Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

jaxenross Just when you thought that "A Brony Tale" didn't meet too many expectations, this documentary will go down a treat. It heavily relies on the bronies and the convention, rather than being slow- burned and relying on ONE person making part of this fandom possible: Ashleigh Ball. Would recommend for the whole family. In spite of some profanity - the movie would've been given a PG- rating either way.

HeroOfTheDay666 I almost decided to not buy this documentary after hearing relatively mixed reviews about it. I decided to give it a shot to at least support the people behind it such as John de Lancie and Lauren Faust. After watching it, I'm so glad I decided to give it a chance."Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony" (rolls right off the tongue) is a documentary following the stories behind several bronies, their discovery of the show, and the impact it has had on their lives, for the better or worse. It also includes much footage from various pony cons from around the world, namely Bronycon. As the movie goes on, we see how these cons bring people from all over the world, with different backgrounds, together with a common interest. As a Brony myself, I was curious to see how my story of discovering the show and having this hobby would relate to others. While I did see a bit of myself in these young men, it was actually far more interesting to see what was different in our stories. Some of the events they describe, without spoiling anything, genuinely made me feel sorry for them, and at other times, proud of them. As the documentary continues, we see their lives intertwine at the Cons, and it really made me feel great to know that these previous outcasts now have people to share their interests with.The interviews with John de Lancie, Lauren Faust, Tara Strong, and a few other people in the Brony community are very intriguing, since it's not all that common to hear opinions on a fanbase from the people the fanbase hails. It made my day to hear support from such well known people, especially since taking such a positive outlook on Bronies is often seen as risky in the media. Also included is an animated song about the types of bronies sung by none other than de Lancie himself, however here he appears as his ponysona (the pony version of yourself.) The animation is top notch and is actually on par with the show itself. The only problem with it is that it is chopped up and spread out throughout the movie, when I feel it should have just been one whole piece like I originally saw it on Youtube. By the time the credits were rolling, I was feeling prouder than ever to be a Brony. The movie clearly establishes that the stereotypical fat neckbeard basement dweller is not your typical Brony, in fact quite the opposite. Not only that, but seeing the charity work Bronies do, as well as just supporting each other and trying to create a "kinder, gentler" world, as Lauren Faust put it, really warmed my heart. I haven't felt much shame for being a Brony for a long time, but now there is none whatsoever. It even inspired me to find someway to get more involved in the community.The only fault with the movie is that it is extremely one sided. Not that there is anything wrong with the Brony community in itself, but it doesn't mention that many online Bronies have become trolls and are a huge part of the reason that people have negative connotations with MLP.Overall, this documentary stands as a tribute to the Bronies, and a great informative video to everyone else interested in learning about this cultural phenomena. If you're a Brony who feels alone or ashamed, watch this and you will no longer feel so down in the dumps. Definitely worth the price of admission.

Commander Hurricane This documentary does an excellent job describing what the brony community is like. A lot of it is from the view of other bronies, but you get to see or hear a lot of what other people think.There's no shortage of heartwarming moments, and plenty of funny situations as well. The animations made for this documentary are very professional and look like something out of the show itself, not to mention the music that fits so fluidly with the animation.They did a great job capturing the real antics of the bronies who were interviewed during the documentary. It didn't feel like they had a camera crew following around.In all, it's a pretty entertaining documentary and also pretty informative even to bronies, but you certainly don't have to be a brony to enjoy and learn a lot from this film.

Ordinary Brony tl;dr: Watch this movie if you are a loved one or friend of a brony, or are just curious about bronies in general and want to understand the draw. You will "get it" by the time you finish this documentary.This film is also worth watching if you are a brony and want to know what open-minded outsiders and show creators think of bronies, or are looking for a medium through which you can show someone else what it's all about.If you're looking for a film to confirm your preconceived notions about bronies, or are looking for yet another media source through which you can take part in making fun of "freaks," then don't bother: You won't like this film.---Full disclosure: I am a brony, and I feel the handling of the subject matter in this film is as true-to-life as anything I've ever seen. I don't usually write reviews, but I am now in light of the fact that at the time of this writing, the film enjoys pretty good ratings on IMDb, yet almost all of the other reviews of the film are pretty negative.Let me correct a few misconceptions about this film: It isn't meant to try to convert you into being a brony. It's also not really even trying to defend bronies, or paint them in an overly positive light. The film seeks to help the viewer answer questions like "Who are the bronies?" and "Why would grown men like My Little Pony so much?" I believe this film accomplishes those goals very well.Specifically, the film starts by showing excerpts from interviews of bronies who were just as surprised at becoming fans of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic as the viewer probably is, then shows typical criticism of adult fans of the show as seen on popular media or among "normal" people.From there we're introduced to several typical bronies of various types in several parts of the world. Throughout the film we watch these people both as they make preparations to attend brony conventions, how things go for them at said conventions, and their reactions afterward. Interspersed with this are excerpts from the show, from independently-created animations and from interviews with show staff, other various bronies, professional psychologists and sociologists, and subject-matter experts. The point of these excerpts is to bring the viewer up to speed on some of the terminology, cultural aspects, inside jokes, and show-related specifics which add color and depth of understanding to the brony fandom.Part of the reason for telling the story this way, I think, is because the kind of people who identify as bronies and the reasons they do so are extremely varied. But through the narrative and footage you will learn what some of the more common traits, motivations, and values are, and what brings bronies together as a sort of extended family.I very much sympathized with the people whose stories we follow. I've known people who've faced physical violence because of how they choose to express themselves. I know people with severe problems functioning in social situations. I experienced both the alarm and anxiety, relief and joy as I got to see these people go through their experiences attending conventions. And I couldn't help but smile seeing the parallel between the bronies singing "Smile, smile, smile!" and the characters from the show doing the same.Overall, I was highly impressed by the film, and feel that it is the most accurate representation of the brony fandom created to date.To address some things brought up in other reviews:*The original animation done for this documentary was easily on par with the actual cartoon. It is an example of some of the best fan-made animation the brony community profusely produces. (And indeed, some of the best animation that *any* fandom produces.) *The film does jump around somewhat from story to story. If you're not paying attention, it could be easy to get confused. However, I found that the overall narrative that's being told is very cohesive.*The people chosen for their stories in the film actually are pretty typical of the fandom, as are the challenges they face. I don't have anything to back this up, except my experience in the fandom. Though, I do think several university-funded sociological studies have been made of the brony demographic which would back up this claim.*If you don't think that bronies are challenging social norms by first being willing to admit they sincerely, non-ironically enjoy a television show aimed at little girls, are willing in many cases to express this by wearing clothes depicting characters from the show, and also in many cases even trying to live by the values taught in the show… then all I have to say is you and I must not live on the same planet.*If you don't think the previous point warrants treatment in a documentary, then please feel free to make your own on whatever subject you wish, and quit wasting my time and the time of people who actually want to learn something about bronies.*If you think this film portrays bronies in too positive a light, then I would submit that you probably don't know many bronies. For the most part, they're just ordinary people who care sincerely about other ordinary people. And ordinary people tend to be good people. (Or at least, most bronies think so.)The only actual criticism I have for the film is that at certain points the camera work and audio are a bit wonky, particularly in those scenes in the "Mane Hall" at Bronycon. But I guess that's what sometimes happens when you're filming a live event and don't stage your footage.I found this documentary to be easily watchable, entertaining and informative. I highly recommend it for anyone curious about bronies and what makes them tick.