This posts includes feature-length animation. This post will continue to be updated as I remember stuff.
The Peanuts Movie
This film remains true to the characters we know and love while introducing
them to a newer generation. The animation is a sort of 2.5D, maintaining
Charles Schulz's character designs, but with fully rendered props and
backgrounds. As is tradition, Charlie Brown and his friends are all
voiced by actual kids, and they all seem to do a good job. We've
all been Charlie Brown at some point in our lives, feeling like the
world is working against us and anything that can go wrong will. The
great thing about him, though, is that this never stops him from trying
and hoping for the best. And of course, you can't go wrong with
Snoopy. Whether he's helping Charlie Brown with something, stealing
Linus' blanket, or shooting down the Red Baron, he's a hoot to watch. You and your kids will love this one.
Equestria Girls: The Friendship Games
Twilight Sparkle's human counterpart is revealed to go to Crystal Prep, a rival school to Canterlot High who routinely beat the Wondercolts in an annual academic and athletic competition called the Friendship Games. She's been investigating the magical energy coming from Canterlot High, unaware of what it truly is, while her principal Abacus Cinch makes her reluctantly compete in the Games. She's created a compact which was just supposed to detect magical energy, but instead is capable of absorbing it, taking away the Rainbooms' transformations, closing off the portal to Equestria, and making the competition much more dangerous than it should be. This is the first movie in the series to take place entirely in the human world, with pony characters relegated to cameos towards the end as the magic breaks loose. This version of Twilight is fairly similar to Moondancer in her focus on her studies and social isolation (and glasses). As with the previous films, Spike tends to steal the show, being a normal dog in this version who's later granted the ability to talk. I do like how the film series has transitioned its protagonist status from Twilight Sparkle to Sunset Shimmer. The first movie was about Princess Twilight trying to get her crown back from Sunset. Rainbow Rocks showed Twilight out of her league and the reformed Sunset ultimately helping stop the Dazzlings. Here, the roles are completely reversed. The movie is focused mostly on Sunset, and while the human Twilight is well-developed, she's a reluctant antagonist by the climax. The rival school allowed for the introduction of new characters, as human versions of familiar characters, but they're not given much focus. It's still a good, fun addition to the franchise
Showing posts with label Friendship Is Magic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friendship Is Magic. Show all posts
Monday, February 1, 2016
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
TV Animation In 2015
This posts includes televised animation. This post will continue to be updated as I remember stuff.
Gravity Falls
Most of the second (and sadly, final) season aired in the past year. Always retaining a great mixture of mystery, humor, and characterization, the Pines twins' summer reaches a turning point when Grunkle Stan(ley) opens a portal to another dimension to save his twin brother (Stan)Ford, the six-fingered author of the journals that kicked off the start of the series. They were once inseparable, like Dipper and Mabel, but Stan's accidental sabotage of Ford's science project blew his chance at a scholarship, causing Stan to get kicked out of the house by their parents' house and having to fend for himself as a con artist. Ford continued investigating the paranormal, working with "Old Man" Fiddleford McGuckett and becoming an unwitting pawn of Bill Cipher. Upon discovering Bill's plans, he stopped his research and called Stan to get rid of one of his journals. Stan would have destroyed it, but Ford tried to stop him. The two had a fight and accidentally turned on the portal, sucking Ford in, where he remained for at least 30 years. Since then, Stan faked his death, assumed Ford's identity, and turned his house into a tourist trap as the Murder Hut (later renamed the Mystery Shack) in order to pay bills and continuing to try to get his brother home. Ford was not happy about his rescue, since it put Bill one step closer to Weirdmageddon. The portal left a dimensional rift behind that Ford has tried to contain. At the same time, Dipper and Mabel have been growing further apart, whether it's by their own decisions, or just growing up. Mabel doesn't take this well, especially once Dipper agrees to stay in Gravity Falls as Ford's apprentice. She runs off, inadvertently taking Dipper's backpack with her, and encounters time traveler Blendin Blandon, who offers her a way to make summer last forever using the rift. She hands it over, and Bill reveals himself to be possessing Blandon. He breaks the rift out of its container, tearing open the sky and letting his demon friends in. This kicks off the Weirdmageddon; which takes up the following two episodes, and will finish up in the one-hour finale. I haven't watched any of these episodes yet, but will cover the whole thing when the final episode airs. Suffice it to say, I'm really sad to see this show end. I always assumed the plan was to make 3 seasons. Nonetheless, it received a solid 40-episode run over the span of 3 to 4 years. Pretty good shelf life, all things considered.
Rick & Morty
A mad scientist and his grandson have crazy adventures all over the multiverse, while Morty's family also deals with their own domestic dysfunctions. The show is incredibly good at mood whiplash, fluctuating between laugh out loud comedy, tense character moments, and horrifying traumatic incidents all over the course of a half hour, and often at the same time. Something I liked about this second season is that Morty's sister summer starts getting more involved in the pair's weekly adventures. It became less Rick dragging Morty along on dangerous interdimensional exploits, and more about him spending time with his grandchildren, but there's always plenty of danger. At the end of the season, one of Rick's oldest friends, Birdperson, is getting married to one of Summer's best friends (they hooked up at a wild party at the end of the first season), but she turns out to be a spy with the Galactic Federation, bent on bringing Rick and his fugitive friends to justice. Things go to squanch from there, but Rick and Morty manage to escape with their family to a miniature Earth-like planet. They seem to survive there for a little while, but Rick ultimately turns himself in (making it sound like his son-in-law Jerry sold him out) so everyone else can return to Earth safely, which is now part of the Galactic Federation. I have no idea where the show is headed next.
Kill La Kill
This one of the strangest anime I've ever seen. The main character, Ryuko Matoi, is searching for answers about the person who killed her father, and her search leads her to Honouji Academy, a high school with a totalitarian student government headed by student council president Satsuki Kiriyuin. The school's uniforms contain life fibers which, when worn by humans, and can sometimes give unique abilities as well. Ryuko comes across one such uniform, a kamui (100% life fibers) which she names Senketsu that transforms into a very revealing outfit but also grants her a great amount of power. Armed with a scissor blade that can cut life fibers, she fights her way through the school's heirarchy and runs into a large resistance movement and tons of wacky characters along the way. This is one show that has to be seen to be believed, hence the lack of spoilers. Suffice it to say, despite its obvious fanservice appeal, it actually is a very well-written and incredibly animated show. It embraces its ridiculous premise and can take itself seriously and be absolutely ridiculous depending on the episode. By the end, it's completely awesome.
Gurren Lagann
This may be the greatest anime I've ever seen. It begins with a boy named Simon finding a robot head buried deep underground, where most humans have spent generations living. His hot-blooded best friend, Kamina, dreams of life above the surface and knows they can get there one day. Then, a monster breaks through from above ground, while a girl named Yoko was fighting it. Using his core drill necklace, Simon activates the robot head, which Kamina has dubbed Lagann, and the trio embarks on an adventure in the surface world, meeting more humans and creating a resistance along the way. Kamina eventually gets his own robot which he names Gurren. The two can combine into Gurren Lagann, and together they fight against the Beastmen and their leader Lord Genome who have kept humanity underground for so long. The early episodes are pretty light-hearted action-adventures, then the eighth episode happens and the series changes forever. After that, there's a slightly more serious tone and a heavy focus on Simon's character development. The series changes again after Lord Genome is defeated, which probably would have been considered an endpoint if not for what happens next. The rest of the series takes place some time in the future, where humanity has flourished above the ground and Simon is more or less in charge of humanity. It turns out Lord Genome had a reason for keeping humanity underground and there's an even bigger threat to the Earth coming for them. This is another show that has to be seen to be believed, but it keeps getting bigger and bigger until it takes up the entire universe. It seems to pay homage at the entire giant robot anime genre spanning all the way back to the 70s, and working its way up to the modern era. And it is awesome.
Akame Ga Kill
Still watching this series as it airs on Toonami, but I like what I've seen. A young man arrives at his country's capitol to join the royal guard and seek his fortune, and is instantly exposed to the Empire's rampant corruption. He is rescued by Night Raid, a team of assassins working as part of the resistance movement, and quickly joins their ranks. The team is an eclectic group, each wielding a special weapon called an Imperial Arms. The weapons are said to be so powerful, that a duel between two of them is said to guarantee that at least one fighter will die. For example, the titular Akame wields a sword that guarantees a one-hit kill thanks to being laced with a deadly poison. Tatsumi eventually gets a sword and suit of armor that can turn invisible. The series fluctuates between comedic moments and very serious drama, but it's very well paced so neither element truly overpowers the other. Unfortunately, characters do die. Within the first eight episodes, Night Raid already loses two of its own. Another interesting aspect is that most of the Jaegers, the Empire's foil to Night Raid, aren't necessarily evil (except for the sadistic General Esdeath). Either they're blind to the corruption of the Empire and see themselves as lawful good, or are simply following orders and just trying to provide for their family The series excels at shades of gray, and I like that. There's also plenty of great action scenes and fun fleshed out characters, even though some of them might not make it to the end.
Parasyte ~The Maxim~
John Carpenter's The Thing meets Invasion Of The Body Snatchers. A seemingly alien race of worms is embedding itself into the heads of humans (and at least one dog) and are now living among them and eating them too. One parasite fails in its attempt to assimilate into Shinichi Izumi's head, and instead merges itself into his right hand. Shinichi and his hand Migi develop a more symbiotic relationship as they try to keep themselves alive while fighting against the other creatures. Over time, Shinichi becomes stronger and less emotional, the young man and others around him wonder just how much of himself is still there. The plot and premise is intriguing, as the parasites actually see humanity as a curiosity as well as a food source. The human characters are wonderfully designed and the monstrous transformations are nothing short of frightening. If you enjoyed Akira, or one of the classic movies mentioned above, this is a series you'll enjoy. Still watching it as it airs on Toonami.
Friendship Is Magic
The fifth season was all about change, as well as the hanging plot thread of cutie mark magic. After the season began, we saw Twilight Sparkle adapt to no longer living in Ponyville's Golden Oak Library while the others go out of their way to make her new castle feel like a home. It was actually really nice to see this addressed and not simply shrugged off. On a similar note, she had the chance to return to Canterlot and patch things up with her old school friends, who she hasn't seen or talked to since the series began. One particular friend, Moondancer, had taken her departure incredibly personal and shut herself off from everypony else. It's another issue I'm glad was brought up, and Moondancer aside, it was sweet to see that Twilight's other friends had already forgiven her. Rainbow Dash dealt with the five stages of grief and accepted that Tank, her pet tortoise, had to go into hibernation for the winter. She also patched things up with her old griffon friend Gilda. Princess Luna let go of her guilt for past actions as Nightmare Moon. Rarity got her own boutique in Canterlot. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor are having a baby. But the biggest change of all involves the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo have been trying to earn their cutie marks for five seasons, and this year...it finally happened. And in doing so, they also reformed Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, the two fillies who have bullied them for having blank flanks the whole time. This season cemented the idea that earning your cutie mark isn't the destiny defining event we all thought it would be. Sure, it's important to your development and it does say something about you, but it can still be a conundrum or be misinterpreted to the pony who gets it. The episode in which this is foreshadowed isn't one of the best in the seasons, but it does present the idea. As for the finale, The Cutie ReMark, we got the return of Starlight Glimmer, who was ready to get revenge on Twilight for bringing down her communist society at the beginning of the season. Starlight uses a time travel spell, takes herself and Twilight back in time to Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom and then stops it from happening. Twilight tries to use the same spell to set everything right, but always ends up taking Starlight back with her, so she fails each time. Every time Twilight returns to the present, it's an alternate doomsday scenario based on the various two-part adventures we've had over the years. First, we see what would happen if King Sombra returned to power, waging an all-out war with Equestria. Then we see a world where Queen Chrysalis and the Changelings rule, Zecora leading everypony in the refuge of the Everfree Forest. After that, a world where Nightmare Moon was never vanquished. The other timelines aren't given as much focus, but we see one where Discord is in charge and another where the Flim Flam Brothers own Ponyville. How does Twilight stop Starlight and set everything right again? She shows her the future she created and straight up talks her out of it. By the end of the episode, she's reformed, and the mane six are helping to integrate her into a friendly member of society, and even get forgiveness from her old village. What does this mean for her in the future? I hope she hasn't become a member of the mane cast, and has just become a recurring character, somepony we can revisit when the need arises.
Dragons: Race To The Edge
While there has been a time skip between this series and the first two (Riders/Defenders Of Berk), it's a shame that it still takes place before the second movie. It doesn't make the show less enjoyable, but I was hoping to see the characters having adventures after those events rather than before. The season kicks off when Dagur the Deranged escapes from prison, amasses a new army of Outcasts/Berzerkers), and has been feuding with Hiccup and the Dragon Riders who are all after a strange artifact: the Dragon Eye. It resembles a flashlight or kaleidoscope, and when its lenses are illuminated by dragon fire, it reveals maps of outlying islands and information about new dragons. Alvin the Treacherous, the past series (reformed) villain, is nowhere to be seen, but we still get other recurring characters like Gustav and Trader Johan, and we learn how Stoick got his new dragon. Heather also returns with a heavily armored dragon of her own, and is revealed to be Dagur's sister. The animation is a step up from the previous seasons, which aired on Cartoon Network rather than Netflix. The character designs are an interesting halfway between the two movies. Some look physically older while retaining most of their more familiar outfits, while others are dressed more closely to their older selves from the second film. The first season of Race To The Edge is 13 episodes, and the finale of which is unfortunately filler. Snotlout's dragon Hookfang meeting a female dragon of its own species, and decides to protect her and her eggs from an even larger male dragon trying to assert its dominance. It's an improvement over the past seasons for sure, but still has a few hiccups (no pun intended) to work out.
Gravity Falls
Most of the second (and sadly, final) season aired in the past year. Always retaining a great mixture of mystery, humor, and characterization, the Pines twins' summer reaches a turning point when Grunkle Stan(ley) opens a portal to another dimension to save his twin brother (Stan)Ford, the six-fingered author of the journals that kicked off the start of the series. They were once inseparable, like Dipper and Mabel, but Stan's accidental sabotage of Ford's science project blew his chance at a scholarship, causing Stan to get kicked out of the house by their parents' house and having to fend for himself as a con artist. Ford continued investigating the paranormal, working with "Old Man" Fiddleford McGuckett and becoming an unwitting pawn of Bill Cipher. Upon discovering Bill's plans, he stopped his research and called Stan to get rid of one of his journals. Stan would have destroyed it, but Ford tried to stop him. The two had a fight and accidentally turned on the portal, sucking Ford in, where he remained for at least 30 years. Since then, Stan faked his death, assumed Ford's identity, and turned his house into a tourist trap as the Murder Hut (later renamed the Mystery Shack) in order to pay bills and continuing to try to get his brother home. Ford was not happy about his rescue, since it put Bill one step closer to Weirdmageddon. The portal left a dimensional rift behind that Ford has tried to contain. At the same time, Dipper and Mabel have been growing further apart, whether it's by their own decisions, or just growing up. Mabel doesn't take this well, especially once Dipper agrees to stay in Gravity Falls as Ford's apprentice. She runs off, inadvertently taking Dipper's backpack with her, and encounters time traveler Blendin Blandon, who offers her a way to make summer last forever using the rift. She hands it over, and Bill reveals himself to be possessing Blandon. He breaks the rift out of its container, tearing open the sky and letting his demon friends in. This kicks off the Weirdmageddon; which takes up the following two episodes, and will finish up in the one-hour finale. I haven't watched any of these episodes yet, but will cover the whole thing when the final episode airs. Suffice it to say, I'm really sad to see this show end. I always assumed the plan was to make 3 seasons. Nonetheless, it received a solid 40-episode run over the span of 3 to 4 years. Pretty good shelf life, all things considered.
Rick & Morty
A mad scientist and his grandson have crazy adventures all over the multiverse, while Morty's family also deals with their own domestic dysfunctions. The show is incredibly good at mood whiplash, fluctuating between laugh out loud comedy, tense character moments, and horrifying traumatic incidents all over the course of a half hour, and often at the same time. Something I liked about this second season is that Morty's sister summer starts getting more involved in the pair's weekly adventures. It became less Rick dragging Morty along on dangerous interdimensional exploits, and more about him spending time with his grandchildren, but there's always plenty of danger. At the end of the season, one of Rick's oldest friends, Birdperson, is getting married to one of Summer's best friends (they hooked up at a wild party at the end of the first season), but she turns out to be a spy with the Galactic Federation, bent on bringing Rick and his fugitive friends to justice. Things go to squanch from there, but Rick and Morty manage to escape with their family to a miniature Earth-like planet. They seem to survive there for a little while, but Rick ultimately turns himself in (making it sound like his son-in-law Jerry sold him out) so everyone else can return to Earth safely, which is now part of the Galactic Federation. I have no idea where the show is headed next.
Kill La Kill
This one of the strangest anime I've ever seen. The main character, Ryuko Matoi, is searching for answers about the person who killed her father, and her search leads her to Honouji Academy, a high school with a totalitarian student government headed by student council president Satsuki Kiriyuin. The school's uniforms contain life fibers which, when worn by humans, and can sometimes give unique abilities as well. Ryuko comes across one such uniform, a kamui (100% life fibers) which she names Senketsu that transforms into a very revealing outfit but also grants her a great amount of power. Armed with a scissor blade that can cut life fibers, she fights her way through the school's heirarchy and runs into a large resistance movement and tons of wacky characters along the way. This is one show that has to be seen to be believed, hence the lack of spoilers. Suffice it to say, despite its obvious fanservice appeal, it actually is a very well-written and incredibly animated show. It embraces its ridiculous premise and can take itself seriously and be absolutely ridiculous depending on the episode. By the end, it's completely awesome.
Gurren Lagann
This may be the greatest anime I've ever seen. It begins with a boy named Simon finding a robot head buried deep underground, where most humans have spent generations living. His hot-blooded best friend, Kamina, dreams of life above the surface and knows they can get there one day. Then, a monster breaks through from above ground, while a girl named Yoko was fighting it. Using his core drill necklace, Simon activates the robot head, which Kamina has dubbed Lagann, and the trio embarks on an adventure in the surface world, meeting more humans and creating a resistance along the way. Kamina eventually gets his own robot which he names Gurren. The two can combine into Gurren Lagann, and together they fight against the Beastmen and their leader Lord Genome who have kept humanity underground for so long. The early episodes are pretty light-hearted action-adventures, then the eighth episode happens and the series changes forever. After that, there's a slightly more serious tone and a heavy focus on Simon's character development. The series changes again after Lord Genome is defeated, which probably would have been considered an endpoint if not for what happens next. The rest of the series takes place some time in the future, where humanity has flourished above the ground and Simon is more or less in charge of humanity. It turns out Lord Genome had a reason for keeping humanity underground and there's an even bigger threat to the Earth coming for them. This is another show that has to be seen to be believed, but it keeps getting bigger and bigger until it takes up the entire universe. It seems to pay homage at the entire giant robot anime genre spanning all the way back to the 70s, and working its way up to the modern era. And it is awesome.
Akame Ga Kill
Still watching this series as it airs on Toonami, but I like what I've seen. A young man arrives at his country's capitol to join the royal guard and seek his fortune, and is instantly exposed to the Empire's rampant corruption. He is rescued by Night Raid, a team of assassins working as part of the resistance movement, and quickly joins their ranks. The team is an eclectic group, each wielding a special weapon called an Imperial Arms. The weapons are said to be so powerful, that a duel between two of them is said to guarantee that at least one fighter will die. For example, the titular Akame wields a sword that guarantees a one-hit kill thanks to being laced with a deadly poison. Tatsumi eventually gets a sword and suit of armor that can turn invisible. The series fluctuates between comedic moments and very serious drama, but it's very well paced so neither element truly overpowers the other. Unfortunately, characters do die. Within the first eight episodes, Night Raid already loses two of its own. Another interesting aspect is that most of the Jaegers, the Empire's foil to Night Raid, aren't necessarily evil (except for the sadistic General Esdeath). Either they're blind to the corruption of the Empire and see themselves as lawful good, or are simply following orders and just trying to provide for their family The series excels at shades of gray, and I like that. There's also plenty of great action scenes and fun fleshed out characters, even though some of them might not make it to the end.
Parasyte ~The Maxim~
John Carpenter's The Thing meets Invasion Of The Body Snatchers. A seemingly alien race of worms is embedding itself into the heads of humans (and at least one dog) and are now living among them and eating them too. One parasite fails in its attempt to assimilate into Shinichi Izumi's head, and instead merges itself into his right hand. Shinichi and his hand Migi develop a more symbiotic relationship as they try to keep themselves alive while fighting against the other creatures. Over time, Shinichi becomes stronger and less emotional, the young man and others around him wonder just how much of himself is still there. The plot and premise is intriguing, as the parasites actually see humanity as a curiosity as well as a food source. The human characters are wonderfully designed and the monstrous transformations are nothing short of frightening. If you enjoyed Akira, or one of the classic movies mentioned above, this is a series you'll enjoy. Still watching it as it airs on Toonami.
Friendship Is Magic
The fifth season was all about change, as well as the hanging plot thread of cutie mark magic. After the season began, we saw Twilight Sparkle adapt to no longer living in Ponyville's Golden Oak Library while the others go out of their way to make her new castle feel like a home. It was actually really nice to see this addressed and not simply shrugged off. On a similar note, she had the chance to return to Canterlot and patch things up with her old school friends, who she hasn't seen or talked to since the series began. One particular friend, Moondancer, had taken her departure incredibly personal and shut herself off from everypony else. It's another issue I'm glad was brought up, and Moondancer aside, it was sweet to see that Twilight's other friends had already forgiven her. Rainbow Dash dealt with the five stages of grief and accepted that Tank, her pet tortoise, had to go into hibernation for the winter. She also patched things up with her old griffon friend Gilda. Princess Luna let go of her guilt for past actions as Nightmare Moon. Rarity got her own boutique in Canterlot. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor are having a baby. But the biggest change of all involves the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo have been trying to earn their cutie marks for five seasons, and this year...it finally happened. And in doing so, they also reformed Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, the two fillies who have bullied them for having blank flanks the whole time. This season cemented the idea that earning your cutie mark isn't the destiny defining event we all thought it would be. Sure, it's important to your development and it does say something about you, but it can still be a conundrum or be misinterpreted to the pony who gets it. The episode in which this is foreshadowed isn't one of the best in the seasons, but it does present the idea. As for the finale, The Cutie ReMark, we got the return of Starlight Glimmer, who was ready to get revenge on Twilight for bringing down her communist society at the beginning of the season. Starlight uses a time travel spell, takes herself and Twilight back in time to Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom and then stops it from happening. Twilight tries to use the same spell to set everything right, but always ends up taking Starlight back with her, so she fails each time. Every time Twilight returns to the present, it's an alternate doomsday scenario based on the various two-part adventures we've had over the years. First, we see what would happen if King Sombra returned to power, waging an all-out war with Equestria. Then we see a world where Queen Chrysalis and the Changelings rule, Zecora leading everypony in the refuge of the Everfree Forest. After that, a world where Nightmare Moon was never vanquished. The other timelines aren't given as much focus, but we see one where Discord is in charge and another where the Flim Flam Brothers own Ponyville. How does Twilight stop Starlight and set everything right again? She shows her the future she created and straight up talks her out of it. By the end of the episode, she's reformed, and the mane six are helping to integrate her into a friendly member of society, and even get forgiveness from her old village. What does this mean for her in the future? I hope she hasn't become a member of the mane cast, and has just become a recurring character, somepony we can revisit when the need arises.
Dragons: Race To The Edge
While there has been a time skip between this series and the first two (Riders/Defenders Of Berk), it's a shame that it still takes place before the second movie. It doesn't make the show less enjoyable, but I was hoping to see the characters having adventures after those events rather than before. The season kicks off when Dagur the Deranged escapes from prison, amasses a new army of Outcasts/Berzerkers), and has been feuding with Hiccup and the Dragon Riders who are all after a strange artifact: the Dragon Eye. It resembles a flashlight or kaleidoscope, and when its lenses are illuminated by dragon fire, it reveals maps of outlying islands and information about new dragons. Alvin the Treacherous, the past series (reformed) villain, is nowhere to be seen, but we still get other recurring characters like Gustav and Trader Johan, and we learn how Stoick got his new dragon. Heather also returns with a heavily armored dragon of her own, and is revealed to be Dagur's sister. The animation is a step up from the previous seasons, which aired on Cartoon Network rather than Netflix. The character designs are an interesting halfway between the two movies. Some look physically older while retaining most of their more familiar outfits, while others are dressed more closely to their older selves from the second film. The first season of Race To The Edge is 13 episodes, and the finale of which is unfortunately filler. Snotlout's dragon Hookfang meeting a female dragon of its own species, and decides to protect her and her eggs from an even larger male dragon trying to assert its dominance. It's an improvement over the past seasons for sure, but still has a few hiccups (no pun intended) to work out.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Friendship Is Magic- Slice Of Life
Our 100th episode opens with Cranky Doodle Donkey and his fiancee Matilda, who suddenly discover that the wedding invitations they sent out have today's date instead of tomorrow, and everypony in town got one. The two fly into a panic to push up their timetable and get married by this afternoon. Who's responsible for this mishap? None other than Derpy Hooves (credited as Muffins), who got them done cheap by hiring poor little Featherweight. It's nice to see Cranky and Matilda again, who debuted back in the second season when Pinkie Pie reunited them after he spent his whole life trying to find her, and hearing Derpy find her voice again is a real treat.
Derpy's feeling awful about her mistake and wishes there was a way to go back in time and fix it, piquing the interest of her friend Time Turner (credited as Doctor, but Derpy just calls him Doc). He's voiced by Peter New, who reminds me a bit of Paul McGann in his delivery, with a bit of Tom Baker. He invites her into his home (which could very well be bigger on the inside) and rambles a bit about his fascination with science, and shows Derpy around, specifically mentioning the flameless fireworks he invented (but can't figure out how to ignite). Then when Derpy finally mentions the wedding, he realizes he still needs to get his suit tailored (and it's green, just like McGann's).
The mane six are trying to stop a bugbear from destroying Ponyville, and as such Rarity isn't at the Carousel Boutique and can't help Turner with his suit. Vinyl Scratch/DJ P0N-3 is walking by and he begs her for help finding a tailor. She can't hear him through her headphones, so just takes him to the bowling alley. He runs into Jeff Letrotski (credited as Lebowski Pony), who just happens to be a tailor himself. (I also noticed his cutie mark is a rug, and that is hilarious.) His team is missing a guy, so agrees to fix up the suit if Turner bowls with them.
As the bugbear rampages through Ponyville, Matilda looks desperately for her wedding planner (Pinkie Pie), but spots Sparkler (credited as Amethyst Star) directing foals to safety. Apparently she was quite the organizer before Twilight showed up and eagerly agrees to help. This scene also provides our first look at the bugbear, and it's pretty cool design. I four-armed black (with yellow stripes) and white bear with a bee's wings and stinger.
As Sparkler and Matilda run away towards the spa, Derpy flies by them and asks if there's anything she can do, and Matilda quickly mentions flowers. She goes to Roseluck and two other mares to get them but nothing is ready. The trio faints at the thought of trying.
Meanwhile at Town Hall, Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon are setting up the decorations for the ceremony. After expositing a bit about their friendship, they hear the commotion outside. The moment she learns it's a bugbear, she freaks. Apparently, her real name is Sweetie Drops, and she used to work as a secret anti-monster agency in Canterlot, and that she was the one who captured the bugbear initially and that it's escaped into Tartarus to find her. Not wanting Lyra to get hurt because of her, she jumps out the window on a grappling hook and blends into the crowd, as Cranky is seen pleading to a jeweler pony about the wedding bands.
Back at the bowling alley, Turner is staring down a 7-10 split which could mean winning the bowling tournament. However, Derpy busts in and excitedly says she's going to use his flameless fireworks for the wedding since they look like flowers. He runs after her, and his bowling ball only knocks down one of the pins.
The bugbear fight scrolls by in the foreground as we transition to the spa. Matilda is stressing out, and Lotus Blossom tries to calm her down. As it turns out, Stephen Magnet is there too, the sea monster from the first episode(s). He and Cranky are old friends and recounting how he never gave up searching for her does manage to relax her...then Stephen brings up how big a deal the wedding is to the ponies attending, and it looks like she's freaking out again.
We then cut to Vinyl Scratch entering her house, where her roommate Octavia Melody is on her bass (or cello?) trying to figure out what to play at the wedding. Everything she tries sounds rather generic, so Vinyl brings out her sound board and adds some dubstep to the mix. The two jam for a while in a cool sequence, until Octavia realizes she's going to be late for the wedding. The two burst out of the house on mobile speakers and zoom towards Town Hall, jumping over what appears to be a stuffed shark (clever), streaking past the bugbear battle, and picking up Matilda, the Cake family (delivering the wedding cake) and countless other ponies along the way (it would take too long to mention them all). Cranky loses his toupee as it streaks past him. Somepony drops their cane in the street, which trips the mobile and sends everypony flying. Gummy, Pinkie Pie's pet aligator, watches all this from a distance, and internally monologues about the futility of life.
Everypony luckily manages to land safely in Town Hall; even the cake landed with each layer in one piece. Princesses Celestia and Luna are on the scene, and seemed to forget to bring a gift. Shining Armor is crying like little filly (apparently he always does this at weddings) while Cadance tries to console him. As Derpy admires her flameless firework floral arrangement, Sweetie Drops enters and announces that the mane six have defeated the bugbear. She then takes a seat next to Lyra, who confesses something trivial to Bon Bon and the two remain on good terms.
Derpy goes to the door as Time Turner runs up. It seems he left his suit at the bowling alley and is instead wearing Tom Baker's scarf. She gives him a hug, and he realizes they're short on time and goes inside with an "Allons-y!"
With Cranky missing his toupee, Stephen Magnet cuts off half of his moustache and plants it on Cranky's head, reflecting Rarity's act of generosity to him back in his first appearance. With everypony else arrived, the ceremony begins as Derpy closes the door and inadvertently locks the mane six out, forcing them to watch through a window. Mayor Mare officiates and delivers a wonderful monologue about the importance of every character who plays a part in each others lives, major and minor. And so she pronounces them Jack and Jenny (Is that donkey terminology? I wouldn't know). Their first kiss as a married couple sets off Time Turner's flameless fireworks, and he's overjoyed by it (and just happens to be sitting next to Roseluck).
We then cut to outside. The sun is setting and the Town Hall interior has flashes of color erupt from the inside. As Twilight and her friends look on, she turns towards Ponyville and says how lucky they are to live there, giving them all a group hug.
This episode is fantastic. It's nice to see all the background ponies get some time in the spotlight, and return to characters we haven't seen in a long time. The mayor's monlogue is particulary poignant, and leans on the fourth wall a bit. The Doctor Who references via Time Turner (often referred to as Doctor Whooves by fans) are a real treat, since it seemed like something they got about as close as they could to making him the Doctor without actually doing so. I also loved the spotlight on Derpy. She hasn't been called by name since the second season, but she also hasn't spoken since then either. For now, I'm assuming her real name is still Derpy and Muffins is just something that others call her, because she likes Muffins (it's also her first line in the episode).
While I got a kick out of seeing Time Turner's labratory and his interaction with Derpy, my favorite scene is probably the one at Vinyl and Octavia's household. Their home is split down the middle, colored normally on Octavia's side, with purple and blue on Vinyl's side. I'm still a bit disappointed that Vinyl doesn't have a voice yet. She didn't speak in Rainbow Rocks either, so she could very well be a mute. It's still great seeing her and Octavia actually interact and make music together in canon.
The mane six, of course, got the back seat during this episode. I'm kind of curious how they finally defeated the bugbear and how it got to Ponyville in the first place. I don't think they'd be able to fill a whole episode with the battle, although they have done that kind of device before back in the third season.
At the end, Slice Of Life is a 22-minute love letter to the show's audience and fanbase for helping to make My Little Pony the powerhouse (or perhaps powerhorse) that it is today, and an episode you do not want to miss.
Derpy's feeling awful about her mistake and wishes there was a way to go back in time and fix it, piquing the interest of her friend Time Turner (credited as Doctor, but Derpy just calls him Doc). He's voiced by Peter New, who reminds me a bit of Paul McGann in his delivery, with a bit of Tom Baker. He invites her into his home (which could very well be bigger on the inside) and rambles a bit about his fascination with science, and shows Derpy around, specifically mentioning the flameless fireworks he invented (but can't figure out how to ignite). Then when Derpy finally mentions the wedding, he realizes he still needs to get his suit tailored (and it's green, just like McGann's).
The mane six are trying to stop a bugbear from destroying Ponyville, and as such Rarity isn't at the Carousel Boutique and can't help Turner with his suit. Vinyl Scratch/DJ P0N-3 is walking by and he begs her for help finding a tailor. She can't hear him through her headphones, so just takes him to the bowling alley. He runs into Jeff Letrotski (credited as Lebowski Pony), who just happens to be a tailor himself. (I also noticed his cutie mark is a rug, and that is hilarious.) His team is missing a guy, so agrees to fix up the suit if Turner bowls with them.
As the bugbear rampages through Ponyville, Matilda looks desperately for her wedding planner (Pinkie Pie), but spots Sparkler (credited as Amethyst Star) directing foals to safety. Apparently she was quite the organizer before Twilight showed up and eagerly agrees to help. This scene also provides our first look at the bugbear, and it's pretty cool design. I four-armed black (with yellow stripes) and white bear with a bee's wings and stinger.
As Sparkler and Matilda run away towards the spa, Derpy flies by them and asks if there's anything she can do, and Matilda quickly mentions flowers. She goes to Roseluck and two other mares to get them but nothing is ready. The trio faints at the thought of trying.
Meanwhile at Town Hall, Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon are setting up the decorations for the ceremony. After expositing a bit about their friendship, they hear the commotion outside. The moment she learns it's a bugbear, she freaks. Apparently, her real name is Sweetie Drops, and she used to work as a secret anti-monster agency in Canterlot, and that she was the one who captured the bugbear initially and that it's escaped into Tartarus to find her. Not wanting Lyra to get hurt because of her, she jumps out the window on a grappling hook and blends into the crowd, as Cranky is seen pleading to a jeweler pony about the wedding bands.
Back at the bowling alley, Turner is staring down a 7-10 split which could mean winning the bowling tournament. However, Derpy busts in and excitedly says she's going to use his flameless fireworks for the wedding since they look like flowers. He runs after her, and his bowling ball only knocks down one of the pins.
The bugbear fight scrolls by in the foreground as we transition to the spa. Matilda is stressing out, and Lotus Blossom tries to calm her down. As it turns out, Stephen Magnet is there too, the sea monster from the first episode(s). He and Cranky are old friends and recounting how he never gave up searching for her does manage to relax her...then Stephen brings up how big a deal the wedding is to the ponies attending, and it looks like she's freaking out again.
We then cut to Vinyl Scratch entering her house, where her roommate Octavia Melody is on her bass (or cello?) trying to figure out what to play at the wedding. Everything she tries sounds rather generic, so Vinyl brings out her sound board and adds some dubstep to the mix. The two jam for a while in a cool sequence, until Octavia realizes she's going to be late for the wedding. The two burst out of the house on mobile speakers and zoom towards Town Hall, jumping over what appears to be a stuffed shark (clever), streaking past the bugbear battle, and picking up Matilda, the Cake family (delivering the wedding cake) and countless other ponies along the way (it would take too long to mention them all). Cranky loses his toupee as it streaks past him. Somepony drops their cane in the street, which trips the mobile and sends everypony flying. Gummy, Pinkie Pie's pet aligator, watches all this from a distance, and internally monologues about the futility of life.
Everypony luckily manages to land safely in Town Hall; even the cake landed with each layer in one piece. Princesses Celestia and Luna are on the scene, and seemed to forget to bring a gift. Shining Armor is crying like little filly (apparently he always does this at weddings) while Cadance tries to console him. As Derpy admires her flameless firework floral arrangement, Sweetie Drops enters and announces that the mane six have defeated the bugbear. She then takes a seat next to Lyra, who confesses something trivial to Bon Bon and the two remain on good terms.
Derpy goes to the door as Time Turner runs up. It seems he left his suit at the bowling alley and is instead wearing Tom Baker's scarf. She gives him a hug, and he realizes they're short on time and goes inside with an "Allons-y!"
With Cranky missing his toupee, Stephen Magnet cuts off half of his moustache and plants it on Cranky's head, reflecting Rarity's act of generosity to him back in his first appearance. With everypony else arrived, the ceremony begins as Derpy closes the door and inadvertently locks the mane six out, forcing them to watch through a window. Mayor Mare officiates and delivers a wonderful monologue about the importance of every character who plays a part in each others lives, major and minor. And so she pronounces them Jack and Jenny (Is that donkey terminology? I wouldn't know). Their first kiss as a married couple sets off Time Turner's flameless fireworks, and he's overjoyed by it (and just happens to be sitting next to Roseluck).
We then cut to outside. The sun is setting and the Town Hall interior has flashes of color erupt from the inside. As Twilight and her friends look on, she turns towards Ponyville and says how lucky they are to live there, giving them all a group hug.
This episode is fantastic. It's nice to see all the background ponies get some time in the spotlight, and return to characters we haven't seen in a long time. The mayor's monlogue is particulary poignant, and leans on the fourth wall a bit. The Doctor Who references via Time Turner (often referred to as Doctor Whooves by fans) are a real treat, since it seemed like something they got about as close as they could to making him the Doctor without actually doing so. I also loved the spotlight on Derpy. She hasn't been called by name since the second season, but she also hasn't spoken since then either. For now, I'm assuming her real name is still Derpy and Muffins is just something that others call her, because she likes Muffins (it's also her first line in the episode).
While I got a kick out of seeing Time Turner's labratory and his interaction with Derpy, my favorite scene is probably the one at Vinyl and Octavia's household. Their home is split down the middle, colored normally on Octavia's side, with purple and blue on Vinyl's side. I'm still a bit disappointed that Vinyl doesn't have a voice yet. She didn't speak in Rainbow Rocks either, so she could very well be a mute. It's still great seeing her and Octavia actually interact and make music together in canon.
The mane six, of course, got the back seat during this episode. I'm kind of curious how they finally defeated the bugbear and how it got to Ponyville in the first place. I don't think they'd be able to fill a whole episode with the battle, although they have done that kind of device before back in the third season.
At the end, Slice Of Life is a 22-minute love letter to the show's audience and fanbase for helping to make My Little Pony the powerhouse (or perhaps powerhorse) that it is today, and an episode you do not want to miss.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Friendship Is Magic- The Cutie Map
The season begins in Twilight's Crystal Tree Palace playset as the mane cast ponder what's next for them. As they're trying to figure out just how to spread the magic of friendship through Equestria, a full-scale table map emerges from the floor. Their cutie marks start flashing, and the map seems to indicate a destination for them.
They arrive at a quaint little village full of friendly townspeople, but there's something very off about it: every pony has the same equals-sign cutie mark. Fluttershy seems to find it nice, but Pinkie Pie knows there's something very wrong with their smiles. The mare in charge is a unicorn named Starlight Glimmer, who sings praises for sameness and equality, and that without your cutie mark and the talent it represents, you can be that much happier. The atmosphere is incredibly creepy and Orwellian, and it's great to see this kind of subject matter taken up on what some would decry as a children's show (or specifically, a girl's show).
The mane six are not convinced, but still take some time to look around the village and have a bite to eat. The baker unicorn, Sugar Belle, invites them discreetly into her shop, so that she and some other ponies (a unicorn named Party Favor and a pegasus named Night Glider) can admire their cutie marks and reminisce about their own. It's here we learn that the cutie marks are kept safely in a cave, and the townspeople can visit it whenever they want. Starlight is more than happy to show it to the mane six, but shortly after their arrival, it's clearly revealed to be a trap. Now that she has them surrounded, she picks up a staff which she claims to be a lost relic of a powerful unicorn named Meadowbrook. Twilight Sparkle attempts to fight back, but is the first to get her cutie mark taken off and replaced with the equals sign. The others are quickly dealt with as well, and the first part ends as overhead shot fades into the forboding equals sign...and the credits role with the happy theme tune.
When the second part picks up, the mane six are trapped in a cabin, equalistic propaganda playing through a loudspeaker, rather similar to Big Brother's "ignorance is strength" dogma in 1984. Rainbow Dash and Applejack both make attempts to break out, but fail to do so without their athleticism. Fluttershy can't communicate with birds to signal for help, and Pinkie Pie begins to sound more and more monotone, while Rarity's own fashion sense begins to fade. Twilight theorizes something's off about that staff as Meadowbrook was supposed to only have eight relics, whereas Starlight's staff is seemingly the ninth. As time goes on, they come up with a plan. Since Fluttershy seemed the most comfortable in the village, she would feign conversion and break them all out later.
As a test of loyalty, Starlight asks who the ponies were who met with the mane six earlier. Before she can answer, Party Favor steps forward, taking the fall so the others wouldn't. Fluttershy is let out while he gets thrown in with the rest of the mane six. Later that night, Fluttershy tries to sneak out to the cave, but notices Starlight take their cutie marks back to her cabin. Once her henchpony Double Diamond has left, she accidentaly spills some water on herself, and when wiping it away revealing that she's still had her cutie mark the whole time.
The next morning, Party Favor is let out while Fluttershy speaks to the others. It seems Twilight is ready to join the community too, but it's a ploy so that Starlight can be doused with water, revealing her deception to the whole town. It turns out the staff really was just a stick and Starlight kept her cutie mark because her magic was needed to take everyone else's away, so that they could all be equal, except for her. She's run back into her cabin while the villagers run to the cave.
As she escapes through an underground passageway, the glass in the cave is shattered and everypony's cutie mark is restored. The mane six, however, are still powerless as Starlight held onto theirs. Unable to keep up with her without their own talents, it rests on the villagers to get them back. Night Glider breaks down the cabin door allowing for the chase. Party Favor seemingly can make anything out of balloons, from binoculars to a bridge. During the chase, Double Diamond finds his old skis abandoned in the mountains, and then he and Night Glider catch up to Starlight. She finally drops the jars, which break and restore the mane six's cutie marks.
After a lecture from Twilight about why our own unique attributes and abilities are what make friendships special, Starlight Glimmer manages to escape into a dark cavern, likely to return. Even so, the villagers are all the happier that she's gone and their talents restored. The mane six look on in satisfaction, as their cutie marks flash again, indicating the map has another job for them to do, and we end with a group hug.
A very strong start to the season. Even though the show has had a pretty good track record with episodes dealing with complex issues (learning disabilities, physical handicaps, etc.), the social commentary in this episode is really appreciated. It shows why talents should be both praised and encouraged, and why keeping everybody on the same level isn't always a good thing, no matter how appealing others might make it sound.
Even so, the episode does have its flaws. Twilight was equalized by Starlight a little too easily, but I mostly chalk that up to being taken by surprise. Even so, she could have simply put up a forcefield instead of teleporting away from the blast before trying to counter. Spike could have been very useful in this episode, but was left behind in the castle after some funny bits at the beginning of the episode. He's a dragon and doesn't have a cutie mark, so would not have been susceptible to Starlight's magic. Additionally, he can breathe fire and would have been able to help the mane six escape from the cabin, and if all else fails could have sent a message to Princess Celestia and brought in backup. However, that might have been excessive. Unlike previous antagoniss like Nightmare Moon, Discord, Sombra, or Tirek, Starlight Glimmer is just an ordinary unicorn. It's a bit of a mixed bag seeing the mane characters having to take the backseat during the final confrontation. It's somewhat disappointing to see the characters de-powered, but at the same time, letting others have a moment in the limelight is cool.
The Cutie Map indicates that we'll be seeing more of Equestria outside of Ponyville, Canterlot, and Manehattan, and that's probably for the best. Even though the series is strongest with its slice of life stories, additional world building is always welcome. W If we can expect more like this one all season, then I am proud to still be a brony.
They arrive at a quaint little village full of friendly townspeople, but there's something very off about it: every pony has the same equals-sign cutie mark. Fluttershy seems to find it nice, but Pinkie Pie knows there's something very wrong with their smiles. The mare in charge is a unicorn named Starlight Glimmer, who sings praises for sameness and equality, and that without your cutie mark and the talent it represents, you can be that much happier. The atmosphere is incredibly creepy and Orwellian, and it's great to see this kind of subject matter taken up on what some would decry as a children's show (or specifically, a girl's show).
The mane six are not convinced, but still take some time to look around the village and have a bite to eat. The baker unicorn, Sugar Belle, invites them discreetly into her shop, so that she and some other ponies (a unicorn named Party Favor and a pegasus named Night Glider) can admire their cutie marks and reminisce about their own. It's here we learn that the cutie marks are kept safely in a cave, and the townspeople can visit it whenever they want. Starlight is more than happy to show it to the mane six, but shortly after their arrival, it's clearly revealed to be a trap. Now that she has them surrounded, she picks up a staff which she claims to be a lost relic of a powerful unicorn named Meadowbrook. Twilight Sparkle attempts to fight back, but is the first to get her cutie mark taken off and replaced with the equals sign. The others are quickly dealt with as well, and the first part ends as overhead shot fades into the forboding equals sign...and the credits role with the happy theme tune.
When the second part picks up, the mane six are trapped in a cabin, equalistic propaganda playing through a loudspeaker, rather similar to Big Brother's "ignorance is strength" dogma in 1984. Rainbow Dash and Applejack both make attempts to break out, but fail to do so without their athleticism. Fluttershy can't communicate with birds to signal for help, and Pinkie Pie begins to sound more and more monotone, while Rarity's own fashion sense begins to fade. Twilight theorizes something's off about that staff as Meadowbrook was supposed to only have eight relics, whereas Starlight's staff is seemingly the ninth. As time goes on, they come up with a plan. Since Fluttershy seemed the most comfortable in the village, she would feign conversion and break them all out later.
As a test of loyalty, Starlight asks who the ponies were who met with the mane six earlier. Before she can answer, Party Favor steps forward, taking the fall so the others wouldn't. Fluttershy is let out while he gets thrown in with the rest of the mane six. Later that night, Fluttershy tries to sneak out to the cave, but notices Starlight take their cutie marks back to her cabin. Once her henchpony Double Diamond has left, she accidentaly spills some water on herself, and when wiping it away revealing that she's still had her cutie mark the whole time.
The next morning, Party Favor is let out while Fluttershy speaks to the others. It seems Twilight is ready to join the community too, but it's a ploy so that Starlight can be doused with water, revealing her deception to the whole town. It turns out the staff really was just a stick and Starlight kept her cutie mark because her magic was needed to take everyone else's away, so that they could all be equal, except for her. She's run back into her cabin while the villagers run to the cave.
As she escapes through an underground passageway, the glass in the cave is shattered and everypony's cutie mark is restored. The mane six, however, are still powerless as Starlight held onto theirs. Unable to keep up with her without their own talents, it rests on the villagers to get them back. Night Glider breaks down the cabin door allowing for the chase. Party Favor seemingly can make anything out of balloons, from binoculars to a bridge. During the chase, Double Diamond finds his old skis abandoned in the mountains, and then he and Night Glider catch up to Starlight. She finally drops the jars, which break and restore the mane six's cutie marks.
After a lecture from Twilight about why our own unique attributes and abilities are what make friendships special, Starlight Glimmer manages to escape into a dark cavern, likely to return. Even so, the villagers are all the happier that she's gone and their talents restored. The mane six look on in satisfaction, as their cutie marks flash again, indicating the map has another job for them to do, and we end with a group hug.
A very strong start to the season. Even though the show has had a pretty good track record with episodes dealing with complex issues (learning disabilities, physical handicaps, etc.), the social commentary in this episode is really appreciated. It shows why talents should be both praised and encouraged, and why keeping everybody on the same level isn't always a good thing, no matter how appealing others might make it sound.
Even so, the episode does have its flaws. Twilight was equalized by Starlight a little too easily, but I mostly chalk that up to being taken by surprise. Even so, she could have simply put up a forcefield instead of teleporting away from the blast before trying to counter. Spike could have been very useful in this episode, but was left behind in the castle after some funny bits at the beginning of the episode. He's a dragon and doesn't have a cutie mark, so would not have been susceptible to Starlight's magic. Additionally, he can breathe fire and would have been able to help the mane six escape from the cabin, and if all else fails could have sent a message to Princess Celestia and brought in backup. However, that might have been excessive. Unlike previous antagoniss like Nightmare Moon, Discord, Sombra, or Tirek, Starlight Glimmer is just an ordinary unicorn. It's a bit of a mixed bag seeing the mane characters having to take the backseat during the final confrontation. It's somewhat disappointing to see the characters de-powered, but at the same time, letting others have a moment in the limelight is cool.
The Cutie Map indicates that we'll be seeing more of Equestria outside of Ponyville, Canterlot, and Manehattan, and that's probably for the best. Even though the series is strongest with its slice of life stories, additional world building is always welcome. W If we can expect more like this one all season, then I am proud to still be a brony.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks
I'm probably in the minority of the MLP fandom as someone who enjoyed the first Equestria Girls movie, and like the general idea of our favorite pony characters being turned into humans. Even so, love it or hate it, there's really no denying that Rainbow Rocks is actually good and a genuine improvement over the original.
The story begins in a diner, where our three antagonists, the Dazzlings, are making the patrons argue and feeding off the negativity, which is absorbed into their ruby necklaces. They exposit briefly about having been banished here from Equestria, and witness from a distance the climax from the first film. Adagio Dazzle, the leader of the trio decides to set a plan in motion to replenish the power they once had and make the population of this world adore them.
Then we cut back to Canterlot High. We're not sure how much time has passed, but Sunset Shimmer has taken her reformation to heart. The rest of the school still hates her, but the Mane Cast has at least accepted her as one of their own. The school's getting ready for a musical showcase, and they've formed a band of their own called the Rainbooms. (Sunset seems content as a groupie, tho.) Whenever they play, they seem to "ponify" like they did in the first film, with pegasus wings, ponytail hair, and ears. (Why not pegasus horns too?) They sound great, but we already get some shades of conflict as Rainbow Dash seems to like to put herself in front and hog the spotlight. Flash Sentry pops in, hoping maybe Twilight Sparkle might be coming back for the showcase, but there seems to be no indication of that happening. Rarity makes a remark about his crush on Twilight, but then apologizes to Sunset, remembering that she's his ex-girlfriend. Sunset brushes it off, claiming she never really liked him, and was just using him for popularity back when she was evil. (It sounds strangely like denial.) Fluttershy offers a song for the band to sing, but Rainbow Dash shrugs it off, saying they'll get to it.
The Dazzlings have arrived at the school as new students, and Sunset offers to show them around, hoping to make a first impression before they learn too much about her past. Adagio and her comrades, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk, seem a bit off to Sunset. As she tells the Rainbooms about them, the trio bursts into the cafeteria and sing a song to rouse the student body into turning the musical showcase into a Battle of the Bands. The great part of this scene is it's the complete opposite of the Help Twilight Win The Crown sequence from the first film. Again, we have a musical number rousing the Canterlot High schoolers to a cause. But instead of bonding everyone towards a common goal with their similarities, it drives them apart with the promise of a competition.
The Mane Six, unaffected by their magic, try to bring this to the attention of Principal Celestia, but she and Vice Principal Luna have already fallen under the Dazzlings' spell. Sunset then decides to send a message to Equestria for help, using a magic diary to send a letter to the Princess Celestia, hoping a message will get to Twilight Sparkle. We then cut to Ponyville and the new Castle Treehouse Playset, where the Mane Six ponies are residing in the throne room. Some books arrive for Twilight, presumably from Celestia, a copy of Sunset's diary among them.
Some quick research reveals that the Dazzlings are sirens; giant seahorses who use their magical songs to manipulate the minds of others and, as established, feed off their negative energy. In order to stop them, Starswirl the Bearded banished them to another realm. Realizing the threat they present, Twilight uses some scientific magic to modify the Crystal Mirror and reopen the portal to the human world. Applejack offers to go with her, but Twilight refuses, noting how strange it would be if two of everybody suddenly showed up in the other world. However, Spike the Dragon is still ready to accompany her.
Twilight (now human) and Spike (now a dog) arrive at Canterlot High and the Rainbooms go to a party for all the competitors. The negative emotions run high as nobody seems content to socialize, however Twilight does have a brief cute reunion with Flash Sentry. Though clearly in a competitive mood thanks to the Dazzlings, he was at least happy to see her in this first encounter. The Dazzlings show up, and the Rainbooms attempt to summon their Rainbow Power against the Dazzlings to undo the spell. Unfortunately, nothing happens. The group quickly exits, but not before Adagio realizes something's special about them, and that they might have the magic the Dazzlings are looking for.
The Rainbooms and Sunset realize there must be some connection between their Harmony Magic and their music, so Twilight will have to compose a counter-spell, join the band, and together they'd sing a song to brake the Dazzlings' spell over the students. Realizing that Twilight just stayed in the school library, Pinkie Pie invites her to a slumber party at her house. It's actually a nice moment of the girls just hanging out, and has some fun interactions between the characters. There's also a nice quiet scene between Sunset and Twilight.
The next day, the Rainbooms are at Applejack's trying out the counter-spell, which doesn't quite have the magic touch they were expecting. Since their song isn't ready yet, it means the Rainbooms will have to compete in the competition for real until it is.
They arrive at school and the competition begins. Under the Dazzlings' influence other students attempt to sabotage the Rainbooms during their performance. Photo Finish and her band use magnets to attract Rarity's sequin-heavy jacket. The great and powerful Trixie and her band point the spotlight on Fluttershy, and stage fright gets the better of her. The tension between the Mane Six themselves doesn't help things either. Nonetheless, they're able to move on in the competition.
Twilight bumps into Flash outside, and instead of the usual meet cute, he's abrasive and angry over how badly he wants to win, and how she just shows up for the sole purpose of competing. We realize he's not himself, but the scene is really heartbreaking to watch, and it's hard not to feel bad for Twilight during this.
Sunset confronts the Sirens in a poorly lit hallway, again reflecting a moment between her and Twilight from the first movie, with Sunset as the protagonist and the one being intimidated this time around. Adagio Dazzle plays with Sunset's insecurities, how the school will never truly accept her, and that even the Rainbooms don't really consider her one of them, hence why she's not in the band too.
We then get a montage of the Battle of the Bands, set to another song by the Dazzlings. In addition to being a really awesome song, it shows off some great cameos of other characters and their bands. Even as the Rainbooms advance, the montage also shows that Twilight still hasn't been able to get a counter-spell ready. By the time the montage is over, there's only three bands left: the Dazzlings, Trixie's group, and the Rainbooms.
The Battle of the Bands resumes after a performance by Trixie. It's cool to hear Trixie sing, and the song is pretty catchy. (The full version, however, is not heard in the movie.) With the counter-spell still not done, the Rainbooms need to make sure they're good to get into the finals. Rainbow Dash takes charge and insists that they play her song, Awesome As I Wanna Be. While a good entry to the soundtrack, the scene makes it pretty obvious that her band mates are pretty fed up with Dash's showboating. It goes so far, that her magic begins to manifest. Sunset notices, and in a panic, tackles Rainbow Dash off the stage, earning her further disdain from the student body. (Octavia knew she was still trouble.) The Mane Six think they're out for sure, but the Dazzlings sing for Celestia and Luna, ensuring the Rainboom's place in the finals.
The finals take place at an outdoor auditorium. Having been snubbed in the last round, the great and powerful Trixie rigs the stage so the Rainbooms fall through a trap door into the locked basement under the stage, giving her the chance to perform again. The Mane Cast's conflicts come to a head; Rarity's obsession with costumes, Rainbow Dash's showboating, Twilight's failure to write a counter-spell, and Fluttershy's song being overlooked by the band the whole time. The argument is enough for the Rainbooms to finally succumb to the Dazzlings' magic, who absorb their negativity and even some of their Friendship Magic.
Sunset Shimmer's been watching all of this as an outsider for a while now, and finally steps in to put a stop to the finally steps in to help her friends. In the end, the Rainbooms decide to use the song Fluttershy wrote as the counter-spell, but first they have to get out of the cellar. Fortunately, Spike shows up alongside DJ-P0N3. Vinyl Scratch has been in the background with her headphones on the whole film, and was thus unaffected by the Sirens' spell.
The final confrontation is nothing short of a spectacle. The Dazzlings sing another song, feeding on their absorbed power and the adoration of their audience to ponify like the Rainbooms, albeit with thinner, more sinister wings. The Rainbooms counter with their own music, with a little help from Vinyl and her car/bass cannon. Still, at first the Sirens can still overpower the Mane Six. But then, Sunset Shimmer steps up, adding her own voice to the Rainbooms, and ponifying like the others. This is strong enough to create a giant alicorn aura, which manages to defeat the Dazzlings' own manifestations of their Equestrian selves. Their necklaces are shattered, destroying their singing voices and rendering them powerless. The trio retreat and their spell over the students is broken. Flash Sentry is back to his old self, but before he and Twilight can kiss and make up, Trixie pops in out of nowhere and ruins the mood.
And so once again, the day is saved. Twilight bids a heartfelt farewell to her friends. Sunset promises to use the diary to write to her about what happens from now on, now feeling like a true part of the Mane Six/Seven. Twilight Sparkle goes through the portal back to Equestria, and it seems like the movie's over.
Then, after the credits we cut to...Twilight Sparkle? It seems she has a human counterpart after all, who's been keeping track of the magical occurrences that have happened in the films, which teases the possibility/inevitability of a third and final (?) entry in the film franchises.
Rainbow Rocks is definitely a strong entry for Equestria Girls and MLP as a whole. While the animation in the first film looked good already, here the human characters look much more polished. The shorts preceding the movie were probably some good practice for the crew in between films. It also sports some new and eye-catching character designs, specifically the Sirens/Dazzlings, and the sequence revealing their backstory is a cool return to the storybook illustrations from Friendship Is Magic's premiere episode. The music in the first film was fun enough, but in the songs in this one are much more fun and easier to listen to. While the Dazzlings' designs are eyecatching, their characters could have been fleshed out a bit more. Adagio's the mean one in charge, Aria Blaze is the snarky one, and Sonata Dusk is the oddly loveable ditz. Unlike Sunset Shimmer, they're given no offer of redemption after their defeat and it's unlikely they'll be seen in a third film. As for Sunset herself, I was happy the movie focused so heavily on her. It was nice to see her reform stick and finally earn her place among the Mane Cast. I can certainly recommend this movie to its fanbase and target audience, and to anyone else curious about My Little Pony and Equestria Girls. You might just be surprised how enjoyable it really is.
The story begins in a diner, where our three antagonists, the Dazzlings, are making the patrons argue and feeding off the negativity, which is absorbed into their ruby necklaces. They exposit briefly about having been banished here from Equestria, and witness from a distance the climax from the first film. Adagio Dazzle, the leader of the trio decides to set a plan in motion to replenish the power they once had and make the population of this world adore them.
Then we cut back to Canterlot High. We're not sure how much time has passed, but Sunset Shimmer has taken her reformation to heart. The rest of the school still hates her, but the Mane Cast has at least accepted her as one of their own. The school's getting ready for a musical showcase, and they've formed a band of their own called the Rainbooms. (Sunset seems content as a groupie, tho.) Whenever they play, they seem to "ponify" like they did in the first film, with pegasus wings, ponytail hair, and ears. (Why not pegasus horns too?) They sound great, but we already get some shades of conflict as Rainbow Dash seems to like to put herself in front and hog the spotlight. Flash Sentry pops in, hoping maybe Twilight Sparkle might be coming back for the showcase, but there seems to be no indication of that happening. Rarity makes a remark about his crush on Twilight, but then apologizes to Sunset, remembering that she's his ex-girlfriend. Sunset brushes it off, claiming she never really liked him, and was just using him for popularity back when she was evil. (It sounds strangely like denial.) Fluttershy offers a song for the band to sing, but Rainbow Dash shrugs it off, saying they'll get to it.
The Dazzlings have arrived at the school as new students, and Sunset offers to show them around, hoping to make a first impression before they learn too much about her past. Adagio and her comrades, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk, seem a bit off to Sunset. As she tells the Rainbooms about them, the trio bursts into the cafeteria and sing a song to rouse the student body into turning the musical showcase into a Battle of the Bands. The great part of this scene is it's the complete opposite of the Help Twilight Win The Crown sequence from the first film. Again, we have a musical number rousing the Canterlot High schoolers to a cause. But instead of bonding everyone towards a common goal with their similarities, it drives them apart with the promise of a competition.
The Mane Six, unaffected by their magic, try to bring this to the attention of Principal Celestia, but she and Vice Principal Luna have already fallen under the Dazzlings' spell. Sunset then decides to send a message to Equestria for help, using a magic diary to send a letter to the Princess Celestia, hoping a message will get to Twilight Sparkle. We then cut to Ponyville and the new Castle Treehouse Playset, where the Mane Six ponies are residing in the throne room. Some books arrive for Twilight, presumably from Celestia, a copy of Sunset's diary among them.
Some quick research reveals that the Dazzlings are sirens; giant seahorses who use their magical songs to manipulate the minds of others and, as established, feed off their negative energy. In order to stop them, Starswirl the Bearded banished them to another realm. Realizing the threat they present, Twilight uses some scientific magic to modify the Crystal Mirror and reopen the portal to the human world. Applejack offers to go with her, but Twilight refuses, noting how strange it would be if two of everybody suddenly showed up in the other world. However, Spike the Dragon is still ready to accompany her.
Twilight (now human) and Spike (now a dog) arrive at Canterlot High and the Rainbooms go to a party for all the competitors. The negative emotions run high as nobody seems content to socialize, however Twilight does have a brief cute reunion with Flash Sentry. Though clearly in a competitive mood thanks to the Dazzlings, he was at least happy to see her in this first encounter. The Dazzlings show up, and the Rainbooms attempt to summon their Rainbow Power against the Dazzlings to undo the spell. Unfortunately, nothing happens. The group quickly exits, but not before Adagio realizes something's special about them, and that they might have the magic the Dazzlings are looking for.
The Rainbooms and Sunset realize there must be some connection between their Harmony Magic and their music, so Twilight will have to compose a counter-spell, join the band, and together they'd sing a song to brake the Dazzlings' spell over the students. Realizing that Twilight just stayed in the school library, Pinkie Pie invites her to a slumber party at her house. It's actually a nice moment of the girls just hanging out, and has some fun interactions between the characters. There's also a nice quiet scene between Sunset and Twilight.
The next day, the Rainbooms are at Applejack's trying out the counter-spell, which doesn't quite have the magic touch they were expecting. Since their song isn't ready yet, it means the Rainbooms will have to compete in the competition for real until it is.
They arrive at school and the competition begins. Under the Dazzlings' influence other students attempt to sabotage the Rainbooms during their performance. Photo Finish and her band use magnets to attract Rarity's sequin-heavy jacket. The great and powerful Trixie and her band point the spotlight on Fluttershy, and stage fright gets the better of her. The tension between the Mane Six themselves doesn't help things either. Nonetheless, they're able to move on in the competition.
Twilight bumps into Flash outside, and instead of the usual meet cute, he's abrasive and angry over how badly he wants to win, and how she just shows up for the sole purpose of competing. We realize he's not himself, but the scene is really heartbreaking to watch, and it's hard not to feel bad for Twilight during this.
Sunset confronts the Sirens in a poorly lit hallway, again reflecting a moment between her and Twilight from the first movie, with Sunset as the protagonist and the one being intimidated this time around. Adagio Dazzle plays with Sunset's insecurities, how the school will never truly accept her, and that even the Rainbooms don't really consider her one of them, hence why she's not in the band too.
We then get a montage of the Battle of the Bands, set to another song by the Dazzlings. In addition to being a really awesome song, it shows off some great cameos of other characters and their bands. Even as the Rainbooms advance, the montage also shows that Twilight still hasn't been able to get a counter-spell ready. By the time the montage is over, there's only three bands left: the Dazzlings, Trixie's group, and the Rainbooms.
The Battle of the Bands resumes after a performance by Trixie. It's cool to hear Trixie sing, and the song is pretty catchy. (The full version, however, is not heard in the movie.) With the counter-spell still not done, the Rainbooms need to make sure they're good to get into the finals. Rainbow Dash takes charge and insists that they play her song, Awesome As I Wanna Be. While a good entry to the soundtrack, the scene makes it pretty obvious that her band mates are pretty fed up with Dash's showboating. It goes so far, that her magic begins to manifest. Sunset notices, and in a panic, tackles Rainbow Dash off the stage, earning her further disdain from the student body. (Octavia knew she was still trouble.) The Mane Six think they're out for sure, but the Dazzlings sing for Celestia and Luna, ensuring the Rainboom's place in the finals.
The finals take place at an outdoor auditorium. Having been snubbed in the last round, the great and powerful Trixie rigs the stage so the Rainbooms fall through a trap door into the locked basement under the stage, giving her the chance to perform again. The Mane Cast's conflicts come to a head; Rarity's obsession with costumes, Rainbow Dash's showboating, Twilight's failure to write a counter-spell, and Fluttershy's song being overlooked by the band the whole time. The argument is enough for the Rainbooms to finally succumb to the Dazzlings' magic, who absorb their negativity and even some of their Friendship Magic.
Sunset Shimmer's been watching all of this as an outsider for a while now, and finally steps in to put a stop to the finally steps in to help her friends. In the end, the Rainbooms decide to use the song Fluttershy wrote as the counter-spell, but first they have to get out of the cellar. Fortunately, Spike shows up alongside DJ-P0N3. Vinyl Scratch has been in the background with her headphones on the whole film, and was thus unaffected by the Sirens' spell.
The final confrontation is nothing short of a spectacle. The Dazzlings sing another song, feeding on their absorbed power and the adoration of their audience to ponify like the Rainbooms, albeit with thinner, more sinister wings. The Rainbooms counter with their own music, with a little help from Vinyl and her car/bass cannon. Still, at first the Sirens can still overpower the Mane Six. But then, Sunset Shimmer steps up, adding her own voice to the Rainbooms, and ponifying like the others. This is strong enough to create a giant alicorn aura, which manages to defeat the Dazzlings' own manifestations of their Equestrian selves. Their necklaces are shattered, destroying their singing voices and rendering them powerless. The trio retreat and their spell over the students is broken. Flash Sentry is back to his old self, but before he and Twilight can kiss and make up, Trixie pops in out of nowhere and ruins the mood.
And so once again, the day is saved. Twilight bids a heartfelt farewell to her friends. Sunset promises to use the diary to write to her about what happens from now on, now feeling like a true part of the Mane Six/Seven. Twilight Sparkle goes through the portal back to Equestria, and it seems like the movie's over.
Then, after the credits we cut to...Twilight Sparkle? It seems she has a human counterpart after all, who's been keeping track of the magical occurrences that have happened in the films, which teases the possibility/inevitability of a third and final (?) entry in the film franchises.
Rainbow Rocks is definitely a strong entry for Equestria Girls and MLP as a whole. While the animation in the first film looked good already, here the human characters look much more polished. The shorts preceding the movie were probably some good practice for the crew in between films. It also sports some new and eye-catching character designs, specifically the Sirens/Dazzlings, and the sequence revealing their backstory is a cool return to the storybook illustrations from Friendship Is Magic's premiere episode. The music in the first film was fun enough, but in the songs in this one are much more fun and easier to listen to. While the Dazzlings' designs are eyecatching, their characters could have been fleshed out a bit more. Adagio's the mean one in charge, Aria Blaze is the snarky one, and Sonata Dusk is the oddly loveable ditz. Unlike Sunset Shimmer, they're given no offer of redemption after their defeat and it's unlikely they'll be seen in a third film. As for Sunset herself, I was happy the movie focused so heavily on her. It was nice to see her reform stick and finally earn her place among the Mane Cast. I can certainly recommend this movie to its fanbase and target audience, and to anyone else curious about My Little Pony and Equestria Girls. You might just be surprised how enjoyable it really is.
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