Stratus Skyranger: as much of the prequel story for the movie is in chapter books and IDW comics, Stratus made his appearance on the cover of Prequel comic #2 (with Spike, Rarity and Grubber on it) https://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/2017/07/my-little-pony-movie-prequel-2-released.html As for why they still made his toy? They're a toy company. Why not? Even a character that wasn't in the movie much can earn them money. (case in point, the blindbags)
Skystar and her sisters got cut because of time constraints, I'm guessing. The movie was already chock full of new characters who didn't get sufficient screen time and backstory as it is.
Cameo cuts: hey, they had to play where's waldo with the cameo to attract the adult fanbase who likes them, right?
From what I heard, it was all of the seaponies who were supposed to have a bigger role and join in the final fight on the Storm King, rather than just showing up after it was over, so Novo might've rallied her troops and led the charge with them, but who knows? Yeah, she didn't really do much in the finalized version of the movie. Such a shame. She didn't get many toys, either, which sucks, because it made her rarer (especially if you didn't want to buy a $100 castle set just to get her)
Twilight goes rogue didn't happen suddenly. She had peen putting up with her friend's "incompetence" and thoughtless actions since Klugetown, and even before that, when they wwre setting up the party in Canterlot, she was pscking herself out and putting all this pressure on herself to make things perfect and do things herself (heck, even Pinkie made it worse at the time with that "pep talk"). But yu could really see things start to go south when they were trapped in the pirate's ship, thinking of a way to get off and away from Tempest. Twilight asks what they're going to do, RD gives some cocky and unhelpful answer, then Twilight looks at her friends who are pretty much settling in to be captured (Rarity's silently freaking out, AJ settles in, Pinkie's doing....something unhelpful in that box of Storm King merch, and Fluttershy is hiding), then Twilight sighs and shakes her head, and takes it upon HERSELF to do something without her friends knowing (even when they escape and plummeting through the air, they're still wondering what she's doing, as she's building the hot air balloon). It's that moment that you can tie into her getting stuff done alone in Seaquestria, if you want to reason on it as such.
Fluttershy, Contrary to popular belief, had plenty lines. I don't know why people are thinking otherwise. Perhaps because she didn't seem to contribute much in the way of action, like RD, Rarity, and Pinkie did, but she still talked (and made noises) quite a bit. But if you don't believe me, I'll count them for you.
Line 1: Hoo. I don't think it's the balloon that's out of control, Pinkie Pie!
Line 2: Whoa!
Line 3: You got this
Line 4: We got this together
Line 5: And music
Line 6: That means we'll have to... leave Equestria. Oh!
Line 7: Yay.
Line 8: Oh....
Line 9: Ohhhh!!!
Line 10: He's a friend
Line 11: Oh, my!
Line 12: [squeaks]
Line 13: [sobs]
Line 14: Oh my goodness!
Line 15: [shivers]
Line 16: [yells] I can't look!
Line 17: Ooh!
Line 18: A g-g-g-g-ghost town?!
Line 19: [gasps]
Line 20: Then [pants] who did?
Line 21: Wow!
Line 22: [giggles] Yay.
Line 23: Aw, so cute!
Line 24: (Just one small thing)
Line 25: (Don't seem apart)
Line 26: Or a sing thing
Line 27: [gasp]
Line 28: [gasp]
Line 29: [whimpers]
Line 30: [sighs] This whole journey was such a mistake. [gasps] All we wanted was somepony to help us.
Line 31: How? We'll never catch up!
Line 32: [sighs]
Line 33: Ooooh.
Line 34: Awww.
Line 35: [gasp]
Line 36: [cheers]
Line 37: [whimpers] Ooh!
Line 38: You seem tense. Do you wanna talk about it?
Line 39: Let it all out.
Line 40: Oh! Sorry, our time is up. Buh-bye!
Line 50: [yelp]
Line 51: [screaming]
Line 52: [whimpering]
Line 53: Now what?
source: http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Transcripts/My_Little_Pony_The_Movie
I think part of the fluttershy issue is I was having a hard time distinguishing Flutter's voice from Rainbow's since its that same voice actress. I don't know why but it seemed like there were times where she was mixing up who she was supposed to be voicing? part of Rainbow's song I could have sworn fluttershy was singing it if I wasn't looking at who was on screen.Slight correction: Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie share the same VA, Rainbow shares hers with Applejack.
I don't count making a noise as a line. Fluttershy was a very passive character in this, and could have been cut from the movie and the exact same result would have come out. Rarely did her lines have any effect on the story (aside from the storm creature), and this is part of the reason that people consider her to have nowhere near plenty. It's partially that, and partially that in comparison to nearly every other main pony in the movie, she gets hardly any lines.it still requires time spent and effort on the part of the VA (if they didn't just recycle a noise from the show, but we don't know), so I consider it a line.I think part of the fluttershy issue is I was having a hard time distinguishing Flutter's voice from Rainbow's since its that same voice actress. I don't know why but it seemed like there were times where she was mixing up who she was supposed to be voicing? part of Rainbow's song I could have sworn fluttershy was singing it if I wasn't looking at who was on screen.Slight correction: Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie share the same VA, Rainbow shares hers with Applejack.
And Appkejack didn't say or do much, either, to be fair. It wasn't just Flutters.I'm hoping both AJ and Fluts will get some sort of major role in the sequel to make up for this one.
what sequel? The movie in 2020 (according to the leaks) is going to be a full-on reboot.And Appkejack didn't say or do much, either, to be fair. It wasn't just Flutters.I'm hoping both AJ and Fluts will get some sort of major role in the sequel to make up for this one.
I thought we were going to be getting another movie to wrap up FiM, and THEN the G5 movie.what sequel? The movie in 2020 (according to the leaks) is going to be a full-on reboot.And Appkejack didn't say or do much, either, to be fair. It wasn't just Flutters.I'm hoping both AJ and Fluts will get some sort of major role in the sequel to make up for this one.
I don't count making a noise as a line. Fluttershy was a very passive character in this, and could have been cut from the movie and the exact same result would have come out. Rarely did her lines have any effect on the story (aside from the storm creature), and this is part of the reason that people consider her to have nowhere near plenty. It's partially that, and partially that in comparison to nearly every other main pony in the movie, she gets hardly any lines.I think part of the fluttershy issue is I was having a hard time distinguishing Flutter's voice from Rainbow's since its that same voice actress. I don't know why but it seemed like there were times where she was mixing up who she was supposed to be voicing? part of Rainbow's song I could have sworn fluttershy was singing it if I wasn't looking at who was on screen.Slight correction: Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie share the same VA, Rainbow shares hers with Applejack.
Yeah, in various episodes we've seen that Fluttershy sometimes freezes up when she's scared and can't fly. I believe the first time we see this is the episode where the gang have to confront a red dragon whose breath is polluting Ponyville. That didn't bother me. However, I do feel like it was a missed opportunity not to have her cooing over the 'scary' caged creatures in Klugetown, maybe having a scene where Capper gains her trust by letting them go. That would have been cute.
Yeah, in various episodes we've seen that Fluttershy sometimes freezes up when she's scared and can't fly. I believe the first time we see this is the episode where the gang have to confront a red dragon whose breath is polluting Ponyville. That didn't bother me. However, I do feel like it was a missed opportunity not to have her cooing over the 'scary' caged creatures in Klugetown, maybe having a scene where Capper gains her trust by letting them go. That would have been cute.