Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sweet tale of acceptance has some mildly scary scenes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
My Little Pony: A New Generation
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 22 parent reviews
Based on 46 kid reviews
Kids say this movie offers a mix of opinions, with some praising its colorful animation and positive messages about friendship, while others criticize the characters as lacking depth and the story as predictable and similar to previous generations. Many reviews highlight that the film may be too intense or scary for younger viewers, and although some fans find enjoyment in the nostalgic elements, it does not resonate as strongly as the original series.
- mixed opinions
- colorful animation
- predictable story
- intense for kids
- lacking character depth
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In MY LITTLE PONY: A NEW GENERATION, earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi live in fear of each other. But one earth pony has been raised differently: Sunny (voiced by Vanessa Hudgens) believes the different species can be trusted, and she wants to build bridges so they can all be friends again. When a friendly young unicorn, Izzy (Kimiko Glenn), turns up in Maretime Bay, Sunny helps her escape. Going against her community, including childhood-friends-turned-local-law-enforcement Hitch (James Marsden) and Sprout (Ken Jeong), Sunny sets out with Izzy to contact the pegasus community. There, they befriend princesses Zipp (Liza Koshy) and Pipp (Sofia Carson) and start to unravel the story behind the distancing of the various pony communities.
Is It Any Good?
You could easily dig for a political message in this film, but if all young viewers take away is the positivity of the sweet characters, tone, and messages, that's plenty. When My Little Pony: A New Generation's characters sing about welcoming others rather than "building your wall," a marching mob following their leader "brainlessly," or how a sheriff's badge creates an "unhealthy power dynamic," it's hard not to find parallels with the human world. But the film never gets too heavy or tries to make us forget we're in Equestria, with visually-rich and magical settings, candy-colored ponies, cute bunnies and other wild creatures, and language like "everypony," "somepony," and "thank hoofness." The star-studded voice cast brings these ponies to galloping life. Musical numbers vary between sweet, pop, and hilarious, with Ken Jeong's angry mob number standing out as particularly memorable.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the tale of My Little Pony: A New Generation builds on previous My Little Pony movies and plots. What's different in Equestria? What's the same?
Does this film have any lessons for humans? What would you say those are?
Sunny goes against the grain in the earth pony community to insist that unicorns and pegasi can be their friends rather than their enemies. Have you ever felt you needed to stand up to what others said? How did you feel?
How does the group of young ponies, unicorns, and pegasi demonstrate compassion and courage in their quest? Why are these important character strengths? How does their attitude compare, for example, with Sprout's or Phyllis's? Who is proven right?
How does Maretime Bay differ from the bustling city where the pegasi live and the gloomy forest of the unicorns? What do the settings say about the ponies that live there?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : September 24, 2021
- Cast : James Marsden , Vanessa Hudgens , Jane Krakowski
- Directors : Robert Cullenn , Jose Luis Ucha , Mark Fattibene
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship , Animals , Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : Some thematic elements; strobing effect could bother the photosensitive.
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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