Just got back from the film. Agreed that the animation style, while definitely weird in trailers, is acceptable on the big screen. I'm still not sold on the faces, but they definitely put the new freedom to great use later on in the film. Also, for me, the earworm of the movie is "Time to be Awesome." It's been stuck in my head ever since the soundtrack came out.
Also, if that's the level of writing required for Hanazuki, I hope Dave Polsky has time to come back to ponies after they get the show launched.

It feels like an ad for a F2P phone game.
The first thing that struck me about the opening was... well, actually, the
first thing was that pegasi flying above the cloud level is pretty sweet. But the first thing about the story was how different this opening is from the show pilot. Remember back then, when snarky bookworm Twilight won everyone over by proving that she was a down-to-earth taskmaster instead of a friendship-obsessed goof? This movie has definitely moved beyond that.
Now, that's not a problem for
us, the faithful, because the show's already earned our respect. But I do wonder how it will play with the parents who get dragged along for the ride. Twilight singing about being a princess of friendship is the kind of thing that would've made a lot of people roll their eyes and turn the show off in episode 1. "Who is this movie meant for?" is a fair question to ask. And for the first ten minutes of the film, "the fans" is clearly the answer, since it's pretty much a montage of every character and catchphrase from the show.
By the way, at least Cadance gets to put up a fight.

Good thing, too, since I guess Canterlot doesn't have a Royal Guard anymore. Or Starlight. And holy moly, the scenes of enslaved ponies in Canterlot were brutal. Old-timey Sombra is the only time we've ever seen anything like that in the show. I feel like, at some point, the royals would have to start taking the security of Equestria more seriously if this is what literally everywhere outside Equestria is like.
The natural scenery is fantastic. Lots of different places to see, and clearly a strong attempt to recreate the atmosphere of the show. I'm still not sold on the heavy use of CGI for buildings, particularly in Canterlot. Makes the place feel smaller.
The new characters are more decent than I expected. Capper fits the weird, Treasure Planet vibe of the pirate port, and he comes into his own later in the film. The pirates are also a fun bunch. But I wish we saw more of them! The pacing gets pretty weird in the second quarter of the film, and I checked my watch because it felt like the part of the show where they realize they have 5 minutes to wrap things up. Capper wins everyone except Twilight over with a song, Rainbow wins the pirates over with a song... I wish we'd gotten a little more time to chat with them. What was the pirates' deal? Why do they work for the Storm King? How far does his empire extend? These are things I feel like the show would've stepped aside for a moment to address, but the movie rushes past.
It's less of an issue with the hippogriffs, although I have to wonder: Did they send out a call for help? Did Celestia ignore them? Did Celestia even know the Storm King existed? For that matter, does Saddle Arabia? Allegedly they were in town for the festival, but I didn't see them. But I'm getting distracted. Princess Skystar is a cutie, and I like her more than I expected.
The scene after they get kicked out is the one thing that really irks me about this movie: I wish they didn't go for the clichéed, "Well I don't want friends like
you!" line to force Twilight away from her friends. It's really bizarre, and I wish they'd gone with just about any other snippy line to justify it. It's a step back even from Discord's shenanigans in "The Return of Harmony." Why not say something like, "I'm trying to save Equestria, whether
you care or not!"
For as edgy as her character design is, Tempest is a good character who really projects her motivations well. A shame the Storm King barely exists. I guess that's the price we pay for splitting up Cosmos into evil boss and redeemable bad pony. I guess she's not coming back in the show with a name like that, though.
Oh, one thought: "Rainbow" is a surprisingly mournful song to play over the cheery "we won!" celebration.
So, overall? It was a fun watch. I'm glad they were able to push their artistry harder than before. But for a movie that took at least
four years to make, I'm a little confused by the pacing and the breathless way it rushes past supporting cast. I do hope that, if the show lasts long enough, we get a second movie that can be the
Rainbow Rocks to this film's
Equestria Girls.