Not great, but if you compare Princess and the Pony to other Asylum movies like Titanic II it is really quite easy to see which is the better movie. Princess and the Pony did have flaws.
The one-liners and dialogue manage to be both cheesy and flat(Oh, I like me some black licorice is such a cringe-worthy line). The story has its charms but is altogether rather predictable, and while a nice and identifiable angle the princess' struggles to fit in were just dealt with in a rather tame way. Bill Oberst Jnr's villain is too over-the-top too, it is a character we've seen many times before- in variations and literally- and he didn't really inject much threat or menace because his acting was throughout forced in alternative to natural. His somewhat stereotypical moustache was very fake-looking also, obviously stuck on with glue and at times it comes this close to falling off. And lastly the violence was taken too literally and realistically, when the villain waves the gun in the girls' faces it was rather too dark and violent, the tone just didn't fit with the light-hearted feel the rest of the movie had. And this complaint is not from an over-sensitive parent, though they are most likely to pick up on it, but from a 21-year old student.
Flaws out of the way, Princess and the Pony does look good, nicely shot and with pretty scenery and no noticeably fake special effects(well apart from the moustache). Easily one of the Asylum's better looking movies. The only noticeable moment that came across as cheap was a stormy rainy night scene, which looked as though it was coming from a very powerful hose-pipe. The soundtrack also infuses an infectious energy and is quite catchy too. The animal scenes are remarkably charming and touching too, and the princess and the pony's chemistry and their obvious care for one another will entrance younger viewers, very sweet. The morals(virtue and friendship amongst others) are good ones, that kids and adults alike will appreciate, done in a way also that doesn't talk down or at people. Fiona Perry is a bundle of joy in the title role. The mother and aunt figures are sympathetic as is the performance of Ron Hajak and the bumbling sheriff cliché is made more tolerable by a fun performance from Jonathan Nation. The pony is just adorable.
Overall, not great but decent, one of The Asylum's more tolerable outings. 5/10 Bethany Cox
