The success of the previous television specials bolstered Hasbro’s confidence in the My Little Pony property to venture into a theatrical release. It didn’t succeed as well as Hasbro had hoped, and while this might be one of the better offerings, it was clear the movie was meant to be part of the marketing push for the toy line. Audiences may have been put off by the critical reception at the time which wasn’t favorable, but I remember when it was released and it was gone almost instantly. I’m not sure how much of a marketing push My Little Pony: The Movie actually got. Then again, just a couple of months before the Care Bears had a theatrical sequel which was poorly received. And the Go-Bots. 1986 saw too many toy line inspired films all at once. Then a week or so after My Little Pony: The Movie was release Disney’s The Great Mouse Detective was released theatrically and it was the 500 pound gorilla that summer as far as animation was concerned.
Taken on its own, however, My Little Pony: The Movie really isn’t as bad as history makes it out to be. My Little Pony doesn’t have any built in antagonists, they had to be created for the film. This meant a clean slate as far as the plot goes, giving My Little Pony a bit more of a fresher feel than some other toy-based movies and television programs. Here we have the magical equestrians getting ready for the Spring Festival – and there’s a bit of drama surrounding the preparations. On top of that a witch and her two daughters are set on destroying any pony fun.
My Little Pony: The Movie came out in the summer of 1986. That autumn the television series debuted, starting with a multi-episode follow-up to the storyline of the movie. I like how there was an emphasis on continuity, establishing some sort of canon. For a toy line of ponies with no clear protagonist or antagonist My Little Pony holds up really well on film and television because the emphasis is on the characters.
Shout Factory brings My Little Pony: The Movie to DVD in a new edition that looks perhaps better than it deserves. I don’t know how much remastering was done but it certainly looks a heck of a lot better than the VHS copy I saw back in 199something. Sadly there is only some “sing alongs” as a bonus feature. I would have really liked to have seen an interview with Lauren Faust who developed the current “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic” series about how this movie and original series influenced her. Maybe an MP3 download of the songs from the film or a featurette looking at the history of the franchise.
While the plot may be rather silly there is still quite a lot for even newer fans to enjoy. It may not be a great movie, but it is pretty decent. Add to that the voice cast which included Rhea Perlman, Danny DeVito, nancy Cartwright, Frank Welker, Peter Cullen, Madeline Kahn, Tony Randall and Cloris Leachman.
Fans of My Little Pony will certainly enjoy this bit of nostalgia and a look at the way the franchise started out. It may not have the same impact the current television series does, but it is still a very positive and appealing film.