Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony (2012) (DVD Review)
Directed By: Laurent Malaquais
Starring: John de Lancie, Tara Strong, Lauren Faust
Rated: UR/Region: 0/Widescreen/Number of disc: 1
Available from MVD Visual
One would be hard-pressed to find a cultural sensation as unique and as unexpected as Bronies. Why are these grown men and women attracted to a cartoon intended for little girls? And why are they willing to brave society’s ridicule for their love of the show? This documentary discovers that the essential story elements of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic – Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty and Magic – have a universality that extends beyond age and gender, and that Bronies are pushing the boundaries of what society deems appropriate in their quest for a kinder, gentler future.
The recent rise of My Little Pony: Friendship Magic has been an odd one. There are just as many boys that seem to dig the show as girls and this movie dips down into that group. I’m sure it seems weird to you. Hell, it seemed weird to me. That being the case I still think you find by watching this that the fans of My Little Pony isn’t any weirder or stranger than Starwars fans, Twilight Fans, or maybe any other fans. The documentary has its high and low points, but it is stays interesting enough.
The movie doesn’t really seem to have any tension or drama built, we just dip in and out of the lives of one socially awkward Pony fan to the next. We learn that some face the same problems as gays and other types of people that society as a whole might call “different”. It is a nice look into the whole thing, but unless you are a fan of the show I’m sure there will be any re-watch value to it overall. It still is a nice watch for a once over and maybe some people who think the whole “Bronies” thing is dumb might want to take a peek at it.
– Two Bonus Segments
