Did Rainbow Rock? EqG2 Spoilers · 5:46pm Sep 27th, 2014
Howdy, all! Okay, so I just got back from seeing the new Equestria Girls. I know that other, more eloquent people(read: Present Perfect), will be doing full blown review blogs so I figured I would give a brief pros vs cons of it. Just a quick what I liked and didn't like. So, let's go!
Pros:
The pacing.
Oh, dear sweet baby Jeebus, Leaps and bounds above the first movie! Scenes lasted longer than 30 seconds, and had time to breathe. Conversations felt like actual interactions as opposed to exposition spewing.
The Animation.
For real, this movie looked great. The animation was more fluid than the first one. It's obvious that DHX had a bigger budget for this one, and they certainly flexed their muscles. Cool lighting effects, pans and sweeps, countless new facial expressions.
On this, I have decided that Equestria Girls Scootaloo is the most adorable thing I have ever seen. Iunno, maybe it's just me having a thing for girls with short hair, but between that, the capris, and the hoodie, I just beetus'd all over myself.
The Plot.
Holy shit, not as many massive, gaping plot holes! This time around, we actually had competent villains! As soon as Sunset saw the Dazzlingz do their shtick, the first thing the girls to is go straight to Principal Celestia and Luna... only to find that the Dazzlings got to them first! The Dazzlings are revealed to be Sirens, an ancient group of spirits that feed off disharmony. Basically, Bizarro Changelings. Their actions make total sense in the view of the narrative.
What actually pleased me the most is that this was really Sunset Shimmer's movie. The running substory is about her trying to fit in after her whole, you know, "turned into a she-demon and tried to take over the world" thing. When we finally get Twilight back into the world, we see the girls fawn over her, claiming all their problems will be solved by her, and every time we see Sunset in the background. There is a scene where Twilight and Sunset have a nice little conversation about wanting to help, but not knowing how, and being scared of letting people down. Then, in the end, it's Sunset that saves the day, not Twilight.
The music.
Holy crap, guys. The song sin this movie were catchy as shit! And not in a bad way. I was tapping my foot the entire time. Granted, it was a very pop-inspired kind of "rock," but it still rocked. Even the Dazzlings songs were great, very moody, almost sensuous. For real, their Battle of the Bands song made the entire goddamn movie.
The Fan Service.
Okay, as far as I am concerned, LyraBon is now canon. No, not roommates, not close friends, but goddamn lesbian lovers. Sadly, there are no good screen caps yet, but the way they mashed their faces together while playing the piano, I don't care how touchy-feely girls are, no "close friends" do that shit. They be bonin'.
Surprisingly, Trixie actually plays a decently-big role in this one!
Octavia spoke. Yes, she friggin' spoke. Also, she got her ass kicked by the Rainbooms.
Derpy goddamn everywhere. She even played in the talent show... and she played a saw. Never change, muffin mistress.
Bulk Biceps is friggin' terrifying as a human, Dem red eyes...
Vinyl actually played vital role in the finale! She still didn't talk, but hey, take what you can get!
The End credits teaser.
We actually saw the human world's Twilight! She has been studying the event of Canterlot High, and the whole thing ends with her confirming something fishy is going on there! Could this be a tease of a third movie... or maybe in the show? After all, it is now canon that they can travel between worlds at any time with the portal Twilight built...
Cons:
Brad.
Goddammit, I was so looking forward to rubbing this into Tchernobog's face. I honestly thought that they would have learned their lesson from the first movie and actually given Flash Sentry something to do! Sadly, he was just as pointless in this movie, if not moreso. He didn't even get to save Twilight's bacon at one point. He contributed nothing to the overall plot, and could have easily been forgotten. Though we did get confirmation that Twilight still holds a flame for him, in a narrative sense... guh, fine. You win this round, Tchern...
Spike.
Funnily enough, the most interesting and useful character form the first one is pretty much pointless this time around. He hardly got any dialogue beyond being Twilight's cheerleader, and while he did come to the girls' rescue in the end, it was only because of one of those fewer, yet still there, plot holes. (Remind me why a high-school Battle of the Bands show stage has a giant trap door?)
Plot Holes:
Sadly, there were some ass-pulls this time, too, but in all honesty, it was nothing deal breaking... kinda. The way Sunset gets a hold of Twilight is pretty out of nowhere and awfully convenient. They hand-wave away the rest of the Mane Six not following Twilight just as shoddily as they did the first time, this time claiming it would be "too confusing to have two of everybody." srsly? And the aforementioned trap door.
Also, 20% cooler joke. Writers, I am dissapoint...
So, all in all? I really liked it! No, not, "Well, it was good for what it is" liked it, like the first one, but for real liked it! The jokes were funny, the music catchy, animation great, plot made a lot more sense than the last one, and it gave some much needed character to Sunset Shimmer... and none to Flash, but hey, take what you can get! Still not as good as an actual pony movie would be, but this was a highly entertaining little flick, and well worth the money I spent. I think you should all go see it.
7.5/10
Don't forget the fact that Everyone is kinda reduced to one notes. Rarity is obsessed with designs and Rainbow with showing off.
That means human in Equestria is going to be a legitimate genre.
Dear Neptune, no...
I for one thoroughly enjoyed it. There were issues, sure, but on the whole I am glad I went (and that I pre-ordered my ticket, the showing I went to was sold out when I arrived 45 minutes ahead of time).
But god damn, they sure could have done something a little more with Flash. Sigh.
LyraBon?
Canon?
...
It ain't AppleDash, but I'll take it.
You forgot another con... there was no metal!!!
"Boulder was hungry"
My whole theater stood and applauded that part.
It entertained me. But we still don't know how Sunset lived all those years in the human world. And too bad it seems Trixie can't get a clue without getting possessed by an evil artifact first.
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Ah yes! Forgot that one. Again, pointless and obvious fan service, but hilarious all the same.
I told you!
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Am I the only one who remembers that EqG is just a spin-off, so while its own canon might be based off the show's, it's its own.
2488425 now why did you have to go and spoil the fun? He was in a full blown panick!
If I had to nitpick, so much of the M6 drama seemed... Okay, these are alternate universe versions, but all the same, they seemed rather insensitive to one another's concerns. Maybe S4 pony Applejack might talk that way to Rarity, but RD seemed particularly dismissive to Fluttershy. *shrug*
But I did thoroughly enjoy it as "good by FIM standards", not merely "good by EQG standards" like the first one. The Dazzlings (ft. Ingram) really made the movie. All those eerie villain songs really painted them as potent, manipulative villains, and were a really exciting antithesis to the M6 / Equestrian society. When song is such a potent form of societal good ("let's work together to wrap up winter!") it was delightful to see it used for evil, or at least disharmony.
~Me and you, you and me
Why don't we see who is better?
We don't have to be one and the same thing
Oh, what's so wrong with a little competition?
Are you afraid of failing the audition?~
If only I had some other bronies to go see it with. I don't think I have the intestinal fortitude to sit in that theater by myself, with parents squinting at me suspiciously. I know, I'm a wuss.
I'll definitely check it out as soon as it pops up online, especially since the consensus seems to be that this one's stronger than the first (though, personally, I thought the first one was fun).
Out of curiosity, how long is it? Comparable to the first?
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Sorry to spam the replies, but I just thought of this and I had to say it.
So, much more articulate people than me have complained about the desgin and the clothing of EqG. Like, why do Apple Bloom and Scootaloo get to wear pants, but Applejack and Rainbow Dash, the two of the Mane six least likely to wear miniskirts... wear miniskirts. But I was okay with it this time around... except for one time.There was only one moment where I laughed out loud at the absurdity. The first time we saw the Dazzlings, they looked like this:
derpicdn.net/img/2014/8/21/704750/full.png
Cute as a button, but still evil. And I was totally cool with their look! The hoodies(hoodies make anything cute. scientific fact) and the jeans, they looked trendy and hip enough.
Then the showed up at the school:
derpicdn.net/img/2014/9/22/727156/medium.png
Oh, my fucking god! Like... really?! Who the fuck approved these designs?! For God's sake, Adagio's hair literally takes up more space than her entire friggin' body!! How big a hole did she blow in the ozone with all the damn hairspray she used to tease up that monstrosity?! Then, I thought of their names:
Adagio Dazzle, Sonata Dusk, and Aria Blaze...
Oh, my god...
They're fucking strippers!!
2488739 I keep thinking the dotted line on the one on the right (Aria?) is a tear-away thing...
2488739 sooo... Wanna write that as a crackfic? Cause I'd love to write or see it lol!
2488739 Wait... what did any of that have to do with Metal?
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Honestly I've watched too much anime to be phased by wacky hair. Hell, Aria's even got a bit of a Miku Hatsune look about her.
They're sirens, not even human, so they have no concept of fashion.
Nah, unfortunately the simple answer is that this is what old men think teenage girls think is fashion. Plus i think the dolls have interchangeable clothes or some shit, so a need to standardize further. Executive meddling and nothing more. (Though I'd still read that crackfic)
What's the difference between Windigos and Sirens? Functionally, not aesthetically. If they both feed off of disharmony, they're in each other's niche.
If you want a pony movie, see "Twilight's Kingdom," parts one and two. :)
Thanks for taking one for the team and posting this. I'm glad to hear Sunset Shimmer was more the savior of the day this time, though I'm more glad I don't feel as compelled to see this in theaters now.
Gag. Should we really be getting excited that this shoo-in romance thread is being dangled along even further?
(Not that I'm bitter at the whole concept of Equestria Girls, or anything).
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That. I like that idea.
~Skeeter The Lurker
This is basically the most important reason for this movie to exist.
2488739 Aria Blaze is like one of the coolest names I've ever head though.
Well, obviously they use it for more than just that. They could also use it to put on plays. In college, I once saw a production of Aphra Behn's The Rover that had required a trapdoor.
I also thought Sunset Shimmer's arc was one of the best parts of the film. I also lament that Flash Sentry was not given much to do. Perhaps there's an unfortunate trend of male characters in these types of films not getting much to do. Kristoff in Frozen and apparently Philip in Maleficent got off just as bad.
I also genuinely like Rainbow Rocks. I liked the first Equestria Girls much, much more than you did, and I like this one just the same. I wrote a hopefully articulate review that explains why.
Okay... so these sirens feed on disharmony right... Considering what we are as a species, would she really have to go to a high school for their next meal
Hell, they could just hop a bus to l.a or Chicago and not have to even sing a note