Beginning of the End (1957)

My Little Pony Season 9 is in full swing and began with a council of evil getting together, two dimwits wanting to retire and in the end not a whole lot changed. You know, like every election year. That's not to say there weren't good things about the first two episodes (I'm ignoring the third episode here). In fact one might argue that it was one of the better starts to a season. Heck it could have been even stronger than it was but let's start out with what was good.

First off it was nice to see Sombra. He was arrogant and thought a lot of himself. When he wasn't being sucker punched by a princess that's flung like a football he showed the ability to some degree to adjust his plan. Heck he took out the Tree of Harmony and sacked a couple of towns. Sombra also didn't bow to Grogar (it remains to be seen if this is all of Sombra this year) and I respect him for that. He's his own king. He want's HIS kingdom and I get the feeling he knows that if he joins team evil Grogar gets it all if they win and will not share. In fact Sombra is the reason the beginning is any good.

That's not to say there weren't problems with this episode. The first being that anybody with a brain would think that Twilight has the aptitude to run anything other than a school. I mean that's what she does and wants to do. She likes books, learning and teaching. Anytime she's had to do princess stuff in the past it's been torture for her and frankly she hasn't done it THAT well.

Celestia and Luna think she's perfect for it because the world is more harmonious since Twilight and her friends have taken over the "clean up cosmic messes," business but really that's only because the previous princesses were terrible at it and didn't nip this stuff in the bud when they could. I know it's a kids' show but come on. There are some truths there. Honestly this whole part should have been scrapped. It was really dumb and took away from something called "The Beginning of the End." Something that should be starting a ride toward the apocalypse (at least of this world).

The second issue I have is with pretty much how anybody BUT Twilight and company now sucks and can't handle anything. According to those episodes a castle full of guards now counts as being defenseless, Shining Armor and Cadence can't stand up for themselves and have to ask his little sister to stick up for them and so on. Does anybody honestly think that maybe just maybe some guards could hide and then stick a spear up Sombra's prison wallet while he does his other stuff in front of him? I mean they could. Some of this could have been handled better if we got some conflict here.

Sombra heads to the castle and Shining Armor goes to meet him in combat. They fight a little but Sombra pulls a feint and disappears, however, Cadence detects he's still around, an evil magic aura or something, they go to Flurry Heart and he's got her as a hostage and he does threaten to end her with his magic. They surrender to protect their daughter. By doing it this way Shining Armor looks like he's strong but got out maneuvered. The same is true with Cadence who unbeknownst to either of the guys sent out a distress call to either her aunts and Twilight. She also notes Sombra is stronger than before. Anyway he holds the castle for a bit but is defeated because Three alicorns and the other five are just too much magic for him ... mostly because he's caught off guard.

Now things can kind of go like they do after this point. The elements get destroyed, the citizens become his army, Sombra does a Lo-real commercial because he's worth it. Then he takes over Canterlot. He also should do it demonstrably, heck have a guard try and stab him in the prison wallet and get owned. At least then it would look like no normal guard or force can stop him.

When Twilight and company show up yes, they have their confidence shaken. Discord can show up and be as blase as he ever is. Heck he could have been there earlier and done some of his usual stuff regarding something else. It wouldn't matter. The reason he's there in the beginning is for this part. Twilight and company throw open the door and a fairly powerful magical blast flies forth and nails Fluttershy. She's down and out. We don't know if she's going to make it. Discord goes after Sombra hard and it's an epic fight. Both of them can bend things in their own way but eventually Sombra gets trapped in ... for lack of a better term ... the Phantom Zone and is sent away. (This way if they wanted to bring him back in some way for the finale they could or he just exists in limbo for all time).

The lesson that pops up here is two fold. First, the obvious one is that true friends have each other's backs in the most dire of situations even if that friend comes from an unusual source. Second (and for later episodes) is the healing power of Friendship. Now Fluttershy doesn't get better right away. Heck her friends may have to help her out for a few episodes and you can delve into some of what comes from that and maybe a little deeper dive into Fluttershy later on.

If it had been handled this way we can establish that the main characters are now vulnerable and the bad guys know it. Second, that other ponies are actually capable of handling themselves and aren't weak even if they are bested, and finally what real friendship can actually be over time.

But what do I know. I just watched a movie by a similar name and it was fun!

Back in the 1950's when the power of the atom was making big everything we had our share of mutant creatures attacking towns. While Them will always be the standard from which these types of movies could be there were plenty of others who tried it as well. In the Beginning of the End we are met with a new and somewhat unique monster. It's not a giant ant, spider, vulture or anything that hops out at you as deadly. It's a grasshopper. Fear the hopper.

Before Halloween allowed California to stand in for Illinois it did so here. Before the man with the hook for a hand messed with some necking teens a mutant grasshopper/locust did so here. Before long entire towns are wiped out. Places like Ludlow and Paxton gone and nobody can stop the onslaught.

Honestly the movie itself isn't so original as it is notable for some of its lines and the fact that instead of New York or Los Angeles being the city under attack it's Chicago. If you lived around the area at the time I'm sure it was kind of neat to hear about the monsters moving up the streets of your hometown.

All in all it's an okay sort of creature feature that has one of my favorite shots because it's funny. See etymologist Ed Wainwright (Peter Graves) has an assistant who is deaf and mute. So when he gets attacked we get the grasshopper pov shot of this guy screaming and no sound coming out. I guess he signed it or something.

It may have a low score on IMDB but darn it I've seen way worse that were rated way higher. Give it a shot and maybe do like the MST3K gang did and have some fun with it. It also provides yet another reason why one shouldn't ever swim in Lake Michigan.

The Stats:

11 dead bodies
0 Breasts
Several blown up shots of bugs crawling about
1 mangled car
1 torn sweater
multiple scenes of scientific mumbo-jumbo
1 explain it all to the military who don't believe/take the threat seriously
gun fu
flame fu
helicopter fu
bug fu
car fu

Shoutouts:
Peter Graves as Dr. Ed Wainwright before he watched gladiator films for saying the line, "You can't drop an atom bomb on Chicago!"

Peggie Castle as Audrie Aimes as the reporter who thinks her business card will get her past a military roadblock and for dumbing down the science dialog for the audience.

Bert I. Gordon for directing this movie and delivering B list movies even up to 2015.