Equestria Girls

[cuteycindyhoney 13,307]

I just watched Equestria Girls for the first time since I watched Rainbow Rocks. It was an interesting experience. It wasn't that I liked the movie any less, I still love it, It's just I saw Sunset Shimmer in a whole new light. I felt so bad for her. I, as the viewer, knew she had to put herself through hell before she reached the other side and earned redemption. I also noticed something this time around, that my new glasses may have helped with. As the power of the crown, misguided by her own faults transformed her into a she-demon, Sunset Shimmer was crying. I now take that to mean that Sunset knew she was sinking ever deeper into the horror of her friendless lonely existence. I paused the video, and felt myself choke up a little at the thought.

 

I made a screen capture.

Edited July 2, 2015 by cuteycindyhoney

[Buttonmash1973 1,026]

Another summer, and another teaser for EG.

[IcefireInfinite 227]

(Don't know if this the exact right place to post this, but...)

I have found a reason none of the guitars have to be plugged in. On my trip to the Sam Ash music store I noticed something that immediately made me think of this issue and pretty much clears it up.

 

...or it could also be that it would be difficult to animate the wires. Both theories work.

 

 

[Nikola Xerdav 88]

I just watched Equestria Girls for the first time since I watched Rainbow Rocks. It was an interesting experience. It wasn't that I liked the movie any less, I still love it, It's just I saw Sunset Shimmer in a whole new light. I felt so bad for her. I, as the viewer, knew she had to put herself through hell before she reached the other side and earned redemption. I also noticed something this time around, that my new glasses may have helped with. As the power of the crown, misguided by her own faults transformed her into a she-demon, Sunset Shimmer was crying. I now take that to mean that Sunset knew she was sinking ever deeper into the horror of her friendless lonely existence. I paused the video, and felt myself choke up a little at the thought.

 

I made a screen capture.

that is a curious point out, i had to find the scene, you're right...  that is so curious and subtle though...  considering all the things the write staff like to make blatantly clear, this is so subtle and vague, that it's easily missed the first time around, if not almost missed.

 

the thing i don't care for, is the high level of speculation the plot causes in the first movie, and it doesn't help that the comics don't give any insight to Sunset Shimmer's in depth character, neither does this movie, we are completely blind to any sort of depth, and even in Rainbow Rocks doesn't completely make up for the way she was presented in past media.

 

don't get me wrong, i want to like Sunset Shimmer as a character, as a past villain even, but she was presented in such a way that it makes it hard for me to take her character seriously.  it's cinema sins like this, makes me want to fire the entire staff of MLP and kick Hasbro in the face.  i've already testified that i liked the movie, but i refuse to let speculation let me like her character, because plot holes are plot holes, and i've given plenty of anime the same treatment (especially Clannad and Angel Beats!), but i still like those stories as well, but by far none of these stories are perfect at all with the way they do plot and characters.

 

i honestly wish there was a sufficient canon backstory for Sunset Shimmer, instead the team presented her as nothing more than a selfish bitch, that wanted to conquer the world of Equestria with mind controlled teenage humans?  are you serious?  how dumb of an evil villain is she?  the mane six fought off Discord, Sauron, i mean, Sombra, The Changlings, and even beyond all doubt somehow mcguffin deus ex machina Tirek, an impossible enemy...  granted, i think a couple of those situations came after Sunset Shimmer...  but even so, she couldn't have been that foolish to think she could overpower the mane six, Luna, Celestia, and Discord if he felt like helping...  not at least with mere human mind controlled zombies  

 

i digress, why should i merely complain?  no one merely likes complaining, let me tell you what i would have headcanoned...

 

let's say Sunset Shimmer was kinda like Twilight, not really interested in friends at first, maybe there was a reason, maybe Sunset was a nerd growing up, had issues talking to other people because she was too interested into her own obsessions (hence, Aspergers, and since i have Aspergers, i am allowed to talk about it, lol), i don't care if she actually has Aspergers or not, just nevermind, continuing on...

 

let's say Sunset got picked on as a young filly, and growing up she just alienated others with her own interests, instead of working at bridging gaps, the gaps merely got wider as she wanted to earn love and respect, but eventually gets deluded into thinking, the only way to be respected is to be like Celestia, a powerful ruler with great magic, but she missed all the finer importance of what makes Celestia a great ruler, which is mutual respect and love for others.

 

Sunset Shimmer grows more and more hungry for power, and like in the comics, becomes banished by Celestia to no longer be her student.  Sunset parts ways for many years (but does not go into the crystal portal, i will explain why later), and eventually comes back to the castle to fake apologize to Celestia, and promised to turn a new leaf, but this is a facade, Sunset instead had devised a plan to steal Twilight's crown, but needed an excuse to get close enough to her, and she knew she wouldn't have been welcome unless she acted like she had become repentant.

 

any sense of urgency to have guards watch her activities at night then vanish, and Sunset takes advantage of this and sneaks into Twilight's room, steals the crown, accidentally bumps into something, wakes them, they chase her, and then as Sunset gets around a corner, just as you would think she would try to teleport away, a guard bumps into her and she drops the crown, and panics, has to use her magic to levitate and is too stressed to teleport, finds her way into the crystal portal room, notices a warning sign stating that it leads to another world, and decided to chance it and enter inside.

 

i know what you're all going to say "but Sunset Shimmer was supposed to be in that world for longer so she could establish herself there", i think it would be more entertaining to see Sunset struggle with walk and using fingers, but even more so showing her develop proper use of such at a slightly better pace than Twilight.  now this is going to sound ambitious, but for the sake of a 2 hour movie, i want to show Sunset shimmer's manipulative side at work, and have her cause rifts between the humans, instead of it just being stories told to Twilight.

 

also, we need a scene with Pinkie Pie rocking out to Andrew WK's Party Party Party!  just saying...

 

Snips and Snails are easy to impress pushovers, Sunset could earn their allegiance within a day, how do i know this? (Boast Busters, 'nuff said), honestly, the only thing that needs to be different is that Sunset can't be a full on jerk, like how the Harpies actually have some depth, i think Sunset as a villain needs some hint of vulnerability shown, and once in a while needs to be shown being nice, even if it's to use someone.

 

then before getting towards the end where the omega boss battle happens, have her alone and nearly crying, monologue about how when she finally gets the crown, people will love and respect her finally, as she wishes to conquer Equestria in her rule, not to specifically be an evil tyrant, but just to have people bow down and marvel at her power.  i think the whole "evil, tyrant, conquerer" paint of her villain motives was too simple and bland, but if we can paint her as just as a misguided and desperate for love, as corkscrewed as her vision is, i think would make for a better and more appreciated complex villain.

 

but i will admit, that crying during the transformation, that is worth keeping, but a couple things i have to add...  Sunset is not retarded, i do not want to treat her as a fool, YOU CAN NOT TAKE OVER EQUESTRIA WITH AN ARMY OF TEENAGE HIGH SCHOOLERS.  instead, i am going to drag this movie out, because come on, we get a quick deus ex machina fight like with Nightmare Moon, how lame for a feature length movie!  instead, i will make Sunset shimmer teleport away, while her zombies try to fight the heroes, and something, a song sings, something, the heroes undo the zombie enchantment on the students, love, friendship, etc.

 

meanwhile..  Sunset Shimmer encounters the human armies of the world while searching to build up her forces, and while Twilight and company try to find and stop her, she amasses millions of special ops and Marines and MI6, you name it!  imagine Sunset Shimmer with enough German tanks and Japanese mech suits to even make Celestia flinch!  and then we'll have Sabaton work with Daniel Ingram for a song about amassing an army fit for an Equestrian world war.

 

okay, now we can have our moral-inducing-deus-ex-machina where Twilight stops Sunset (yeah, i know, building such a big army to not use it is a let down, but hey, if we can get some Sabaton music before this, i personally think that is good enough, it would please me at least, lol).  and then have a Mr. T pony come out of nowhere saying "I PITY THE FOOL WHO DON'T BELIEVE FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC!"...  okay, maybe not, but it would funny, lol  xD

 

speaking of Deus Ex Machina, the whole Pinkie Pie scene where she basically shotgun messages the exact reason that Twilight was in their world, that...  is...  a stretch, but it's amusing, because it's Pinkie, and as cheap as that was to move along plot, i am on the fence about getting rid of that moment, because even though it breaks the seriousness of the story, it's just hilarious that Pinkie is such a wonderful plot device in herself, so i can go either way with that scene.

 

otherwise, at the top of my head without rewatching the movie, yeah, this is what i would do to change it, otherwise keep it more or less the same other than my edits and suggestions.

 

anyone still reading?  lol...  hopefully someone likes my ideas.

Edited July 4, 2015 by Nikola Xerdav

[cuteycindyhoney 13,307]

Bigtime snip

I read your whole post. I only snipped it out so mine wouldn't be gigantic because of yours. I've read a few of the MLP comics, but I never came across any featuring Sunset Shimmer. I'm basing my whole outlook and opinion on Equestria Girls and Rainbow Rocks. I admit, EQG and RR are a bit simplified, plot-wise, compared to many episodes. I think this is because Hasbro knew that most bronies had no real interest in the project. Primarily, the EQG universe is to compete with Monster High

(Which I sort of like, but not anywhere near how much I love MLP:FIM) and appeal mainly to young girls

(and some older girls!)

The human teenage army may have been poking fun at the fandom's fear that humans appearing in Equestria would destroy the show. That's been talked about in the fandom practically since day one, after all.

 

As for how the story played out in the first film. I'm fine with Sunset Shimmer being a disgruntled student that escaped into another world.

 

"It is better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven."

- Lucifer...Paradise Lost

 

I think of Sunset's lust for power and final transformation as symptoms of her delusional mind. The whole human army thing would never work, but she would fail to see that. When Twilight defeated her, with the help of her new human friends, she did not just slam Sunset back into her human form. She cleansed her mind and soul, like she did for Luna. That is why Sunset was crying, saying she never knew friendship, and didn't know there was another way.

Plotholes notwithstanding, I rate Equestria Girls a solid "B", and give Rainbow Rocks an "A-"

[Nikola Xerdav 88]

snip, for space reasons also, hehe

you have curious theories, but i still am pretty adamant about my ideas.  i personally, as is, give EqG a C-, and Rainbow Rocks a B+.  i know that B+ doesn't sound that high, but i am between a 4 and 5 stars with it, , i could say it borders on A- with me, but i defaulted to B+ because it's a direct sequel to EqG, which since i notched that down a full grade after seeing a review that pointed out more issues than i caught blindly through the first time.

 

despite my skeptical grades, i still found them to be fun movies for what they are worth, sometimes bad or halfassed stories can still be good in other ways (Clannad, Angel Beats!, Kanon, Tenacious D And The Pick Of Destiny, Little Nicky, etc).  even so, i can only wish that my input could be included into MLP's canon, i suppose i can only dream.

 

i am glad that you didn't have any issues with the story though, it's good that people can be happy with things, but i am cursed to nitpick.

Edited July 4, 2015 by Nikola Xerdav

[Magic Note 2,748]

I thought the first movie was decent. I watched and feared for the worst, and it turned out that it wasn't all that bad after all. It did have its share of funny moments, but other than that, it was average at worst.

 

I think the ll give this move a 7/10. I thought Sunset Shimmer was a particularly weak villain. I don't need to post why 'cause other people have posted and explains why better than I could.

[Pegasisterforever 3]

I liked the movie, but why do sunset shimmer and twilight sparkle both have a smilie name? Twilight and sunset. Shimmer and sparkle.

[Will Guide 21,360]

I liked the movie, but why do sunset shimmer and twilight sparkle both have a smilie name? Twilight and sunset. Shimmer and sparkle.

That's the point! Sunset was meant to be an evil foil to Twilight.

[Pegasisterforever 3]

But Celestial just happens to choose two students with the same name?

[pneoqueen 5]

Not going to lie when I first saw it I was a little put off my it like many of my friends who are into the show, but the more I watched it the more I liked it. Im not going to say that I'm in love with it, but its not bad. Most of my friends hate the way the ponies looked at human like their skin color was the same as the coat color which was a little creepy and the way their shoes are. Even with the weird skin colors and the weird shoes I will be watching many more Equestria Girls that come out.

[Steve Piranha 29,424]

I kinda enjoyned EG, it wasn't sa bad as the freakouts at the time feared, but I wouldn't go so far to watch it constantly. I also saw DBZ Battle of the Gods. The movie was OK, bot not something I would watch all the time, much less for a much better sequel at hand  -_-

[KittenTale15 26]

Well..

 

EG wasn't really that bad, even though I didn't really like the idea of everyone going to the same highschool and all that, and some of the designs were... ick. *Cough* Human Celestia and Luna *Cough*

 

But it was still a good movie, and I didn't really mind Flash sentry. But I think it would have been cooler if the human world was a more medieval theme, with royalty, like equestria. 

Edited November 15, 2015 by KittenTale15

[mccuish1525 55]

I finally watched it and I found this movie really enjoyable. I also have to say how the heck did pinkie pie guess what happened without Twlight Sparkle ever saying anything. I know it's Pinkie Pie but still it makes me wonder. 

[StormBolt 8]

The movie for me was a mixed bag but overall I liked it and it gives me hope for a 4th movie as well as a spin off tv series of its own. I rank them like this

 

Rainbow Rocks

Friendship Games

Equestria Girls(Original)

 

I have a few theories on how things can move ahead for the series if anypony is interested

 

and as always....

 

TASTE THE RAINBOOM!

[Justin_Case001 4,889]

I finally watched all these things.  For a long time, I couldn't decide if I wanted to or not.  I've always hated the idea, and I still do, but I decided to watch them out of sick curiosity....and because I'm bored and out of things to watch.  (FIM hiatus, Rick & Morty hiatus, Game of Thrones hiatus...)

 

Well...I kept my dinner down.  That was about the best I could hope for.  I'll sum up why I don't like this franchise with one simple comparison:  Middle Earth Boys.  The hobbits go to high school and Gandalf is the principal.  Bam.  There you go.  Don't think I need to say anything else.

 

That said, if you pretend that this movie has no connection to FIM or Equestria whatsoever, it's not too bad.  I enjoyed it somewhat....up until the climax.  Sunset turning into a gargoyle demon thing was way over the top and came off as completely dumb and silly to me.  If they were gonna do this crossover, I think it would have been much better and more believable, and interesting, if they had to solve problems as completely mortal humans.  I think they should have just done it as if it was the real world.  How would the mane 6 solve problems in real life without and literal magic?  That would have been a more interesting question to answer, and it would have had the benefit of teaching kids that that's possible.  You know, to solve problems without magic, that is.

 

Anyway, it was dumb, but I got through it.  Helping Twilight Win the Crown is a great song, but the electro remix is way, way better.

[JesseJack 37]

The reason I fell in love with MLP:FIM is because of the way Lauren Faust developed it as a positive place where girls/boys can learn to validate the "feminine" characteristics of play, love, magic and friendship (see Lauren's forward in The Elements of Harmony).

 

I feel like the Equestria Girls have rebelled against that initial goal by reinforcing impossible body images, romances, cat fights and pre-teen drama all for the sake of having a humanoid doll on the market, or expanding their target audience.

 

Equestria Girls looks adorable (especially the little bedroom playsets) but I just can't get over how much of a sellout it is. I feel like it's all the cute, with none of the heart.

 

Does anyone else have the same problem? 

 

My intention isn't to *poop on parades* or be a Judging Judy here, I would honestly like to find a way to be able to enjoy this show.

 

If you like EG... What do you like about it? How do you feel about this subject? 

 

*see Critical Reception section*

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Little_Pony:_Equestria_Girls

[Midnight Seashell 206]

I still wonder where was Sunset living in the human world and why principal Celestia doesn't register new students and why most of Canterlot high is lacking proper maintenance

[TheSqueelyOne 157]

It's not very good, but I like the characters of the mane cast enough that I enjoy it alright. Spike having a good role and the songs are definite highlights.

[Kimi Vulpine 219]

It's pretty good. Sunset Shimmer is one of my favorite characters of the series and the third movie's climax is just beautiful. Love the songs also, especially Shine Like Rainbows (just beautiful), Unleash the Magic (great buildup and Twilight's lines always give me chills) and Friendship Through the Ages (catchy and great melody).

Edited April 30, 2016 by Kimi Vulpine

[zman123 2]

I thought it was a good movie. The humor was good.

One thing I will complain about though is how the characters were flanderized a little too much and too easily tricked by sunset.

I mean... they were good friends, it should have t least occurred to them to confront each other about the situation right. But other than the obvious plot hole, good film.

[powerpuff-tsubasa 448]

the mane six all looked gorgeous in human forms. as a matter of fact. all of the females (some males) looked wonderful. the songs were unforgettable. but the plot....

 

well for the first film. it was meh

[Teavvi 627]

Equestria Girls isn't exactly good like I hoped it to but it was still interesting, seeing that that was the most interesting part was in Equestria Girls

[RedStar2017 25]

Man... where too begin. At first I was hyped when I saw the preview for the movie, but it wasn't showing anywhere in my area (but other areas of Florida, just not in MY area of Florida.) So, I had too wait for the movie(s) too come on on DVD so I could finally see them.

 

Equestria Girls: Wasn't too bad as it seems. I mean the idea of the ponies being humans is "good" I just didn't expect they would have magic until the very end. When I saw Celestia and Luna, I was like "Damn, look at those friggion legs!" Sunset Shimmer, it's too bad we only saw her as a pony for a breif moment in the movie, I think she looked pretty cool. Oh, and also if anyone didn't make the reference before: "TASTE THE RAINBOW, MO-FO!"

 

Rainbow Rocks:  THAT INTRO! SO AWESOME! :rd: Anywho, the story of how the "Dazzlings" a.k.a. the Siren Sisters, even though we saw a legend about them from Twilight before she went back too CHS, it would've been cool too see how the Sirens looked before Celestia banished them. Towards the end when Vinyl showed up and the "mane" cast (hehe see what I did there?) was TOTALLY rocking out. Dang... who would've guessed that Sunset Shimmer would be the one too save them.

 

Friendship Games: Not too bad either. They did have one of the Youtubers as one of the chorus which was really awesome (if anyone's seen the Bronies React: Friendship Games video by ACRacebest) I honestly didn't know until the end. During the games though while the "alternate" Twilight & Spike were "learning" about magic (gee I wonder...) alot of stuff happens, but in the end and this was REALLY funny for me! Out of ALL the cast, it was SPIKE who actually saves the day. Spike!

 

Ah well then, that's the end of my thoughts on all EG movies. Lemme know if any of y'all have any opinions on what I said.

[Miss Pinkamena 41]

U freaking bronies xDDDDD lolz this movie was ok. Twilight x flash 4 lyfe. My mom doesn't understand that this is who I am now. I gtg now she's coming into mah room xD