Review | My Little Pony: A New Generation movie review – sparkles, songs and magic in latest animated feature based on the Hasbro toy range

Sight gags keep My Little Pony: A New Generation enjoyable for adults, but it mainly sticks to pleasing its key audience with sparkles, songs, magic and mares

While the film is not Pixar-level brilliant, A New Generation doesn’t fall flat either – it’s perfect for those already a fan of the franchise

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Sunny (voiced by Vanessa Hudgens) in a still from My Little Pony: A New Generation (category I), directed by Robert Cullen and José Ucha. James Marsden co-stars. Photo: Hasbro, Inc

Published: 9:00pm, 21 Sep 2021

3/5 stars

Like the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s so-called “Phases”, My Little Pony has come in stages. My Little Pony: A New Generation, the latest adventure based on the Hasbro toy range, spearheads a fifth incarnation of animated television shows and movies based around the Hasbro toy range.

The chances are youngsters won’t really care, as long as it gives them sparkles, songs, magic and mares – the very staples of this frothy filly franchise.

Directed by Robert Cullen and José Ucha, My Little Pony: A New Generation introduces Sunny Starscout (voiced by Vanessa Hudgens), an Earth pony from Maretime Bay who believes that her breed should extend the hoof of friendship to unicorns and pegasi. Others don’t feel the same.

“The important thing is you stand up for what you believe in,” says her father, Argyle (Spinal Tap’s Michael McKean), in Life Lesson#1 that the film doles out.

Fortunately, A New Generation never gets too preachy and there are some neat sight gags for adults to enjoy.