Movie Review: Equestria Girls · 12:05am Jul 10th, 2013
Directed by: Jayson Thiessen
Produced by:
Sarah Wall
Devon Cody
Chris Bartleman (executive)
Stephen Davis (executive)
Kirsten Newlands (executive)
Written by: Meghan McCarthy
Running time: 72 minutes
Ten years ago, not a soul on Earth would believe you if you said the future of My Little Pony would have a large demographic of teenage to adult males. It has become an internet phenomenon nearly unprecedented in size and scope, with fingers in all forms of entertainment by both fans and the creative team itself. The fans’ blatant clash against modern cynicism, wholehearted embrace of New Sincerity, and challenging traditional gender roles has become the cornerstone of the common ideals preached in the show, and the fandom as a whole.
As of this review, the show has had a successful three seasons, speed bumps aside, and an oncoming fourth. Not only that, a recently released movie titled Equestria Girls has only just graced the fandom.
Before even coming to theaters, the oncoming movie had one of the rockiest, most highly divisive influence on a target audience since the reveal that Legolas and Galadriel would make appearances in the Hobbit trilogy, despite what the source material shows. The reaction has been shockingly mixed, despite the devotion the brony community holds for the show. Suspicion for a coming change in the show or a movie was suspected when the name Equestria Girls was registered for an official trademark in late 2012, and then the first official trailer was released.
Like a thunderbolt from Zeus, the fans were split. Some shouted betrayal at the change, while others were mildly curious at the change. Granted, it was rather vague if the shift to humanoid figures for the maine cast was going to be permanent or temporary. Also, the critics did have a valid, if slightly uninformed, opinion that it was trying to change the core messages and lessons taught in the show. The market ploys did not help either.
Then came the second trailer, this one a lot more involved and detail oriented. Actual plot, story, and character moments were revealed to the audience. A genuine interest and cautious optimism filtered through the brony fandom. The fate and popular opinion was precarious and balanced on the blade of enough. So, how was it?
Equestria Girls takes place after the end of season three of Friendship of Magic. Twilight and friends are brought to the Crystal Empire along with Celestia and Luna after the events of Twilight’s coronation and are due for a rest. However, somepony has other ideas for the budding princess. Sunset Shimmer, former estranged student of Celestia herself, breaks into the Crystal Palace and steals Twilight’s crown, the very Element of Magic itself, and escapes through a mystic portal. It is up to Twilight to follow Sunset through the portal and get back what is hers. But what is this strange place? What are these strange beings with two legs? Why are they in school? And why does it look like her friends are there, too?
On the technical side of things, Equestria Girls is quite competent. The Crystal Kingdom is lovingly detailed with its many crystalline facets and this is easily the best use of shadows and light in any episode I have seen so far. The budget seems somewhat split, however. Only large set pieces, like open, panning shots of the Crystal Kingdom or shots in small, isolated rooms have that little extra detail. Character models are a little baffling as well. I expected the ponies themselves to have more/better animations than what we have seen so far in the show. That’s not the case. While the meat of the show takes place in an alternate world, I expected a little bit of the budget to be spread across them as well. A few lessons in equine biology and physiology wouldn’t have gone amiss.
The human models are lovingly detailed to the point of beauty. Flash animation has a rough history and a reputation of low quality due to its use in cheap and crude animations across the internet. Apple even decided to not use it on its iPhone a fews years back, although for a separate reason entirely. However, there have been a couple shining examples, including the show in question. There are dozens of character models. Unlike the show, which has a tendency to reuse character models in order to save time and money in the development and animation phases, I did not see a single instance of a reused character model.
Additionally, the walking, running, and movement animations function smooth as well. For the most part. There are instances of really strange, jerky movements where limbs flail and fly at odd angles and contort in direction to the point of sympathy pains. It’s not a joke in the context where it can be excused, like Pinkie, but serious moments. Seeing characters move in such manners is really distracting at times. That’s not to say the whole movie conforms to this awkward standard. Such moments are rare, but due to the more familiar human character models, such moments easily stand out.
Sound design is wonderful. The accompanying details such as rattling dog chains, turning pages, and clicking keys on a keyboard are all clear and concise. It’s more than just the occasional clop of a hoof or stomp of a boot, it actually feels like genuine set sounds. Daniel Ingram really pulled out the stops for his music. There are six songs of his in total, and the two central to the themes, This Strange World and Equestria Girls exemplify both lessons taught in the show and real life trial-by-fire teachings that we learn in everyday life. Ingram had gone on the record saying he took inspiration from school pop and girl bands when writing, and they fit the mood in their respective scenes without jolting people out of their immersion of degrading into standard pop claptrap. Well done, Ingram.
The voice actors, however, are one area where the movie does not stand out and could have used serious improvement. Dialog is by no means wooden and acting is up to par, but the lines of the main six voice actors are uninspired and, while I want to say passionless and that’s not true, show no renewed enthusiasm for the fandom’s first big break into theaters. This isn’t an episode where such slice-of-life dialog would be standard and acceptable, but a standard three-arc movie with plot and character development over the course of its 72 minute running time. Their acting itself is perfectly fine, but given that this is a movie, I expected something... more. I wanted to see a little more passion, and that was sorely lacking.
Dialog isn’t boring, but it is a very long shot from being unpredictable. Even Pinkie. Every conceivable character interaction and plot twist conforms to basic tropes and is advertised long in advance. Once the second arc is firmly underway, such things don’t become important. Ingram’s crown jewel of the movie, Equestria Girls, is such an infectious display of enthusiasm and happiness that I was riding the high for the rest of the movie as Twilight interacted with her new human friends. Dialog is nothing new, but it does it competently, and I rather have it recycled and done well then recycled and done boring.
I particularly liked the running theme of loneliness and friendship running throughout the runtime, save for one exception. The other Ingram song I mentioned, This Strange World, is told as Twilight first enters the school in the human world. She laments that she is so unsure of herself and how she is supposed to act in such a strange and foreign environment and it reflects the loneliness and nervousness blossoming young adults feel during their own years. You’re interacting with people you’ve never seen before, some are bullies, while others just don’t care about you one way or the other. It was a deeply personal momement and can strike close to home for many young and old viewers. This is very much a coming of age story as well as a letter of love to the more adult brony fans.
The show also has the overarching theme of change. Just as pubescents are growing into adults, the theme of change not only reflects the change in new environments and friends we can get when advancing to high school, but the overarching changes seen in the show. It was quite a clever move. It is a common problem in long-running forms of entertainment, especially comic books, where the status quo is kept and never broken. It is the unwritten law that you should never change a good thing or working formula. Keep reusing what works, but that is the problem. What made the original idea so special is no longer original if every facet is explored and examined. A diamond may be brilliant and have a spectacular luster, but you don’t want to keep looking at it again and again for eternity. Our minds survive on change to kill the monotony. The idea to change Twilight into an alicorn at the end of season three may or may not be a good step – only time will tell – but it would be a poor use of characters and storytelling if the characters were kept in an isolated limbo for as long as the show runs. Seeing them explore Twilight growing into her role as a princess and a subject to be admired and revered is a delightful change. My only real complaint is that the movie isn’t that generous to new viewers. If this is your first time seeing the fandom, I heavily advise seeing a season before watching Equestria Girls.
Have you noticed I had yet to talk about the main villain of the story? Yes, the cornerstone of the conflict is that a past student of Celestia, Sunset Shimmer, steals the Element of Magic and runs to the human world to hide. It is made to be a surprisingly logical step, as no one, not even Celestia, has knowledge of the human world at large. But... I can describe Sunset in a single word here on out:
This brief bit of cleverness and character development is quickly dropped soon after. Her intro in the first arc and the even briefer interactions with characters in the second arc are not even enough to be considered scraps. Her character is so boring and useless and runs down the list of every typical amoral antagonist ever made. The reason behind her desire for the Element of Magic is typically one-dimensional to the point of baffling. Despite having several chances to get Twilight kicked out of school, she doesn’t. Now this isn’t just Rebecca’s fault as her voice actor. She tries her best to make Sunset interesting, but she is just written so terribly as a character there is nothing left to salvage. She is easily the worst part of the movie.
Excuse me, my hair requires more blood from baby seals.
There is one more piece of information regarding Sunset Shimmer’s character. I’m going to implement a slight spoiler tag on this paragraph. If you do not wish to know my last issue with the character or snippets of the ending, please skip this paragraph. At the end of the movie, Sunset grieves to Twilight that she didn’t know of any other way to make friends other than to dominate them. I call foul. Equestria has a long-standing stance of friendship as a magical force of nature. She never discovered a proper way to make friends? Not a chance. There is a difference between not being able to make friends, and not knowing how to make friends. Sunset is firmly in the latter, but the script tries to make us believe the former. I could accept the desire to be feared rather than revered, but this sudden, unneeded I-don’t-know-how-to-make-friends nonsense not only kills whatever remaining interest Sunset may garner, but the central conflict as well. It’s far too brief and comes in the last lap of the movie.
While the main conflict is unstable, to put it generously, the enthusiasm and childlike glee Tara gives Twilight is enough to make up for most of Sunset’s squandered potential. The most interesting aspects move from the Sunset Shimmer problem, to the problem of Twilight surviving in school. My hate for high school carries the same density of a collapsed star, but even my jaded, misanthropic heart couldn’t help but thaw as the singing, dancing , and happy friends filled the screen. I would almost call it sublime. Despite the main conflict being reduced to nothing, all the background threads certainly make it enjoyable.
There are leaps in logic, and they are confusing. Early on in the movie, Twilight finds out a human bearing a remarkable resemblance to Fluttershy found the crown and handed it over to the principal. Both Fluttershy and Celestia know that the crown was stolen by Sunset. The replacement crown is easily recognizable and different from the Element. Why didn’t Twilight just say that Sunset swapped them, stealing hers in the process? Twilight would be required to lie to hide her equine heritage, but that is the easiest and fastest way to get it back. Twilight seems convinced that she cannot lie to anyone, despite her mission being to recollect a WMD from her homeworld. Sunset’s credibility is already in question. Just say the crown is yours, Twilight! Later actions by Sunset would have gotten her expelled for academic misconduct. I don’t know what world such an infraction is not a serious offense.
Sunset could have had her own problems solved when Twilight didn’t lie. Tell the principal that Twilight isn’t registered on campus, which she isn’t. She’ll get thrown out and her plans go off without a hitch.
The show is filled with love and gags from the show. The scenes with Twilight trying to adjust to a new body are funny, but not overused. I particularly liked the scene where Twilight tries to write her own name using hands for the first time. And if you are looking for your favorite characters in human form, you’re in luck. There are a lot of them.
Yes, I saw Derpy.
The issue of characters also brings up a minor controversy of the movie. Take a look at these still photos.
Take a close look at those photos. If you had to complain about something, what would it be? Besides clop?
There have concerns that the characters provide a negative image of body types. If true, its a valid concern and current issue. School cliques are notoriously staunch wit their rules, and if conformity is necessary, then you quickly become a social pariah. It ties with the loneliness stated above, but that’s not my current point. Yes, body image issues, especially in young girls, are a problem. Is it intentional? I don’t believe so. The stalk-like appearance of all the characters is uniform for all genders and ages. If it was meant to label desirable and undesirable body types, I don’t believe it would be so uniform. It’s an aesthetic choice for character models, no more.
To wrap up the review, I’d say go see the movie. While not particularly revolutionary, profound, or remarkable from a creative standpoint, it doesn’t rest on its past laurels and tries something new. I applaud the development team and writers for their work and dedication. It still needs a lot of work and is nowhere even close to the quality of typical studio productions, but I couldn’t help but have a great time. If you are someone who cannot get over certain mistakes in storytelling and plot development, skip the movie.
It is not friendly to newcomers of the show, especially adults who have absolutely no idea what they are getting into. It’s a delightful child film, however, you are required to have seen a fair portion of the show in advance to know the more subtle nuances. The film fails at basic points, especially making an engaging antagonist and anything beyond above average acting. It’s fun, but don’t expect yourself to change your ideas about the show itself. If you are a dedicated fan, you’ll like this movie. If you are not or are struggling in the middle ground, don’t expect it to change your mind.
It's competent. No more.
I respect the Bronies and their whole group, but I'm not a huge fan of the series. Granted, some of the best fanficiton stories(Like yours for instance) do take place in My Little Pony.
I've actually tried to watch the show, tried several times, but I just couldn't get into it. I know its not for guys, so bronies baffle me, but I respect their decision. I'll probably not watch the movie for the same reason I don't watch the show, lack of interest.
Be waiting forward to the next chapter to My Little Minecraft: The End.
1200319
I like it enough that I might get it when it comes out on DVD, but that's about it. Sunset killed it for me.
And the next chapter has grown past 11,000
1200379 Sweet.
Well, that was a nice review. Things were said and they were logical. You said them clearly. No issue with that.
I wanted to say more but I can barely write without my face falling to the keyboard now and then, so I'll leave it as that. Nice thoughts.
I actually broke my face at the article about clop.
I mean seriously, ALL THE BRONIES WANT PONY CLOP!!! REALLY!!!
WHAT THE SERIOUS FUCK!!!
I got to say you examined this movie a little deeper than some of the other reviews I scoured, so at the very least thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Definitely agree with the point you make about Sunset Shimmer being lackluster. I mean as the ex-student of Princess Celestia her character had a lot of potential to become some kind of significant villain/rival, or heck even give more background information on Celestia's past. It's a shame the final result was so underwhelming, but for a standalone entry in the series maybe we should have expect something like that.
At the end of the day my hope is that the creative talent behind the movie applies the lessons it's learned to potential future films. With any luck those films will feature more ponies going on adventures than high school drama shenanigans (ಠ_ಠ)
1200666
I only report what I see. At least I cite my sources.
To be fair, she doesn't cite hers. She may have incorrect information, just like Howard Stern. Stern just had incorrect information and a video taken out of context. It wasn't his fault; the guys who give him material just didn't know what they were dealing with.
The internet can be a tricky place if you don't know its nuances.
1200894
Thanks! I actually have a little amateur experience doing reviews. This was a flex of some old muscles of mine, and a little report on something totally relevant to my interests.
As for what I reviewed... I'd prefer not to say.
Sunset Shimmer.
Personality: Cliche as FUCK.
Hair: Oh lord I fucking love that hair, haha, it's just so... awesome (don't ask why) (Lyra still wins her).
Personality after becoming a badass demon that fails miserably: Cliche as FUCK.
Movie: Cliche but good.
I overused the word cliche because I'm fucking retard, LOLOLOLOLO.
jk
Nice review, seriously.
Oops, accidentally mistitled the song Equestria Girls (Cafeteria Song) as Time to Come Together.