Al-1701's Review of Equestria Girls [spoilers]
Jun 16, 2013 9:42:20 GMT -8
Post by Al1701 on Jun 16, 2013 9:42:20 GMT -8
So, I just got back from seeing Equestria Girls and now that I've seen it I have to say I'm...pleasantly surprised. It was actually entertaining and not that numbing. The high school tropes were kept at the minimum, the characters definitely carried the story, and I left the theater glad to have seen it.
However, the strikes I had against it still stand. This was not a movie meant for theaters. In fact, they just played it off a Blu-Ray disk. It felt like a small screen piece and isn't even one of Meghan McCarthy's better stories. I also don't like the concept of them not being ponies.
Anyway, let's look at the good and the bad of this.
The Good
-The alternates were very good characters. They were just like their pony counterparts in terms of personality so there wasn't much learning curve to figure out their personalities. They fun to watch as individuals and as a group.
-The contrast between what Twilight and Sunset represented worked really well. Sunset had been a dividing force in the school herding everyone into niches and setting up barriers between them. She had even driving the alternates apart when they had been friends before. Twilight then comes in and serves as a uniting force breaking down the barriers and getting the people in the different niches to learn to work together.
-The lunch room number was the high point of the movie. The song is catchy and the animation is great.
-The fact they kept the focus on friendship. That was kept this movie afloat. They never got distracted by the fashion side (the preparation for the formal is the only point where they put an emphasis on clothes.)
-We get an awesome Sailor magical girl henshin scene when Twilight and the alternates call upon the Elements of Harmony.
-Derpy in human form appears with a muffin at the end of the credits.
The Bad
-The bad is sadly the story itself. There are so many contrivances and plot points that depend on gross stupidity on the part of the characters. Case in point: Spike puts Twilight's crown and Element of Harmony on the nightstand in their room. He might as well have put a note next to it saying "Steal me."
-They spent way too much time on Twilight bungling around and not behaving like a proper human. We're probably half way through the movie before the others start actually helping her. Twilight was also a little too helpless in this. I would think she would be more resourceful.
-How they handled Sunset Shimmer was really clunky. They were really heavy handed with how much of a Imbicile she was. She was out to get whatever she wanted whenever she wanted and pity the fools in her way. She actually went to the trouble to hack people's phones and email accounts to drive them apart. She stole the actual fall formal crown to try to swap it with Twilight's. She had Snips and Snails commit attacks of vandalism. Her evil plan was to mind control the student body and take them back through the portal as an army to take over Equestria. Then she has a sudden heel face turn after she gets zapped by the Elements on Harmony. I'm sorry, but someone that mean, manipulative, and moral bankrupt is not going to suddenly turn over a new leaf at the drop of a hat.
-Sunset Shimmer's gargoyle form was also really ugly in motion.
-The parts in the Crystal Empire were really rushed to set up Sunset and Twilight going through the portal. They were there for about 10 minutes in beginning and like 2 at the end.
-They tried too hard to point out all the ponies as humans. It really interrupted the flow of the story.
My final verdict is this does fail as a movie and I'm disappointed the first pony related big screen event was about them not being ponies. However, it was fun to watch.
However, the strikes I had against it still stand. This was not a movie meant for theaters. In fact, they just played it off a Blu-Ray disk. It felt like a small screen piece and isn't even one of Meghan McCarthy's better stories. I also don't like the concept of them not being ponies.
Anyway, let's look at the good and the bad of this.
The Good
-The alternates were very good characters. They were just like their pony counterparts in terms of personality so there wasn't much learning curve to figure out their personalities. They fun to watch as individuals and as a group.
-The contrast between what Twilight and Sunset represented worked really well. Sunset had been a dividing force in the school herding everyone into niches and setting up barriers between them. She had even driving the alternates apart when they had been friends before. Twilight then comes in and serves as a uniting force breaking down the barriers and getting the people in the different niches to learn to work together.
-The lunch room number was the high point of the movie. The song is catchy and the animation is great.
-The fact they kept the focus on friendship. That was kept this movie afloat. They never got distracted by the fashion side (the preparation for the formal is the only point where they put an emphasis on clothes.)
-We get an awesome Sailor magical girl henshin scene when Twilight and the alternates call upon the Elements of Harmony.
-Derpy in human form appears with a muffin at the end of the credits.
The Bad
-The bad is sadly the story itself. There are so many contrivances and plot points that depend on gross stupidity on the part of the characters. Case in point: Spike puts Twilight's crown and Element of Harmony on the nightstand in their room. He might as well have put a note next to it saying "Steal me."
-They spent way too much time on Twilight bungling around and not behaving like a proper human. We're probably half way through the movie before the others start actually helping her. Twilight was also a little too helpless in this. I would think she would be more resourceful.
-How they handled Sunset Shimmer was really clunky. They were really heavy handed with how much of a Imbicile she was. She was out to get whatever she wanted whenever she wanted and pity the fools in her way. She actually went to the trouble to hack people's phones and email accounts to drive them apart. She stole the actual fall formal crown to try to swap it with Twilight's. She had Snips and Snails commit attacks of vandalism. Her evil plan was to mind control the student body and take them back through the portal as an army to take over Equestria. Then she has a sudden heel face turn after she gets zapped by the Elements on Harmony. I'm sorry, but someone that mean, manipulative, and moral bankrupt is not going to suddenly turn over a new leaf at the drop of a hat.
-Sunset Shimmer's gargoyle form was also really ugly in motion.
-The parts in the Crystal Empire were really rushed to set up Sunset and Twilight going through the portal. They were there for about 10 minutes in beginning and like 2 at the end.
-They tried too hard to point out all the ponies as humans. It really interrupted the flow of the story.
My final verdict is this does fail as a movie and I'm disappointed the first pony related big screen event was about them not being ponies. However, it was fun to watch.
. Okay her not using her human legs was what I figured she'd do. Finished watching it and eh it was okay. Not what I expected for an FIM movie but its passable. Not a bad movie but not the best. I liked the alternate versions of the mane 6 and hearing the Cutie Mark Crusaders theme in the movie was cool. I'm gonna give it a 8.5 out of 10. Not a perfect movie but not bad.
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