Tuesday 28 November 2017

And the movie's UK run comes close to its end

I managed to see My Little Pony: The Movie in cinemas four times in the end. And yes, I paid my own money each time. That should tell you which side of the debate I'm on as to whether it's an enjoyable watch. (If you don't mind spoilers, my film review will do that anyway.) I've now seen all the G4 movies in the cinema, except of course Legend of Everfree which never got a big-screen release in the first place. (Someone out there hire a cinema room and give a private screening to fix this!)

Last week was the final one during which the film could really be considered to be on wide release. This coming week is rather different: here in the west Midlands, only one major cinema (Vue at Star City in south Birmingham) is showing it at all. A few small venues are still putting it on for one-night-only showings, such as Gloucester's Sherborne Cinema, but even those are becoming rarer. Paddington 2 and the re-release of Frozen are taking over the screens. (We don't get Coco in the UK until late January.)

It's been fun. Despite almost non-existent promotion (if you don't count branded merch) and often rather empty auditoriums, the movie has made $4.6 million over here, easily its best box office outside North America. I'm hoping that if we do get a sequel down the line, that will encourage the big UK cinema chains to show it widely again. It's been a great experience watching ponies on the big screen, and I'd love to do it again sometime. But now it's time for me to say goodbye to this flawed but greatly entertaining production.

Well, until the Blu-ray comes out.

6 comments:

  1. The fact that I saw this movie in the cinema more times than The LEGO Movie (still my favourite movie ever) means it must have done something right.

    If we never get a sequal, I won't feel like I've missed out on something great.

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    1. I think what struck me was that, even the fourth time round, I still loved just about every minute of it. Well, except the interminable trailers beforehoof! But it does seem to have staying power. :)

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  2. I cant revisit the cinema to enjoy the movie more than once because how disastrous the dubbed version of my country was (everytime Twilight say 'Friendship' word in my native language, it feel so cheesy that i pinned my friend's arm so hard), i dont even mention there are some dialogues are muted for some reasons, even MAIN CHARACTERS (f$&k!). For that reasons I mentioned, i have to wait for the DVD, to give the movie my second opinion, i hope my opinions will be improved.

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    1. I'm guessing all the cinema screenings in your country are dubbed, and none are in English? That's a shame. I don't understand why they'd mute dialogue, though.

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    2. I guess my country treat non-Pixar/non-Disney cartoons like craps. I remember when i saw Inside Out in my cinema, oh god, the dubs are great that i forgot to rewatch the movie in English, they even hire our singers and actors to voice characters... Mlp is just non-existence in my country, i guess.
      At least the songs are still english WITHOUT subs.

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    3. That's something, I guess. (The songs.) I forget sometimes how lucky I am as an MLP fan to live in an English-speaking country. The VAs are a huge part of Pony for me, and I'm sure I'd also be annoyed if I lived in a country where they got dubbed.

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