I'll take this bullet!
So I just got back from the New York premiere of MLP the movie. My wife was an associate producer on the flick so we got sent to the big show.
half this is humble brag, half this is "Yeah, so here's some thoughts on a franchise that has a notoriously weird side to it"
And I have experience with this... I edited and wrote on Thomas the Tank Engine for 4 years.
MLP has always been an odd thing for me cuz I am well aware of bronie culture, but a LOT of my friends work on it. I've known the director for years, and he'll fight you over slagging it. That show is his baby. It's hard to crap on it in front of him cuz he deeply cares about the movie and franchise... and I AM proud of him (and especially my wife!)
So when people heard I was going they were all "you must be excited!"... well... it's always cool to go to a premier.... but MLP?
I decided to go in with an open mind. I'm 41... I understand nerd culture. I'm going to watch and look out for all these references for adults that apparently puts this above being for kids.
I mean the GREAT PATTON OSWALT voices a character in the series.
Okay... so here are the TWO references for adults.
1. There's a pony superstar that's voiced and designed after Sia... her body guards are designed after Vince and Jules in Pulp Fiction (though they don't act like it).
2. A monster hears his parts may fall off and he grabs his junk in horror.
That's about it.
My main reason for having any excitement about going to this at all was that Zoe Saldana is a voice. If there was ANY chance I would meet GAMORA, I was in (I have not been shy about my love of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2)
She was not there.
:cry
Anyway... the movie itself!
Okay so from the start I was actually impressed with the animation. The whole thing is done in "Harmony" - which is like a better version of flash. It looked A LOT better than I thought it would. By the first song though I was getting restless. I'm not really a kiddie movie kind of guy, and was waiting for the adult pop culture references to kick in... I was waiting most of the movie.
So basic premise is there are a bunch of colorful pony characters who are super sugary and love being friends. then an evil Storm King guy sends an evil pony to do some black magic so he can use a magic power crystal.
The main pony cast escape, make friends and save the day.
Oh and they sing.
So... that's about it, really. Micheal Pena voices some sort of pig character that got a few chuckles cuz I'm sure he improvised his lines.
Anyway, it was still fun to see how into the whole thing everyone was. There weren't any Adult fans... it was mostly kids.
I grabbed some shots of the event...
Tara Strong (Harley Quinn) was there... I didn't recognize her at first, but every kid surrounded her so I took a second look and realized. It was weird... she was like some crazy princess everyone worshiped.
they had these giant pony costumes that were equally creepy and neat looking...
The wife (Arlyn) got a title card credit... pretty sweet...
Liev Schrieber was there... some girls next to me asked to take a pic and he kinda waved them off with "I'm with my kids"... the girls looked super awkward and I laughed.
But the actual fun highlight of the event was running into Jenny Nicholson on the way out. I had talked to her recently about possibly being in a short series I'm working on, so it was completely bizarre to just randomly run into her in New York.
I'm a fan of her humor...cool to meet her in person.
Oh and we're holding the $150 dollar toys they were just handing out as freebies. Me, my wife and kid all grabbed one and gave them to our friend in NY's kids. Which was lucky for us they wanted them... they would have been a nightmare bringing on the plane back.
The last premier I was at we got a hot dog.
So anyway... it was a fun time... but as far as the movie? I dunno... your kids will love it... it's like they found a way to make a candy store into a movie. A candy store I fell asleep in with 20 minutes left.
But even going in, open mind, I can't see why a grown adult would get super into this.
But if you're a series fan, good on ya... I'm sure this is more of the same... it's the same talented crew as the series.
So I just got back from the New York premiere of MLP the movie. My wife was an associate producer on the flick so we got sent to the big show.
half this is humble brag, half this is "Yeah, so here's some thoughts on a franchise that has a notoriously weird side to it"
And I have experience with this... I edited and wrote on Thomas the Tank Engine for 4 years.
MLP has always been an odd thing for me cuz I am well aware of bronie culture, but a LOT of my friends work on it. I've known the director for years, and he'll fight you over slagging it. That show is his baby. It's hard to crap on it in front of him cuz he deeply cares about the movie and franchise... and I AM proud of him (and especially my wife!)
So when people heard I was going they were all "you must be excited!"... well... it's always cool to go to a premier.... but MLP?
I decided to go in with an open mind. I'm 41... I understand nerd culture. I'm going to watch and look out for all these references for adults that apparently puts this above being for kids.
I mean the GREAT PATTON OSWALT voices a character in the series.
Okay... so here are the TWO references for adults.
1. There's a pony superstar that's voiced and designed after Sia... her body guards are designed after Vince and Jules in Pulp Fiction (though they don't act like it).
2. A monster hears his parts may fall off and he grabs his junk in horror.
That's about it.
My main reason for having any excitement about going to this at all was that Zoe Saldana is a voice. If there was ANY chance I would meet GAMORA, I was in (I have not been shy about my love of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2)
She was not there.
:cry
Anyway... the movie itself!
Okay so from the start I was actually impressed with the animation. The whole thing is done in "Harmony" - which is like a better version of flash. It looked A LOT better than I thought it would. By the first song though I was getting restless. I'm not really a kiddie movie kind of guy, and was waiting for the adult pop culture references to kick in... I was waiting most of the movie.
So basic premise is there are a bunch of colorful pony characters who are super sugary and love being friends. then an evil Storm King guy sends an evil pony to do some black magic so he can use a magic power crystal.
The main pony cast escape, make friends and save the day.
Oh and they sing.
So... that's about it, really. Micheal Pena voices some sort of pig character that got a few chuckles cuz I'm sure he improvised his lines.
Anyway, it was still fun to see how into the whole thing everyone was. There weren't any Adult fans... it was mostly kids.
I grabbed some shots of the event...
Tara Strong (Harley Quinn) was there... I didn't recognize her at first, but every kid surrounded her so I took a second look and realized. It was weird... she was like some crazy princess everyone worshiped.
they had these giant pony costumes that were equally creepy and neat looking...
The wife (Arlyn) got a title card credit... pretty sweet...
Liev Schrieber was there... some girls next to me asked to take a pic and he kinda waved them off with "I'm with my kids"... the girls looked super awkward and I laughed.
But the actual fun highlight of the event was running into Jenny Nicholson on the way out. I had talked to her recently about possibly being in a short series I'm working on, so it was completely bizarre to just randomly run into her in New York.
I'm a fan of her humor...cool to meet her in person.
Oh and we're holding the $150 dollar toys they were just handing out as freebies. Me, my wife and kid all grabbed one and gave them to our friend in NY's kids. Which was lucky for us they wanted them... they would have been a nightmare bringing on the plane back.
The last premier I was at we got a hot dog.
So anyway... it was a fun time... but as far as the movie? I dunno... your kids will love it... it's like they found a way to make a candy store into a movie. A candy store I fell asleep in with 20 minutes left.
But even going in, open mind, I can't see why a grown adult would get super into this.
But if you're a series fan, good on ya... I'm sure this is more of the same... it's the same talented crew as the series.