.

[Flitter]

BTW, am I imagining it or is there not a tale somewhere in FIM of unicorns, earths and pegasi being segregated and ponies being mutually suspicious? Did I dream that or did it happen? Bear in mind I've only seen some of FIM and no episode more than once, so I may just be inventing this. But it just feels like this theme is really...familiar...to Equestria somehow.

No, you're right. In the Hearth's Warming Eve episode, the Windigos arise from the animosity and quarreling between the Unicorns, Pegasi and Earth Ponies and the "Fire of Friendship" drives them off.

[Ragamuffin]

BTW, am I imagining it or is there not a tale somewhere in FIM of unicorns, earths and pegasi being segregated and ponies being mutually suspicious? Did I dream that or did it happen? Bear in mind I've only seen some of FIM and no episode more than once, so I may just be inventing this. But it just feels like this theme is really...familiar...to Equestria somehow.

The first Christmas special "Hearth's Warming Eve" talked about ancient Equestria history, a tale based off of it or something? I haven't watched this episode since it aired in 2011 so I don't remember exactly what happened. But yes, the ponies were once separated by species, but then their leaders got stuck together in a cave and they suddenly became friends...? And that's the TRUE meaning of Christmas

[SunPony]

Re: audience age, the g5 movie is rated PG, right?  So it shouldn't be intended for really little kids?  Or am I wrong? What was the first iteration of G4 rated?  I don't remember if it was a movie or a show to start with...

[Dragonflitter]

If this is the case, it's a little more worrying that they're delving into deeper issues in a superficial kind of a way. Again that running away from the different kid scene is exactly the kind of thing that could happen to a kid in the playground - the fact Izzy thinks it's funny/is ok with it means kids might think it's funny, rather than conveying a deeper message.

Have you seen many modern cartoons aimed at kids? There is a lot of stuff in cartoons these days that some would consider inappropriate for children. Especially on Netflix and other streaming services. They have even looser guidelines on what is appropriate, compared to stuff that is shown on TV.

I just finished watching a cartoon on Netflix based on the Jurassic Park movies. In this cartoon, a T-rex eats an adult human right in front of a group of kids, and they even show it on-screen. The cartoon is rated PG and under that is says "suitable for children under 12, but may frighten younger viewers."

Another popular Netflix cartoon is called "The Last Kids on Earth." It's about kids surviving on their own during a zombie apocalypse. There's even action figures and playsets made for this show. The age range is listed as "8 and up." The main character is an adopted kid whose family just left town and left him behind when the apocalypse happens.

I'm not saying there's going to be "dinosaurs and zombies levels of violence" in the MLP movie, but I'm saying people who are making content for kids today aren't that concerned with what is appropriate for them to view or not. When they show a scene of earth ponies running away from Izzy, they're not thinking "Oh no this scene might send the wrong message to kids;" they're thinking "Oh this scene will be a good illustration of how all the pony species are afraid of each other, which shows why Sunny is needed in their world."

The English lyrics of "Fit Right In" include the line sang by Izzy about the pegasi: "You're vicious, I'll bet you eat your young." She's repeating unicorn rumors, not something she actually believes, but nonetheless it's a pretty head-scratching line for a show about colorful ponies.

[Snapdragon]

So uh, it didn’t come out at midnight PST, right? Because it’s not up yet for me. (I’m now seeing some people were able to get it to load! I guess I have the janky version of Netflix. 🤣 If anyone else is having the same issue, I fixed it by switching user accounts!)

[DreamvalleyMLP]

Watching it RIGHT NOW! 20 minutes in, and I had to pause it to give a first impression. I certainly didn't expect that opening scene, and overall it looks beyond amazing! When the light hits the ponies from behind, there's that realistic subtle transparency to the ears even. The attention to detail is amazing. Story: bit rushed though. Still, I was very much on the fence about this, but so far so good (or at least, entertaining!). Also, I don't know what's cuter; the ponies or the lil' critters.
I'm at the part where Izzy arrives in Maretown Bay. Back to the movie now

Opening scene spoiler:

Spoiler

It's Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the mane 6 in a cute artsy animated style

EDIT: G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 G1 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! You can't blink though, but OH MY how awesome!!!

G1 spoiler:

Spoiler

An ad for the G1 series, Ghost of Paradise Estate screenshots 'n all, plays on televisions in the background. It's on sale apparently, 20% off LOL

[ridi]

Should we make a new thread for reviewing the movie, or keep it to this thread?

My spoiler free review: I just watched it and thought it was a decent enough children's adventure movie. I just really wish they'd cut the ties to G4/G3 already and make it its own entirely new universe. I didn't hate it, the characters and songs were very cute, but it's not really My Little Pony to me personally.

[Leave a Whisper]

Re: audience age, the g5 movie is rated PG, right?  So it shouldn't be intended for really little kids?  Or am I wrong? What was the first iteration of G4 rated?  I don't remember if it was a movie or a show to start with...

PG is nothing, especially these days. There are plenty of kid's films that have been PG for ages. 

[SunPony]

Re: audience age, the g5 movie is rated PG, right?  So it shouldn't be intended for really little kids?  Or am I wrong? What was the first iteration of G4 rated?  I don't remember if it was a movie or a show to start with...

PG is nothing, especially these days. There are plenty of kid's films that have been PG for ages.

Ah ha!  I'm pretty out of touch with the rating system these days - since I don't have kids I never really look at it.  So I appreciate the input

[Carrehz]

Yeah, for some reason, these days most stuff seems to be rated PG and the G rating (or U here in the UK) is more of a "little kids" rating than the "suitable for everyone" rating it used to be.

Spoiler

Hitch brought a crab and seagulls to his job where he is maintaining order at an event for...possibly-fascist-themed wearable technology.  Not a sentence I expected to ever type until very recently!

Heh heh, okay this is cute, I read in one of the new MLP books that...

Spoiler

small animals always follow Hitch around because he's protective of them haha maybe he's the Fluttershy equivalent in this series!

Omg cute!! ;o;

Spoiler

The G1 reference sounds interesting. Wasn't expecting anything like that.

[DreamvalleyMLP]

I finally finished it. It's an okay kids movie, and that's what it was supposed to be I guess. But it's not something I'd want to spend the price of a theatre ticket on.
It started out really promising but fizzled out in the middle and doesn't recover IMO. Like I said in a long ago post, they took the most iconic elements from FiM and smushed them all together.

Storywise: so many unaddressed elements that the target audience will I'm sure completely overlook, but the die hard fans (who they are also trying to appease to) are going to be left hanging with - without the assurance that they will be answered.

Lastly, n most importantly for me; when did breathing moments in movies go out of style??? Please, someone tell me, because I clearly missed it.

And lastly lastly, for real this time: the 80s MLP movie (which I rewatch regularly) was nothing more than a straightforward story/toy promo as well, just like this one. Why is it so much more digestible than this movie, though?

[Dragonflitter]

Just finished watching! Still digesting, so I have to formulate my thoughts for a full review... I agree it was a perfectly serviceable movie for kids. I don't think there's much that adults will get from watching it.

First and foremost, though... Did anyone else notice that all the ponies only have a cutie mark on ONE SIDE!? What in the world!? That makes no sense. I guess they wanted the new MLP generation to match the toy line? But that was never an issue with the animation for G3 or G4... I don't understand it. It makes them look so weird.

(Come to think of it... If the plot of the movie is that magic is completely gone from the land, why do the ponies even have cutie marks at all...?)

[DreamvalleyMLP]

First and foremost, though... Did anyone else notice that all the ponies only have a cutie mark on ONE SIDE!?

Yep. Not only that, they are also sooo tiny that it looks like they are of no importance at all anymore.

[Wardah]

First and foremost, though... Did anyone else notice that all the ponies only have a cutie mark on ONE SIDE!? What in the world!? That makes no sense. I guess they wanted the new MLP generation to match the toy line? But that was never an issue with the animation for G3 or G4... I don't understand it. It makes them look so weird.

I assume that the only reason G3 and G4 had them on both sides in the cartoon was so there wouldn't be animation errors with ponies having them on the wrong side. Now that they've moved to CG those kind of errors wouldn't occur anymore so that can finally have the animation match the toys?