What is a Brony you ask? Good question. Trekkers/Trekkies, Gleeks, Xenites, Whovians, X-Philes, Pokemaniacs and Browncoats all have their respective spots in the fanatical geek parking lot. Enter A Brony Tale, Brent Hodge’s documentary that sets out to enlighten us about a growing phenomenon and the subculture of fans who embody a positive message.
The term Brony typically refers to male fans of the pastel ponies from the animated series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Even in its recent resurgence, the target demographic of Hasbro’s ’80s staple My Little Pony is young girls. But as the tagline on the one sheet says it’s “A film about men… who like My Little Pony,” which right off the bat certainly welcomes exploration into the creepy factor.
Depending on which part of the subculture lore you subscribe to, “Brony” was coined from combining the words “pony” and “brother,” or was based upon the B channel of the online image board 4chan where this new geek movement took the first steps in 2010.
Hodge’s film (presented and produced by Morgan Spurlock) explores the phenomenon through fans, professionals and select groups from all around the country. For us civilians, our main tour guide is Hodge’s friend Ashleigh Ball, a Canadian actress/singer who voices Rainbow Dash and Applejack on Friendship Is Magic. Like many who work in a heavily fan favorited genre, Ball has deep affection for her characters and the positive message the show promotes.
She has a signature character-inspired catchphrase via Rainbow Dash: “20% cooler,” which is an sure fire crowd pleaser and something that has taken on an entire life of its own. But there are understandable boundaries Ball has in regards to her livelihood and we get to follow her as she interacts with the loyal, if not fanatical, legions of Pony followers.
Ashleigh is also the lead singer of the band Hey Ocean. Since becoming an internet sensation through her pony voice over work, Brony attendance at her live shows has steadily increased, which has become somewhat of a baffling blessing to her band mates, who realize most of these attendees would ordinarily never be at their concerts.
Ball gets invited to be a guest at BronyCon in NYC. At first she finds the thought of attending a bit daunting. Her fans are wonderful but admits to one creepy stalker incident. She is fully aware that fans know infinitely more about the series than she does, and is concerned she will inevitably fail to be a success at the panel Q&A in front of a huge audience. When she travels to the Big Apple, she is greeted by some convention volunteers, all card carrying Bronies, and taken via limo to her hotel. There she wisely brushes up on background lore that may serve her well when she hits the stage and meets her fans.
In addition to Ball, Hodge explores the culture through Patrick Edwards and Marsha Redden, a husband and wife psychologist team and parents of their own Brony, Will. They dispel common misconceptions by breaking down the age, gender, and sexual orientation percentages of the fan base.
We meet Bryan Mischke, a talented artist who enlisted in the army at 17 found himself deployed to Iraq by the time he was 18. He could not bring himself to draw for a year, but found inspiration from My Little Pony to pick up his pens and inks again. He nervously admits his plans to travel to BronyCon and present a special drawing of Princess Celestia to Nicole Oliver, who provides the voice on the show.
It would have been good to have a side representing the animated series or Hasbro, so the film leans heavily into the fandom court. Ball is interviewed in a recording studio, but it’s not while Friendship Is Magic is in production. There could be a need for a sequel chapter when Bronies work their way to holding the equivalent of Klingon Weddings or licencing Brony Beer. It’s still relatively in nerdom infancy.
While this film serves as a good 101 course, this isn’t the place if you’re looking for the hardcore freak factor (for better or worse), their unusual world is treated with respect. Overall this is a fan’s positive point of view, sharing with us singalongs on the Santa Monica Pier and introducing us to bald biker dude Dusty Rhoades, also known as Dustykatt. He proudly shows off his pony tattoo and likes to be known as the “Manliest Brony In The World.”
While it doesn’t delve deep into the world to the same degree Spurlock’s 2011 documentary Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan‘s Hope did for that (albeit larger) target group, A Brony Tale offers wonderful insight into this growing geek genre, which is rich with tattoos, fan art, online chatter, cosplay and flourishes with positive vibes. Ashleigh is an adorable and relatable ambassador for the Brony movement and helps make the film fun worthwhile viewing.
It’s promised that as long as My Little Pony exists, there will be Bronies. While this fun film may not make a Brony out of everyone, you will feel better recognizing the traits of the colorful fans of a show that promotes good will, a sense of solidarity and community.
A Brony Tale comes to Video on Demand July 15.
REVIEW RATING: ★★★★★
Director: Brent Hodge
Starring: Ashleigh Ball, Donald Rhoades, Mike Bernstein, Bryan Mischke, Patrick Edwards
Screenwriter: Brent Hodge
Studio: Virgil Films
Rated: Not Rated
Running Time: 79 minutes
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