Author’s Note: This is Part 3 of my Rainbow Rocks review. Click here for Part 1. Click here for Part 2.

 

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Intermission

 

Rather than approach my conclusion immediately, I'm going to end this segment on a bit of a somewhat positive note, and there are three more I want to highlight.

 

Vinyl Scratch.

 

Unlike last time, the fandom references don't cross the line into pandering. The one that came closest is Vinyl Scratch, but it was brilliantly executed.

 

How? Look at the images below.

 

The only way for the Sirens to activate their spell is to have them hear their song. When they sing, their victims' negativity gets trapped into their pendents. Vinyl Scratch didn't take off her headphones anytime, so she can't hear them and be locked under their spell. This is a glaring oversight on the Sirens' behalves, thus dooming their plans.

 

Some have called this a DEM. Well, RR isn't safe from one, but Vinyl isn't one of them. Since her presence is already established, Vinyl isn't a get-out-of-jail-free card here. Actually, the headphones are a cleverly placed MacGuffin, but one where you must focus on the background to recognize.

 

Welcome to the Show.

 

It's no secret that a good final battle can end a film on a high note, and it succeeded. After the idiotic scene under the stage and a really sluggish pace to the finish line, the script finally begins to pick up.

 

Despite the major flaws I pointed out, one thing it does really well is present the film with stakes organically. Plenty of tension flowed throughout thanks to the Sirens' imposing magic. As weak as they are as characters, they're extremely active and take advantage of everyone's feeble minds. Let's Have a Battle foreshadows the eventual tension early, while Under Our Spell improves on that by escalating the tension.

 

Their version of Welcome to the Show is their most evil song in the entire film, and its approach is extremely active. With the audience incapacitated, the Dazzlings no longer felt they were worthy, but do you think the Dazzling would release their choke hold on their audience? Not at all. Hence their intense vocalization and commands.

 

Their music? Easily some of the best in the movie. Several emotions resonate out of the electronic cues: evil, relief for finally ending their painstaking journey, bitterness or anger for how long it took, lust for complete attention, and eagerness to spread their power beyond simply the stage at Canterlot High. If anyone was going to confront them, it was conform or die.

 

Contrarily, Fluttershy's song is extremely upbeat. Unlike the generic Shake Your Tail! and obnoxious Awesome as I Wanna Be, the lyrics have plenty of personality while being varied. It's confrontational without breaking character, brave, extremely confident, and (most importantly) hopeful. Their fights are behind them, and no loss of hope is bringing them down. They not only believe they can beat the Sirens. They know they can beat 'em.

 

And the subsequent battle wasn't merely pretty, either. It was aggressive, and both sides actively went after each other. With the future of Canterlot High at stake, the Mane Six and Dazzlings used their musical powers to try to dominate the other.

 

In Part 1 of my review, I pointed out how Sunset's redemption wasn't rushed. Her path ended here the second she touched that microphone. If her friends were gonna beat the Sirens, Sunset couldn't stand idly in the background. She had no choice but to confront them and help her friends.

You're never gonna bring me down
You're never gonna break this part of me

There's one word to describe the final feeling here: triumphant. The barrier that haunted Sunset for the whole film was finally breaking down. Previously, she told the Dazzlings she changed, but there's a difference between telling and showing, and the Dazzlings' subsequent mind games tells the viewer they're aware of it. She wanted to help, but felt so doubtful in herself, she believed butting in only screw things up.

 

This connotation becomes visible when she interrupts Awesome as I Wanna Be. With the light beaconing over her and being booed off the stage, it crushed her and enforced her belief that being inactive and letting her friends take care of the music for her was best for the Rainbooms and herself.

My friends are here to bring me 'round
Not singing just for popularity

Two important themes here:

1. Sunset Shimmer was ready to truly embrace the Magic of Friendship. With her friends insulting and yelling at each other in front of her, she assumed the Magic of Friendship meant being angry at each other and letting petty things get to them. When they got mad, it broke her down.
    
   Now that the Mane Six are together, cooperating, and organized, they're prepared to fight, and Sunset feels that connection. With her in the background, does it mean she's neither a true friend nor worthy of being a part of the team? Absolutely not! She's as much of the team as the others.
2. The final meter pinpoints the Dazzlings' biggest flaw in their plan: their overreliance on popularity. Without an audience, the Sirens' plan is for naught. They had to have their audience love their music so their powers grow more powerful and become more threatening. Earlier in the song, the Rainbooms called that out, but approached it passively. Sunset's accusations were active and aggressive.
   

So, why isn't it the best part of the film? Blame the sluggish, safe, contrived journey for killing the momentum.

 

Obligatory Derpy.

 

When tensions mount so much, it can get rather overwhelming. Derpy's innocence when performing her saw blade is a cute, clever, and innocent method to ease it. Not to mention the musical choice is perfect for her! <3

 

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Conclusion

 

Last offseason, Hasbro competed with Monster High with a "spinoff" of Friendship Is Magic: Equestria Girls. Sales notwithstanding, the first was a sorry disaster that deserves no praise whatsoever; if it weren't for some decent execution of smaller details and being a limited release, it'd be a contender for a Raspberry.

 

A few months ago, Hasbro released its sequel, Rainbow Rocks. Any hopes of it being a monumental improvement are dashed immediately when the movie spewed extremely heavy exposition, sucking out any anticipation so fast, it'd take a miracle to completely revive it. But Rainbow Rocks did retrieve some of it. There are plenty of really subtle improvements, such as incorporating fandom references without crossing the line to pandering, a much better lineup of songs, exponentially better animation, and insight on Sunset's retconned personality and eventual development.

 

Simultaneously, Sunset's character took a major hit when her past self was absent other than through generic exposition, mean-spirited comedy, the rest of her friends acting like idiots just to make her look better, and the obvious Deus Ex Machina that unnecessarily brought Twilight back into this world. Meanwhile, the Dazzlings are threatening, and their active responses to any threats respect the Ancient Greek roots while sanitizing it for kids. Unfortunately, their potency was lackluster as a result of Adagio and Aria being generic and identical characters in two puppets, Sonata containing a contrived personality, thoroughly forced dialogue, and abundant exposition. That said, animation is fantastic with refined details to make the visuals extremely impressive, and the pacing Sunset's evolution from timid and ashamed classmate that fell from grace to hero is paced really well. On the other hand, the rest of the movie is incredibly slow with plenty of padding.

 

So, is Rainbow Rocks a good movie? No. Quality-wise, it's about as bad as Filli Vanilli.

 

Do I still hate this overall spinoff? Absolutely! And I still dislike this movie.

 

Is it an animated atrocity as Equestria Girls? No.

 

Rainbow Rocks is broken, but not one of FIM's bottom-fifteen episodes. There are many solid moments that can be utilized in future installments, and charm seen in the main series exists in varying spots. Yes, to bear repeating, Sunset Shimmer now has a chance to really be a breakout character, but it's not there yet. However, ample opportunity's available now when there wasn't any prior. Minutely, this spinoff is heading in the right direction.

 

Now, can Equestria Girls improve in its next installment? Well, only if DHX stops being lazy with their continuity, plot holes, and characterization of Canterlot High and the HuMane Five. Next time, buckle down and put a hell of a lot more effort into it so the whole movie is good and not a few things! So we'll see what happens next.

 

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If you want to read Part 1, click here. Click here for Part 2.