User reviews

If you've never read the book, the movie might come across as new and heartwarming. I read this book almost every night, and what's just a fun story about a pony pretending to be a unicorn and being famous, the movie takes that and is fully bloated of a new plot of her desperately wanting to be in a band and be a singer that's known well, which takes away from the aspect that she just wanted to be a unicorn in the book for the feel of being a unicorn. So my kids didn't like it, and I hate how every kids movie has to be a musical of some sort, it just feels overdone, and the movie comes across as a weird merge of 70s Hollywood with modern technology, which just makes the film odd to me. Thelma tries way too hard to be trendy and aim at kids. And the voice actress does a tremendous job, I guess it just feels off from what the book shows you, it just doesn't feel like Thelma.

That was cute. Love the animation style and the quality which reminds me of many other Netflix's Animation Original Movies. A great number of characters and I love the world building aspect of this movie.

For me, Otis was the most likeable due to his few beautiful dialogues with Thelma. But Thelma was undeniably the main character of this movie and can relate to many people as she was feeling insecure despite being so talented.

The storyline and progression itself were cute and very family oriented. The mood setup was bright and very welcoming to watch. Few references to the LGBTQ+ community, which were cute and appreciated.

Great original songs and kudos to the voice casts for their compelling performances. Recommended.

As a huge fan of Aaron Blabey's original books it keeps the core messaging of "be yourself" but changes how Thelma is revealed which is no where near as touching or meaningful as the original story.

The extra characters are funny and the secondary story of the rival singer feel like filler vs actually being a pivotal plot point which again takes away from the power of the core message the books conveyed perfectly.

On the whole is modern and bright and my kids loved it so it gets a pass for the underlying "just be yourself" but I would have preferred it more aligned to the books.

Alas Aaron Blabey signed off so it is what it is.

Glitter, fantasy, pink, unicorns. Check, check, check, check. Another film about staying true to who you are; having fun while doing it! Yes, there are plenty of predictable cliches here, but a fun watch for some distraction. As long as you are you expecting any in depth meaning with lasting emotional influence. Not to say there are not good lessons and themes played on throughout the film, but they are not presented in any way that we have not all seen before. It is based on characters in the book by Aaron Blabey, actually two books. Blabey also did The Bad Guys, highly recommended books + film. These illustrated children's books do indeed follow the same general truth for adult's books- namely, that books are almost always better than the film!

It's hard to turn a 5 minute picture book into 90 minutes of film, but Thelma the Unicorn will (probably) keep little kids entertained.

Of course there's an overarching message of being who you are etc, filled in with interesting moments about the culture of celebrity, the cult of fame, and how your favourite stars are carefully curated with marketing. As an adult and well out of the target demographic, this was the most interesting part of the film. My kid, aged 9, is a bit too old for it too but having grown up with the book, she wanted to see it. And she loved it!

Recommended for the under 10s.

Thelma the pony, Otis the donkey, and Reggie the llama are lowly farm animals who dream of becoming rock stars as The Rusty Buckets. They try to get into SparklePalooza, but are dismissed by the judges before they even start playing. A carrot and accidental glittering gives Thelma a new look and newfound popularity.

This is a simple Netflix animated movie for the kiddies. Adults will probably get bored with this derivative story. I do like the start although it is a bit short. The movie never surprises once it gets on the tracks. I would have liked staying on the farm and make this about the farm hierarchy. This is fine... for the kids.

It's a cute little family B movie that is lighter on divisive politics than I expected a movie about a pink unicorns to be. Refreshingly opposite of what Disney would've chose to do with it.

The plot is predictable but has a good message, especially if you dislike what the music industry has become in the last twenty years. It moves along at a fairly quick pace and won't make you crazy like some other children's entertainment.

No that isn't Tim Curry, but one would sure hope he is getting image and likeness royalties for the Vic Diamond character. It's really well done, but there is no doubt who that was modelled after.

The balding, middle aged German unicorn-fan featured throughout the movie has self harm scars on their arms. Interesting artistic choice and I am curious as to the reasoning behind that one. Otherwise a generic film with a good message of self acceptance for kids but ultimately makes me want more creative and original films for our children to enjoy. The golden age of Disney comes to mind with films like Aladdin and Toy Story having unique premises that are equally enjoyable for adults. This film might serve best as mindless schlock to put on with your children but I regret committing to watching this film in it's entirety.

I'm sorry to say this but even as someone that loves rock music, this one was honestly not good. Thelma The Unicorn is just nothing but a bland kids movie that misses the mark of music representation badly. Maybe not something horrible with the okay animation, but that won't make up for an uninspiring story that pushes down on its moral of being yourself, annoying characters, easily forgettable songs, an obnoxious pop musical number that I'm glad would never make the radio, a highly inconsistent logic of animals in the humanity society for all the wrong reasons, and comedy that can be odd and kinda non-existent. I honestly would say that the kids would be more suitable so that they can enjoy the talking animals and the unicorn herself. Other than that, even if you are a music fan, I don't really think this will be worth your time. There are movies out there like Almost Famous and School of Rock that do a better job with the music representation. I really gave this a chance and hoped to be something worth watching considering that the book it was based on is the same author as The Bad Guys. But I guess maybe that has the much better materials to be something great. So if you really want to be someone special, don't be a unicorn. Be a bad guy.

Just turned it on for my daughter and got lucky. Great songs, actually funny, good characters, and had a good message. She's got it on all the time now and I really don't mind. Me and my wife love the Alabama shakes as well so that was a nice surprise that the lead singer was Thelma and it's always good to hear will forte.

I'm glad it didn't get really dark, weird or tragic. There wasn't any deaths to avenge or over your head themes to explain to my kids but it wasnt dull enough where I couldn't watch it Iether like paw patrol. Good flick if you you are sick of that strange lady bug show and barbi.

This film is nothing if not a prime example of the new, modern approach to children's movies.

It goes at 300mph, showers the viewer in constant noise, colour, flashing lights and rapid fire voice lines. But it's all glitz and no substance, which - considering the moral of the story as presented - is so bitingly ironic that one can taste it.

The film, in essence, really only has one* joke, but repeats it about 45 times a minute.

(*That joke being "cooky looking character with silly voice jumps on screen and talks very fast".)

Look, children used to watch films like An American Tail, Dark Crystal and Watership Down.

They are not inherently too stupid to understand films with an emotionally resonating core.

But movies like this go a long way towards making them such.

In a day and age where attention deficit disorders are rampant, schools struggle with students who refuse to engage with any material that is longer than a 15 second TikTok and so on, this film and others like it are the equivalent of dousing a burning house with gasoline.

1982 gave us The Last Unicorn, and if I were to go by what this movie presents, it's a shame that title didn't hold up.

It's meant to be a take on the idiocy of fame I get it but the animation is just awful - it goes for the most obvious joke every time too. Very 'American'. Not a great kids movie either as a lot will go over their heads. It's also gross at times and the storyline is too obvious throughout, a pony gets covered in pink paint with a carrot on its head - people think it's a unicorn. The unicorn becomes famous, then loses its friends, and regrets it, and so on and so forth. It's based on a book apparently but is totally unrecognisable.

So anyway there are loads of better animations out there, ones with less obvious slapstick humour (which probably took all of 30 mins to write).

This movie will definitely keep you entertained for 1 hr and a half it's cute, very funny/weird, and charming animation. The characters are nice although the design and movements of some characters are questionable to say the least but that just adds to the comedic tone of this movie. The pace is very nice and it gets done what needs to get done. The songs are good, I don't think they're great, but it fits with this kind of movie. The animation isn't anything groundbreaking, but I thought the animation was better than I thought it was gonna be especially judging from the trailer, so that's nice.

So overall, I very fun film that, while not for everyone, will make you laugh and definitely keep you entertained for the time being.

Another netflix film for kids with a completely screwed up message. A horse isn't a unicorn, no matter if they stick a fake horn on their head or not. Remind anyone of anything??? Anything at all? Because I know it's not a metaphor for genitalia. Oh wait.. . Well, nice KIDS MOVIE. I'm all for letting your kids have an imagination and wanting to be a princess/gi joe when they are older, but unless they marry a prince or spend years training in the most physically difficult trials as a seal, then become us's #1 soldier, it won't ever happen. But that's not this, the sexual undertones in this aren't even hidden well. At least in the past, movies have tried to make a sneaky attempt to introduce your children to sex, but this was straight out creepy.

Looking at the surface, there should be no reason to have high expectations for this movie. But it was the behind-the-scenes talent that got me intrigued. It is directed by Jared Hess, the man who brought us "Nacho Libre" and the Oscar nominated Animated Short "95 Senses". The movie is based off the same author of "The Bad Guys", which was a surprisingly good time. And even has a writer from the hit and miss show "Teen Titans Go!". So, I actually went into this film with optimism. Too much hope for what this movie deserves.

This movie is the very definition of a (5/10). It is a completely average animated film. At the 5-minute mark of the story, you can guess EXACTLY what's going to happen. It is one of the most tired and clichéd kids' movie story you can imagine.

What's ironic about it is that the same writer already did a spoof of this exact same premise in "Teen Titans Go". The writer goes from making fun of the tropes, to making a sincere version of the same story with no variation or twist on the formula.

It's nothing offensive, it has a few good jokes. The world of talking animals and people living together leads to some fun possibilities. Even the flies in this world can talk, that's something.

The music in this is just fine. Not great, not bad... you may have noticed that as a common theme for this review.

But it's also nothing special. It is not a rarity, it does not sparkle or glimmer, it just...is.

So many poor creative choices for what is supposed to be a kids movie. Elements of self harm, sexual innuendo, furries, scenes focused on butts, etc., Overall, just gave me a real gross impression.

Tried to send a good message and generally does but it's ruined by the rest of the film. The characters' style leaves a lot to be desired as well, although that's pretty subjective.

Also I feel the need to point out horses don't chew cud, even if they did the use of that for what might have been comedic purposes came off gross again. Which seems to be my real issue with the whole film. I don't recommend this for impressionable children.

This movie is one of the worst animated movies I've ever seen. Do not watch. And if you watch It good luck. I hate this movie so much. I would rather eat A block of glue covered in bugs. Then watch this movie. I am never watching this movie ever again. And you should not watch this , you're Going to regret it. Do not watch another bad thing about this movie. Is netflix made it netflix failed with This one I Was Not watching animted movies for a month. That's how bad this movie was. I would rather Just do not watch this movie. You do not watch it I hate this movie so much. The characters I even hate the book.

Lemme start by saying I'm a huge fan of Jared Hess. I love all his work. I was excited to learn he was directing an animated movie as I love the Napoleon Dynamite animated series.

The music, the original songs were surprisingly fantastic. I was shocked that every single song was great which is rare for an animated musical. Brittany Howard has a perfect voice for Thelma.

The plot and pacing was strong, with good character development without ever feeling boring and the theme carries a powerful feel good message

This movie features voice acting from many of Hess' past stars like Zach Galifianakis, Will Forte, Jemaine Clement, and John Heder, all of who add a nostalgic touch to the film. Clement's Vic Diamond was hilarious and reminded me of the Colonel from Baz Lurhman's Elvis.

Conclusion, this movie was a refreshing and unique entry into the streaming world and I really enjoyed it. It's funny and entertaining for kids and adults alike, and I hope you get to watch it.

Thanks for reading.

This is just a dumb movie for kids not for adults, they only reason you should be watching this thing its. Because you put the movie to your kid and the mother is busy and you the father are the one taking care of the kid, that's a pain i know but we are fathers and its our responsibility, the music and characters are made by AI it's just basic stuff, the animation its Very bad tbh it looks like a expensive television episode of a kids show about a unicorn, there is nothing to enjoy here as an adult, nothing, even the voices are pretty bad to be honest, Will Forte and the others are just themselves talking, anyway boring 5/10.

If i had this movie playing on a TV and placed that TV next to a dumpster fire, i would see no difference. This movie is pure, unfiltered garbage. I have no idea why anyone thought they could make a good plot out of a 28 page book for preschoolers. The animation itself is bad, the jokes make little to no sense and are disgusting, and i couldn't go past the halfway mark!

The god of bad movies is seriously so proud of himself for this. That's the only award this thing got.

I feel bad for the writers, personally. The director told them to make a movie about a unicorn and fame with gross jokes and they took that as a request to make garbage.

That dumpster fire looks way more appealing.

Our whole family LOVED this movie!!! The music was so fun and catchy with really thoughtful lyrics and excellent vocals. The overall deeper meaning behind the movie is a great message to send to young kids today. The whole cast did a great job and there are lots of LOL moments for parents and kids. So happy to have something new in the rotation. It's hands down the best kids movie Netflix has delivered since Vivo. If you are sick of all the junk shows that have been coming out lately, you will love watching this with your kids! And don't let the unicorn theme throw you off, it's definitely not just another unicorn themed show. It has something for everyone. Perfect for family movie night!

**Thelma the Unicorn (2024)** is a vibrant and charming animated film directed by Jared Hess and Lynn Wang, bringing to life Aaron Blabey's beloved children's book. The story follows Thelma, a pony with big dreams of becoming a musical superstar. After a comedic mishap involving glitter and pink paint, she transforms into a unicorn and catapults to stardom. While the film boasts a colorful aesthetic and engaging performances, it has received mixed reviews for its execution and depth.

The plot centers on Thelma, voiced by Brittany Howard, who longs to escape her mundane life and achieve musical fame with her band, The Rusty Buckets, consisting of Otis the donkey (Will Forte) and Reggie the llama (Jon Heder). Their dreams seem out of reach until a glitter-filled accident gives Thelma the appearance of a unicorn. Her new look and subsequent viral fame attract the attention of a sleazy talent agent, Vic Diamond (Jemaine Clement), who propels her into the limelight. However, as Thelma's popularity soars, she grapples with the superficiality of her new identity and the pressures of maintaining her facade.

One of the film's strengths is its animation. The vibrant and lively visuals capture the whimsical essence of Blabey's original illustrations. The characters, particularly Thelma, are endearing and well-designed, with intricate details like Thelma's textured mane adding a touch of authenticity to the fantastical elements. Despite this, some critics argue that the animation lacks the depth and polish seen in works from studios like Disney or Pixar. The backgrounds can appear flat, and the human characters, in particular, lack dimension.

Brittany Howard's performance as Thelma is a highlight, bringing warmth and earnestness to the character. Howard, known for her musical prowess with Alabama Shakes, infuses Thelma with a believable passion and vulnerability, making her journey relatable and heartfelt. Her singing, a crucial element of the film, is powerful and adds a layer of authenticity to Thelma's rapid rise to fame. The supporting cast, including Forte and Heder, provide solid comedic relief and help round out the ensemble.

The film's humor is another notable aspect, with plenty of jokes and slapstick moments aimed at younger audiences. The absurdity typical of Hess's previous works, like "Napoleon Dynamite," is present here, contributing to the film's light-hearted and entertaining tone. However, some of the humor and visual gags might be unsuitable for very young viewers, and there are moments where the jokes feel a bit forced or out of place in a children's movie.

"Thelma the Unicorn" also explores themes of identity and authenticity. As Thelma navigates her new life as a unicorn superstar, the film delves into the cost of fame and the importance of staying true to oneself. While these themes are crucial and resonate with both children and adults, some critics feel that the film only skims the surface, missing opportunities to explore these ideas in greater depth. The moral message, although clear and valuable, is delivered in a somewhat predictable manner.

The music in "Thelma the Unicorn" is a mix of hits and misses. While there are a few standout numbers, such as the humorously absurd "Here Comes the Cud," many of the songs fall into the realm of generic and forgettable. This inconsistency in the soundtrack detracts slightly from the overall experience, given the film's focus on Thelma's musical aspirations

In conclusion, "Thelma the Unicorn" is a visually appealing and enjoyable film with strong performances and a heartwarming story. It successfully entertains its target audience with humor and vibrant animation, though it may fall short for older viewers and those seeking a more profound exploration of its themes. Despite its flaws, it offers a valuable lesson about authenticity and the true cost of chasing one's dreams, making it a worthwhile watch for families.