The film opens with the
ponies going to the Princess Summit. Twilight is nervous, having not yet grown
accustomed to wearing a crown, or to her new wings. As always, Pinkie Pie and
Fluttershy provide great comedic moments. And of course there is a message, as
Twilight says, “Just because I have a
crown and these wings doesn’t mean I’ll be a good leader.”
Sunset Shimmer sneaks
into Twilight’s room at night and steals her crown and element of harmony, and
then disappears with them through the mirror. Sunset Shimmer was a former pupil
of Princess Celestia before turning cruel and going on her own path (yes, there
are hints of Star Wars here).
Twilight Sparkle must perform the task of regaining the crown alone, and has
limited time. Of course, Spike rushes in after her.
In the alternate world,
Spike is a dog, and Twilight Sparkle is a teenage girl, through still of a
purplish hue. She was having trouble getting used to her wings; now she has to
get used to walking on two legs. But perhaps an even bigger challenge is
getting along without magic, as she has no horn.
She starts her search
with what she assumes to be a castle, but which is in fact Canterlot High
School. Soon she meets the alternate versions of Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Apple
Jack, Rainbow Dash and Rarity. Of course,
that got me wondering why there isn’t already an alternate version of Twilight
at this school. That question is addressed later when Pinkie Pie asks Twilight
if she has a twin sister in the city. (Though it is odd, and rather convenient,
that all the others go to the same school, with the one exception of this
world’s Twilight.) Other characters from Equestria have their counterparts in
this world as well, including Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna.
Twilight Sparkle has to
run for Princess of the Fall Formal in order to regain her crown. Her only
opposition is Sunset Shimmer, who acts as the school bully.
The film has several
musical numbers, the first being about learning to adapt to a new world (like
any kid going to a new school). Twilight sings, “Everything’s confusing when it seems so new.” Later the girls
perform a musical number in the school cafeteria as they try to unite everyone
behind Twilight. And the theme of the magic of friendship is addressed. In this
one, Twilight sings, “I’m gonna be myself
no matter what I do/And if we’re different, then I want you to be true to you.”
A good message.
Later there’s actually a
musical montage of the girls getting the gym ready for the formal dance. And
then there’s a musical montage of the girls getting dressed. Wow, the film uses
not one but both of the major 1980s montage themes. By the way, the film’s opening credit sequence
features a different version of the television program’s theme song, more of a
techno dance version.
Bonus Features
This DVD has a few
special features, including Through The
Mirror, which is a making-of feature. It is divided into three parts. The
first part, titled “The Movie,” is approximately twelve and a half minutes
long, and includes interviews with Mike Vogel, Meghan McCarthy, Tara Strong,
Jayson Thiessen and Stephen Davis. In this part, they talk about the story and
the concept of this film, as well as some similarities to The Wizard Of Oz. Also, they talk about the new character, Sunset
Shimmer. The second part, “The Look,” is about the design of the film, and is
approximately six minutes. There are interviews with Ridd Sorensen (art
director), Mike Vogel, Jayson Thiessen, Tara Strong, Meghan McCarthy and Kora
Kosicka (a character designer). The third part, “The Music,” features an
interview with song writer Daniel Ingram, who talks about giving the songs a
more modern feel than those in the television series. This segment is
approximately four minutes.
The bonus features also
include two karaoke songs: “Cafeteria Song” and “Friends For Life.” The vocals
are taken out, so you can add your own. There is also something called “Ponify
Yourself,” but I actually have no idea what this one-minute snippet is supposed
to be.
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls was written by Meghan McCarthy and
directed by Jayson Thiessen. It stars the voices of Tara Strong, Ashleigh Ball,
Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain,
Cathy Weseluck and Rebecca Shoichet.
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls is scheduled to be released on
August 6, 2013 through Shout! Kids, a division of Shout! Factory.
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