My Little Pony: The Movie

Name: My Little Pony: The Movie
Item: My Little Pony: The Movie
Rating: 2
Author: Renee Schonfeld

Movie review by

Renee Schonfeld, Common Sense Media

My Little Pony: The Movie Movie Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 5+

(i)

Re-release of '80s musical film may scare very young kids.

G
1986
86 minutes

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Parents say

age 10+

Based on 10 reviews

Kids say

age 4+

Based on 6 reviews

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My Little Pony: The Movie

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A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

Educational Value

Meant to entertain rather than educate.

Positive Messages

Good triumphs over evil. Teamwork is essential. Running away is not the answer. Other clear, direct messages: "It's easy to be courageous when helping others." "You can't give up hope." "Everybody has to help everybody else."

Positive Role Models & Representations

The assorted ponies (Flutter Ponies, Little Ponies, Baby Ponies, all with female voices) are helpful, brave, and resourceful and know what it takes to be a good friend. Occasionally a pony makes a mistake and then experiences some self-doubt, but the situation is always positively resolved. The three human children believe in the ponies and also are courageous and capable.

Violence & Scariness

Lots of cartoon action. Three comic witches, proud to be evil and mean, cast spells that threaten all of Ponyland. Chiefly, a rampaging, gooey, purple substance ("smooze") floods the land, covering vegetation and structures, including the Dream Castle. Hydia, the mother witch, is cruel to her two dimwitted daughters (she throws them down stairs, hits them); the girls fight. In addition, the ponies are menaced and/or frightened by: a ticklish monster-spider that roars and tries to attack them; Og, an unseen, growling presence living underground; the Shadow Forest's ferocious trees with glowing eyes and pointed branches; and a plant-like, barnacled creature that spews up slime. The ponies and their human friends get lost, are chased, fall from steep heights, dangle from cliffs, and narrowly escape danger in many scenes.

Sexy Stuff

Language

The three witches are mean and insult one another: "shut up," "stupid," "pea brain," "do-nothings."

Consumerism

When released in 1986, this film was created as a tie-in to the heavily marketed My Little Pony toy franchise. Four generations of toys, television series, and Pony merchandise (clothing, linens, home furnishings, and accessories) have followed. At the time of this movie's 30th anniversary rerelease, the brand is still popular and in great demand, making it one of the most successful franchises of its kind.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that for the 30th anniversary of the initial release of My Little Pony: The Movie, Shout! Factory has issued a new DVD that includes sing-alongs as a special feature. First created as a tie-in and marketing tool for the 1980s My Little Pony toy franchise, this film has a profusion of cartoon action and jeopardy and is best for children who are comfortable with the difference between real and imaginary violence. The ponies and their friends narrowly escape from an assortment of witches and comic monsters. They are chased, fall from steep places, are flooded by purple goo, and encounter what may be scary creatures for younger or more sensitive kids. The three witches are mean and insult one another: "shut up," "stupid," "pea brain," "do-nothings." My Little Pony is still a vastly popular brand with a continuing television series, merchandise, collectibles, and even fan groups made up solely of adult males. This early movie, with its original ponies, simple messages, and adventurous story, offers today's fans a look at what was and old fans a bit of nostalgia.

User Reviews

Parents say
Kids say

Parent Written byHeather M. July 9, 2019

age 5+

Loved this when I was a kid

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Adult Written byMega Molto June 22, 2019

age 2+

The critics are confusing this with the 2017 version

The critics are confusing this with the 2017 version.

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Teen, 15 years old Written byDogcat November 15, 2020

age 2+

One of the worst animated movies ever made....

Never mind Danny Divito voices the Grundle King. This movie is just terrible. Watch the 2017 film instead of this flaming piece of crap. In fact this movie is t... Continue reading

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Kid, 12 years old May 17, 2020

age 2+

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

How in the heck is a SNOOZE scary? Nothing is scary!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU MY LITTLE PONY!!!!!!! I LOVE IT SO MUCH I WANT PONYLAND TO BE REAL!!!!!!!!!! ITS NOT SCAR... Continue reading

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What's the story?

In the musical film MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE, all the ponies are happily living in Ponyland, and the Spring Festival is coming. Unfortunately, Hydia (voiced by Cloris Leachman), a wicked witch, and her evil daughters Draggle (Madeline Kahn) and Reek (Rhea Perlman), despise seeing everyone so happy. Their evil plan? They'll send Smooze, a slimy purple goo, into the land and destroy everything. At the same time, Lickety-Split, a Baby Pony, gets her feelings hurt when she tries a new dance step in the festival's show and no one likes it. She's so unhappy that she decides to "go it alone" and, accompanied by Baby Dragon Spike, takes off, only to get terribly lost once she's outside Ponyland. With the Smooze threatening them all, and with Lickety-Split gone, the ponies find themselves desperately in need of help. They call upon their human friends (two girls and a boy) and the magical Flutter Ponies, then set off to save the day -- not an easy task as they encounter an assortment of monsters, creatures, and the perilous Shadow Forest. It's only by working together, using wizardry and fairy power, and being very brave can the ponies make everything all right again.

Is it any good?

The franchise has evolved over the 30 years since this movie, the only My Little Pony feature, was released, so this film seems relatively primitive. Ponies, their stories, their messages, and their merchandise have gone through four generations of design development and creative change. In this early incarnation, the songs are generic. The adventures have elements that may be scary for kids who aren't able to discern the difference between real and make-believe violence. The super-sweet voices and saccharine dialogue may be hard to take for older kids and grown-ups. It's a clear example of a time when toy manufacturers were new to the world of mass marketing in a variety of formats. Still, there's a nostalgic appeal for the early fans and devotees who have kept this brand alive for so long. For today's My Little Pony fans, there are a lot better DVDs and series episodes to watch.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about how toys, movies, TV shows, apps, and merchandise often are interrelated. How does your family deal with the barrage of available products that are marketed in this way?
If you're currently a fan of My Little Pony, how have the ponies changed since this movie was made? What qualities do you see in the Friendship Is Magic series that were not present in My Little Pony: The Movie?
What does it mean when the Pony says, "It's easy to be courageous when you're helping others."