The Pony Movie We Deserve · 3:27am Oct 9th, 2017
This isn't going to be a review, just a simple note to anyone on the fence about seeing this movie!
...Do those people exist? 
Anyway, ever since I heard about the first Equestria Girls movie, I felt like this franchise was going downhill. Many bronies have phased out since then, with more to come in the next few years. It hasn't been all bad and there's obviously still a lot of us. To the point where we even make other fandoms cringe now.
However, with the release of this film, I think I can safely say that our fandom is going nowhere. It's colorful, artistic, has amazing music, a decent plot. Voice acting is top notch. Our beloved ponies haven't looked any better... to put it bluntly, this film makes Equestria Girls look like a piece of crap by comparison. One could watch that first high school themed movie, then see this one and get really confused really fast. One probably couldn't believe they are part of the same franchise... but they are. 
Just watching it gave me a nostalgia meltdown to seeing the first two seasons for the first time. It made me want to write more, to be every bit a "pony person" as I've always been. It's just a great film. Is it perfect? No.
WHY DON'T THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS GET ONE LINE?! 
But it's clear from only one sitting that a ton of care and attention to detail was poured into this one movie. Not a pony mutant human "thing" in sight, just the ponies. All they had to do was make this from the start, and I bet there would have been no stopping our little fandom.
...Hasbro likely would have sold more toys, too.
I can hardly say that this movie makes the Equestria Girls franchise, as a whole, garbage.
[Spoilers below]
I mean it really relied on giving the villains plot armor and making certain major power players useless in order to even have the story continue. There are also questions such as “Where is Discord?” and “Why isn’t Starlight Glimmer poppin’ off these fools?”. Also the supposed major big baddie was hardly competent. He mostly let all his underlings do all the work and reaped in the riches for himself and hasn’t proved himself to be a leader. I’m seriously wondering how he managed to gather up a sizable army to follow him, much less invade their way into the heart of Equestria with a terrible disguise for their ships (seriously a cloak of smog? That should have sent up alarm bells for any national guards).
There are other things too to consider such as the pirates. Why were they so scared of suffering The Storm King’s wrath when they were entirely unsupervised? Granted it does explain why it only took one song to convince them to take off their shackles, but it doesn’t explain why they haven’t done it earlier.
Also I understand Twilight was desperate, but it was entirely not smart of her to try to steal the pearl. You’d think after all all these years, after all these seasons, it’s entirely established that she is the type to have foresight of the situation. You’d think she would know her friends well enough to be more than convincing and charismatic enough to change others’ opinions. Perhaps if this movie took place between Season 3 and 4, when Twilight was still unsure about herself as a princess, my feelings for the movie would be better, but it’s confirmed to take place after Season 7 and before 8.
https://twitter.com/TheBiggestJim/status/916109643570544640
Overall, the story was not smart at all. They had to dumb down the princesses to create challenge. For anyone not familiar or attentive of the show, this movie is good. Not so great for someone like me who cares about the characters. I still enjoyed the movie, but it seriously could have been better.
4692059
The show is not marketed to us, so I didn't expect much from the movie's plot. In all honesty, the show has pretty much been dumbing/powering its characters down so they'd learn lessons and solve problem a little thinking, communication and common sense would normally solve.
Anywho, what Spike probably meant is the production values. They all did get spruced up designs and top notch animations. The songs were a lot better too, though like all songs in the show, they were all pretty insipid and felt somewhat hackneyed. And in spite of all the plot holes, this movie is what the show really deserved. Unlike the reverse-isekai premise of EqG. And nothing in the movie was as awful as that contrived crush on Flash Sentry.
I haven't seen any of the current season and I only learned there was a movie coming out within the last week. I wonder if I'm falling away from the show and fandom. It kinda sucks, 'cause I still like the show, but somehow it doesn't grab me as much. I think I'm slowly losing… the magics!
4692059
Did Twilight seem dumb? Didn't to me. She seemed frustrated.
She did seem fairly stupid in the first EQG movie and I'll never forgive that film, dude. It just screams lazy, the villain is boring and dull and the fact that we have to re-learn our favorite characters just seems plain annoying.
Could the movie have used Discord or Starlight? Sure, why not. But it's obvious why both of those characters aren't in the film: there would be zero conflict.
As for that reply on where the movie takes place, that doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense. And, sure, Twilight stealing the pearl seemed stupid, but you can clearly see her frustrating throughout the whole film. I can understand her wanting to rush things.
For anyone not familiar or attentive of the show, this movie is good. Anyone who reviewed this film and wasn't familiar with the show and its lore didn't seem to enjoy it too much. However, most bronies seemed to love it. I just think you're being a tad too critical of this film. I know I'm always WAY critical of Equestria Girls, but I don't understand why that spinoff franchise even needs to exist, especially with how sloppy that first film really was.
I've hated so many films, games and other things over the past two years and I can safely say that I was in love with this movie. It made me feel truly uncynical. Sorry, I just can't agree with ya.
4692229
To anyone who claims this movie's plot, for a children's film, is fairly basic or dumb. Just compare it to the last few year's films marketed to children. I mean, some of those studios aren't even trying anymore.
4692284
Just try the movie out.
They didn't have to try very hard lol.
4692059 Well you're right, but that doesn't mean the movie isn't enjoyable. But really, what you're talking about is a problem with the entire canon as a whole. When Twilicorn happened, I said they jumped the shark, and I meant it. They effectively resolved the useable conflicts of Twilight's character. No, not entirely, but mostly. The rest of the mane 6 are also sort of 'used up' and overpowered characters like Discord and Starlight Glimmer are the reason why plot holes and plot devices must now be made in order to compensate for their existence. Hell, they even used up Glimmer already as well.
Basically, what I'm trying to say, is that there were some bad decisions made in the past, and that has now affected everything down the line. But for what it's worth, I still find enjoyment in the show despite these problems.
4692229
LOL. I dunno, that crap was actually passable compared to those god-forsaken EqG shorts. *shivers*
4692284 I bet you'd like it. And it's not really in continuity with the show, so you don't have to catch up.
4692598
I wouldn't know much about other shows and films marketed to kids in the States. But the show always has been guilty for stunting its characters' developments, which was forgivable in season 2. But season 3 onward I can't help feeling I've lowered my expectations of the show somewhat just so I could feel surprised once in awhile like season 1 did for me. So maybe dumb or basic isn't the best way to describe it, but the show has been formulaic for a long time now and still is, apart from certain episodes like Slice of Life.
But the Movie would definitely have been better if it had taken place post season 3. The show has a habit of treating EqG and comics virtually as secondary canon, so I'm not so sure if Tempest will debut into the show. And apart from their small cameos, Discord and Starlight Glimmer do not appear in the Movie at all. So it could very well fit into anyone's headcanon that the Movie takes place after season 3. We don't even see the changelings when they cross the Badlands as well, and though I may need to watch it again, we don't even see Twilight's castle.
4693505
Shining Armor wasn't there either lol. His Wife gets zapped and he's just... gone. Shrugs. I still found the movie quite enjoyable, nit picks aside.
4693603
Same here. I enjoyed it way more than the 1st 2EqG movies. Still need to watch the last 2. Though I wish they could have written the Movie tighter. And the characters dancing in the credits aside, we saw Storm King totes die on screen. It was glorious.
4692599
4693029
Well I did see this rave review