My Little Pony: A New Generation Parent Guide
With strong positive messages for young pony fans and some meta jokes for adults, this is certainly an adequate choice for family movie night.
Parent Movie Review
The land of Equestria, which used to be a place where Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi lived together in harmony, has lost its magic. Now the three species live apart in fear of the others. But one idealistic pony, Sunny (Vanessa Hudgens), wants to change all of that and bring magic back to the land. When a unicorn, Izzy (Kimiko Glenn), stumbles into Maretime Bay, Sunny sees a chance to show everyone how Equestria used to be and remind them of the magic of friendship.
I’m not overly familiar with the My Little Pony universe: I was a bit too young to be a fan in the 90s and too old during the revival in the 2010s, so it never caught on for me. I was a bit worried this film would be tied up in a bunch of lore and background and I would end up lost, but luckily that was not the case. This story takes place in the same universe as past iterations, but in a different time period, so there’s absolutely no background information needed to understand the world. This is a completely stand-alone adventure, which makes it a great entryway for newcomers, but is also satisfying for long time fans of the franchise.
Yes, this is media aimed at young children so there’s going to be some logical flaws (I have opposable thumb related questions) and a few cringy moments, but overall, the writers managed to balance writing for children while also throwing in some decent stuff for the adults. The movie is surprisingly funny, even including a few meta jokes that grown-ups will appreciate.
Where the film really shines is in its positive messaging. All the ponies learn to overcome fear and prejudice and let in love and friendship, which benefits everyone. The ponies learn to think critically about the messages they’ve been given about other creatures and challenge them through acceptance and openness. There are also some deeper themes, if you’re willing to look for them, around how capitalism and governments utilize and manufacture fear in order to increase their power and profits. Will young kids get that? No. But did this English major read way too far into that? Yes, I did.
As an added bonus, this is about as clean a movie as you’re going to find anywhere. Aside from one or two relatively perilous moments and a bit of cartoony falling and bumping, there’s really nothing negative of note. If you have a young pony fan at home, I imagine they’ll be more than thrilled by this new addition to the franchise, and parents might even crack a smile too.
Directed by Robert Cullen, Jose Luis Ucha, Mark Fattibene. Starring James Marsden, Vanessa Hudgens, Jane Krakowski, . Running time: 90 minutes. Theatrical release September 24, 2021. Updated February 24, 2022Watch the trailer for My Little Pony: A New Generation
My Little Pony: A New Generation
Rating & Content Info
Why is My Little Pony: A New Generation rated PG? My Little Pony: A New Generation is rated PG by the MPAA for some thematic elements
Violence: There are some slapstick style antics including falling and getting bumped on the head. A giant robotic pony tries to knock down a building by slamming into it repeatedly, which causes characters in the building to hang perilously from the roof and eventually fall.
Sexual Content: None.
Profanity: There are a few minor insults such as stupid and maniac.
Alcohol / Drug Use: None.
Page last updated February 24, 2022
My Little Pony: A New Generation Parents' Guide
What are the Earth Ponies taught about Unicorns and Pegasi? Are those things true? What are some things we’re told about other people and how can we find out if those things are true or not?
Home Video
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The land of Equestria, which used to be a place where Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi lived together in harmony, has lost its magic. Now the three species live apart in fear of the others. But one idealistic pony, Sunny (Vanessa Hudgens), wants to change all of that and bring magic back to the land. When a unicorn, Izzy (Kimiko Glenn), stumbles into Maretime Bay, Sunny sees a chance to show everyone how Equestria used to be and remind them of the magic of friendship.
I’m not overly familiar with the My Little Pony universe: I was a bit too young to be a fan in the 90s and too old during the revival in the 2010s, so it never caught on for me. I was a bit worried this film would be tied up in a bunch of lore and background and I would end up lost, but luckily that was not the case. This story takes place in the same universe as past iterations, but in a different time period, so there’s absolutely no background information needed to understand the world. This is a completely stand-alone adventure, which makes it a great entryway for newcomers, but is also satisfying for long time fans of the franchise.
Yes, this is media aimed at young children so there’s going to be some logical flaws (I have opposable thumb related questions) and a few cringy moments, but overall, the writers managed to balance writing for children while also throwing in some decent stuff for the adults. The movie is surprisingly funny, even including a few meta jokes that grown-ups will appreciate.
Where the film really shines is in its positive messaging. All the ponies learn to overcome fear and prejudice and let in love and friendship, which benefits everyone. The ponies learn to think critically about the messages they’ve been given about other creatures and challenge them through acceptance and openness. There are also some deeper themes, if you’re willing to look for them, around how capitalism and governments utilize and manufacture fear in order to increase their power and profits. Will young kids get that? No. But did this English major read way too far into that? Yes, I did.
As an added bonus, this is about as clean a movie as you’re going to find anywhere. Aside from one or two relatively perilous moments and a bit of cartoony falling and bumping, there’s really nothing negative of note. If you have a young pony fan at home, I imagine they’ll be more than thrilled by this new addition to the franchise, and parents might even crack a smile too.