If you read the paper last week, which you should have, there was reference made to some movies I saw during the summer, more specifically “Equstria Girls”. While this movie came out in theaters in June, there were no theaters nearby showing it, which is sad for a Brony like me. Designed as a test release, Hasbro only gave this film a limited release. However I picked it up on DVD in August, where the film feels more at home.
After the events of season three (no spoilers), Twilight Sparkle (played by Tara Strong) is now an alicorn (a unicorn with wings) princess. Twilight and her friends are invited to the Crystal Empire by Princess Celestia (played by Nicole Oliver) for a special reason. However the night before, Sunset Shimmer (played by Rebecca Shoicet) steals Twilight’s element of harmony and goes through a magic mirror. Twilight and Spike (played by Cathy Weseluck) have to go through the mirror, a human version of Equestria, to get it back. However, Sunset Shimmer has hid it in the one place she rules, the local high school.
There has recently been an issue about films based off existing properties. We’ve all seen the disasters and nightmares from Hasbro’s own properties “Transformers” and “Battleship”, however the problem with the live-action “Transformers” series is one of audience. The movies tried to have dumb comedy, hot celebrities that are well known, and robots with personalities. This is because they didn’t want to get just Transformers fans; they wanted everyone to enjoy these films (which are why we don’t have the robots as the main characters). I’ve always had the thought that if you’re going to make a film based off a property, it’s better to make films for fans in mind. Does this apply to every film? Not at all, after all Marvel and Disney made brand new fans from their films, but the material needs to feel comfortable with itself. That is “Equestria Girls” greatest strength and weakness. If you’re a fan of “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic”, you may like this film. If you don’t like My Little Pony, that’s fine too.
This film keeps the tone from the show, which is no surprise since everyone who works on the show also worked on this movie. Looking at this film’s plot and seeing that it takes place at a high school, I wouldn’t blame you for rolling your eyes. Anything dealing with high school almost always falls flat on it’s face with adult audiences, and most good movies with high school kids avoid this setting. However, in “Equestria Girls”, the story doesn’t dwell on the whole high school thing unless it really needs too, which is of great relief. That said, there are some things that simply don’t work. There’s a romance subplot involving Twilight, which doesn’t serve any purpose. All it seems to do is to please some of the PR heads of Hasbro. Sunset Shimmer is an okay villain but her evil plan isn’t very clear. The ending is okay, if a bit cheesy for those who are unforgiving, but if you’ve watched the show then you know what to expect.
Overall, this is an example of a good film based off a show. The characters stay true to their television personalities, and there are music numbers that are quite catchy and stick in your head for a couple days. There are a few story problems, which may be to blame on the Hasbro committee. This is a good film to watch if you’re a Brony. Also, if you look closely enough you’ll see a special character appear, both in the cafeteria and one in the credits for one muffin loving pony.