A Brony Tale

A Brony Tale, as an ethnographic study of this culture, is a bit disjointed

Cheery docu dispels stereotypes of male My Little Pony fans.

This is an accessible, briskly paced documentary about a phenomenon that warrants exactly the level of investigation Hodges has given it here.

While it could have benefited from more insight from the people involved with show and follow-up commentary from Bryan, the movie poses interesting questions about gender roles in modern society.

At the same time, it's fascinating to watch Hodge peel back the curtain and show this community in all its perplexing glory.

As Brent Hodge vividly illustrates in his entertaining, insightful and affectionate documentary about a seemingly bizarre subculture, there's more to this phenomenon than meets the eye. Heck, it might even make a Brony out of you.

The payoff is just lovely, helping to revive A Brony Tale when it needs it the most, returning focus to the primal release of a man who's terribly excited about group of cartoon ponies and their shared adventures.

Some of its subjects definitely register high on a creepy meter, but the film does provide an interesting look at our expectations of manliness, gender norms and comments on sexuality.

Situates the phenomenon inside an identifiable world rather than setting it aside like it's some kind of otherness.