A Very Minty Christmas

Based on the popular Hasbro toy line first introduced in 1983, this My Little Pony holiday special is an overtly feminine explosion of pastel, neon, saccharine, frolicking fun, a festive escapade that finds the rainbow-maned, doe-eyed, simple-living equestrian residents of Ponyland focusing on preparations for Santa, including the creation of a huge candy cane, sprinkled with magical glowing dust and placed atop the town's purple Christmas tree to serve as a beacon to help Santa find his way each year. Everything is on track, until klutzy horse Minty accidentally smashes the candy cane to pieces! Although she tries to inform host Pinky (who replies that she's quite busy, but after Christmas “we'll sit and talk and laugh and giggle…”), Minty is eventually forced to take matters into her own hands, first sneaking into the others' homes to leave them a gift of one of her many pairs of socks, and then imploring winged whistling pony Thistlewhistle to accompany her on a trip to the North Pole to make sure Santa doesn't miss Ponyland. Wrapping up with a sugary-sweet singsong finale stressing that love and concern for others are the real themes of the season, this easygoing holiday title features a few DVD extras, including the bonus episode “Dancing in the Clouds,” and a pair of sing-alongs. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood)