Imagine being in a band and having an amazing voice and incredible songs but because of your look you are told you will not make it. This news not only hurts you but makes you question what you need to do to succeed. In Thelma the Unicorn, Thelma, voiced amazingly by Brittany Howard, goes through an accidental change that she uses to not only promote her band but to bring in the success that she craves.
Thelma is a farm pony that works a 9-5 at a farm and is a member of a band named The Rusty Buckets. Although they have some amazing songs, their look is frowned upon and they are told they will not make it far. As much as Thelma wants to perform at Sparklepalooza, she knows that something has to happen for her group to get the attention it needs. During a strange accident, Thelma is covered with paint and glitter and ends up looking like a unicorn.
Here is where the dilemma comes in, does Thelma listen to her friend Otis, voiced by Will Forte, and remove the paint or does she keep it on and pretend to be a unicorn due to the attention that she is getting. Otis is the voice of reason for Thelma and is trying to let her know that she does not need this new look to be famous. As Thelma starts to gain more notoriety she is slowly entering a world that she realizes is not all that it seems. Thelma learns through Danny Stallion, voiced by Fred Armisen, that everything is planned out for them and they have to play along in order to stay in the spotlight.
Being a movie about music there are some incredible needle drops throughout the movie. Hearing “Diamond Girl” by Nice and WIld play while Vic Diamond, voiced by Jemaine Clement, swims through a pool is a song I thought would never be in a movie. Songs by Cameo, Kool and the Gang, and Onyx fill the screen along with some original songs written by Brittany Howard. These songs shine and just make you feel good. I mentioned to Brittany in our interview that some of these lyrics should be on a shirt because they are that inspirational. You can watch our interview below.
In today’s age with the internet and social media there are people who want to be something more than they are. There are so many influences online that some people feel that are not enough and need to change who they are to shine. In making these changes, not only do you begin to lose yourself but also lose sense of reality. If you are lucky, you will have friends who try to instill in you that you are perfect the way you are. These are the types of friends that you need in your life and Otis is the type of person that this world needs more of.
Final Thoughts: Thelma the Unicorn shows us that just being you is enough in this world. This is a great message for children and adults alike and the movie helps to show us this with some amazing songs. Every song that Thelma sings is full of inspiration that you can not help but smile afterward.
Kid-Friendly: The movie is very kid friendly and has a great message for kids about being true to yourself and having a good group of people around you. Through the character of Otis we get that conscious voice that lets us know that we are perfect the way we are.
Violence: There is some animated violence in the movie but nothing too graphic. The characters of Nikki Narwhal and her assistant Megan, due tend to get violent with Thelma when trying to find out her secret.
Thelma is a small-time pony who dreams of becoming a glamorous music star. In a pink and glitter-filled moment of fate, Thelma is transformed into a unicorn and instantly rises to global stardom. But this new life of fame comes at a cost. Thelma the Unicorn is a quirky, hilarious, and heartfelt ride from directors Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) and Lynn Wang (Unikitty!).