History WesternAnimation / MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017

** While they've appeared previously in G4 storybooks and comics, the movie officially carries G1's [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent seaponies]] into the G4 animation. The song that happens in their kingdom, "One Small Thing", evokes a BusbyBerkeleyNumber, which the G1 seaponies' song also did.

** Tempest gives a disturbing smile to Twilight at the end of her VillainSong while her cage rises to the roof.

See also Creator/IDWPublishing's ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyTheMoviePrequel'' and ''Literature/TheStormyRoadToCanterlot'', a {{Prequel}} comic and junior readers' novel, respectively, that flesh out some of the film's new characters and set up the plot. Another junior novel series, ''My Little Pony: Beyond Equestria'', will serve as a continuation of the film. [[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas Not to be confused with]] [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie1986 the 1986 movie]] [[RecycledTitle of the same name]], which is set in the G1 animated continuity.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: When they're about to be discovered by Tempest and the Storm Guards, we get a shot from Twilight's perspective where she looks at each of her friends in turn and they all look useless in different ways: Rarity is freaking out, Fluttershy is catatonic with fear, Applejack is so stoic that she seems half asleep and Pinkie is goofing off. Twilight proceeds to [[spoiler:come up with a plan for escape and execute it on her own. While that's an impressive moment for her, it also shows that she's starting to see her friends as [[TheLoad dead weight]]]].

* FacePalm: Twilight's reaction to Rainbow Dash starting a motivational song for the Parrot Pirates is to facehoof, since it is more of the silliness that got them into this mess, and she thinks the pegasus is pushing their luck. She does it again after Rainbow performs a Sonic Rainboom, since she knows it's bound to attract attention, which it does.

* RepeatCut: At the movie's climax, [[spoiler:the shot of Pinkie Pie's giant party cannon firing the ponies into the tornado is repeated from four different angles]].

* RealityEnsues:
** Rainbow Dash performs her Sonic Rainboom on the pirate ship [[spoiler:and the sight of it leads Tempest to the ship]].
** While in Seaquestria, Twilight [[spoiler: tries to steal the Pearl of Transformation while using her friends as a distraction. What she [[DidntThinkThisThrough doesn't realize]] is that the throne room has a security system, so she sets off an alarm, resulting in her and her friends getting kicked out of Seaquestria]].
** [[spoiler:The Storm King may have the combined powers of all four Princesses and WeatherManipulation... but he also ''just'' got both powers literally minutes before the FinalBattle and has no clue what the Princesses' powers actually ''are''. He has no idea how to ''use'' them and while he is a quick learner, he's nowhere near as dangerous as he ''could'' be if he'd had time to fully figure them out.]]

A ''[[RuleOfThree third]]'' movie set in the ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'' universe was announced in February 2019 and released on September 24, 2021. That film, WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyANewGeneration'', is a [[AllCGICartoon 3D CGI]] SoftReboot to tie in with the upcoming fifth generation, and does not have any connection to this film (beyond being a DistantSequel to all of G4) or the 1986 film. A "successor" special, ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyRainbowRoadtrip'' done with the same animation and artstyle as this film, was released in June 2019.

A ''[[RuleOfThree third]]'' movie set in the ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'' universe was announced in February 2019, to be released on September 24, 2021. That film will be a [[AllCGICartoon 3D CGI]] ContinuityReboot to tie in with the upcoming fifth generation, and is currently not known to have any connection to this film or the 1986 film. A "successor" special, ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyRainbowRoadtrip'' done with the same animation and artstyle as this film, was released in June 2019.

* NotSoDifferent:

* DemotedToExtra: Applejack and Fluttershy are the only members of the Mane 6 who do not have much of a purpose in the film other than to help out on the mission. Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie do manage to do a lot more than them.

* DemotedToExtra: Cheese Sandwich, who appears in the party planning scene, but has no speaking or singing lines.

* OutOfFocus: Applejack and Fluttershy suffer from this (though not quite enough to be DemotedToExtra), being the only members of the Mane Six who are neither Princess Twilight nor able to befriend someone relevant to the plot. Fluttershy doesn't even get her own solo in "We Got This Together", while the other Mane Six all do. Just a duet verse with one of her bird friends.

A ''[[RuleOfThree third]]'' movie set in the ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'' universe was announced in February 2019, to be released on September 24, 2021. That film will be a [[AllCGICartoon 3D CGI]] ContinuityReboot to tie in with the upcoming fifth generation, and is currently not known to have any connection to this film or the 1986 film.

-->'''Celestia: Luna, quick! Go south, beyond the badlands! Seek help from the queen of the hippo-- ''[gets frozen by an Obsidian Stone]''

** [[spoiler:An equally angry Twilight retaliates by pointing out how lightly they'd been taking the whole mission, they were flinching when Twilight list down all the ways they'd goofed off or made things worse when she was trying to get things done. Pinkie switches it back onto her by pointing out she did the exact same thing when they had finally got it right, and furthermore proved she doesn't trust them and her friends didn't trust her, galvanising a now livid Twilight into snapping that [[WhamLine she'd be better off without friends like them]]. The ponies wisely decide this to be the cooling off period...[[FromBadToWorse to their detriment]].]]

** [[spoiler:An equally angry Twilight retaliates by pointing out how lightly they'd been taking the whole mission, they were flinching when Twilight list down all the ways they'd goofed off or made things worse when she was trying to get things done. Pinkie switches it back onto her by pointing out she did the exact same thing when they had finally got it right, and furthermore proved she doesn't trust them, galvanising a now livid Twilight into snapping that [[WhamLine she'd be better off without friends like them]]. The ponies wisely decide this to be the cooling off period...[[FromBadToWorse to their detriment]].]]

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: In regards to Twilight lashing at her friends in anger, it was certainly wrong and she was apologetic, but at the same time it was true that the rest of the Mane Six are not any better than her because they didn't seem to be treating the situation as seriously as it should have been and their behavior had repeatedly caused problems for their mission. Pointedly, Pinkie apologizes to Twilight as well despite Twilight's harsh actions, and even in their heated argument, the other ponies can be seen flinching or making sulky looks as Twilight lists down all the times they themselves screwed up, visibly aware their own track record wasn't brilliant.

** Likewise, the Mane Five all sulk [[spoiler:feeling they shouldn't have blown up at her when she called them out of their behavior, and waste no time trying to get her back when they find out she's been kidnapped]].

** [[spoiler:An equally angry Twilight retaliates by pointing out how lightly they'd been taking the whole mission, they were flinching when Twilight list down all the ways they'd goofed off or made things worse when she was trying to get things done. Pinkie switches it back onto her by pointing out she did the exact same thing when they had finally got it right, and furthermore proved she doesn't trust them and her friends didn't trust Twilight, galvanising a now livid Twilight into snapping that [[WhamLine she'd be better off without friends like them]]. The ponies wisely decide this to be the cooling off period...[[FromBadToWorse to their detriment]].]]

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: In regards to Twilight lashing at her friends in anger, it was certainly wrong and she was apologetic, but at the same time it was true that the rest of the Mane Six didn't seem to be treating the situation as seriously as it should have been and their behavior had repeatedly caused problems for their mission. Pointedly, Pinkie apologizes to Twilight as well despite Twilight's harsh actions, and even in their heated argument, the other ponies can be seen flinching or making sulky looks as Twilight lists down all the times they themselves screwed up, visibly aware their own track record wasn't brilliant.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: We see for the first time on screen the Mane Six [[spoiler:ever get legitimately and seriously ''angry'' with each other. The Mane Five [[WhatTheHellHero are totally pissed]] at Twilight, [[BewareTheSillyOnes Pinkie Pie]] in particular calling out Twilight for her nonsense in Seaquestria that caused the whole group to get kicked out. Twilight has an equal grudge with them, calling out their own thoughtlessness that ruined the rest of the trip, and when Pinkie labels her a hypocrite in that regard, she snaps and responds with [[WhamLine a comment so nasty]] that the rest of her friends are absolutely ''disgusted'' and outright leave her behind. It eventually comes back to bite them all. In particular, the seriousness of Twilight's WhamLine is shown by Pinkie Pie going very quiet and just softly saying "I can't talk to you right now" before walking off in tears. When the very talkative, affable, and friendly Pinkie Pie, the pony who wants to make friends with everyone, ''doesn't want to talk to you'', it's very serious]].

** Likewise, the Mane Five all sulk [[spoiler:feeling they shouldn't have blown up at her, and waste no time trying to get her back when they find out she's been kidnapped]].

** [[spoiler:An equally angry Twilight retaliates by pointing out how lightly they'd been taking the whole mission, listing down all the ways they'd goofed off or made things worse when she was trying to get things done. Pinkie switches it back onto her by pointing out she did the exact same thing when they had finally got it right, and furthermore proved she doesn't trust them, galvanising a now livid Twilight into snapping that [[WhamLine she'd be better off without friends like them]]. The ponies wisely decide this to be the cooling off period...[[FromBadToWorse to their detriment]].]]
* WhatWereYouThinking: Stated by Applejack [[spoiler:after the Mane Six get kicked out of Seaquestria because of Twilight]].

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar:
** While the Mane Six are lost in the Badlands, Rarity mentions she has "sand in my... everything."
** The first Klugetown merchant the Mane Six encounter asks Twilight if she's interested in selling her horn and has several horns prominently displayed on his cart. In RealLife, if an animal horn isn't sold as decor or a bugle, it's an aphrodisiac.
** Capper warns the fish guy "infected" with pastelis coloritis not to touch anyone "because parts will fall off". Cue the fish guy immediately covering his groin.
** One of the pirates is seen scratching his ass. Rainbow Dash is naturally disgusted by this.
** One of the {{Mooks}} Spike blasts with his flame doesn't get back up, implying that Spike may have killed him.

* AesopAmnesia: The Princess of ''Friendship'', Twilight Sparkle, ironically enough. She forgets virtually everything she learned throughout the main series. Because of her trials in the lands outside of Equerstria and her obsession and lengths she had gone through to save it, she briefly loses faith in the magic of friendship and drives the rest of the Main Six away. She got better though when they reunite in the climax.

* AesopAmnesia: Twilight Sparkle, because of her trials in the lands outside of Equerstria, briefly loses faith in the magic of friendship.

** "We Got This Together", in which Twilight's friends encourage her that they can do their part to prepare Equestria for the festival.

* AnimationLeadTime: The film's script was finalised between Seasons 4 and 5 of the main show but WordOfGod states that it takes place after Season 7. Judging by the huge number of {{Absentee Actor}}s[[note]]Dragons, Griffins, Changelings, Yaks, Shining Armor along with the Crystal Empire and The Pillars.[[/note]] that could have been more reliable allies instead of a nation that practically didn't exist until then, it shows.

** [[spoiler:After capturing Twilight, Tempest tells her through [[VillainSong song]] that she needs to "open up [her] eyes" and see the world as she does: an unjust, cruel place where you can't rely on anyone. Ultimately, Tempest is the one who has her eyes opened; Twilight saves her life, proving Tempest's philosphy wrong, and inspiring her HeelFaceTurn. The soundtrack even lampshades this by playing a softer version of the score from "Open Up Your Eyes" during that moment.]]