The students of Canterlot High School are planning a
musical showcase to raise money to help fund after-school programs. The girls
have a band, and sing about being friends. (Of course, Pinkie Pie is on drums.
Go Pinkie!) Magic happens when they play; they gain some of the properties of
their parallel pony selves. Rainbow Dash of course takes credit for starting
the band.
The girls are now friends with Sunset Shimmer, though when
Sunset Shimmer says, “The old me really was just awful, wasn’t she,” all
the girls agree. And I especially love Pinkie Pie’s joyous, “Yup!” Have
I mentioned that I love Pinkie Pie?
The three sirens want their true equestrian magic back,
and they change the musical showcase to a battle of the bands, turning the
event into a competition and breeding animosity among classmates, which then
fuels their own power. They cast a spell on all the students and even the
faculty of Canterlot High – with the exceptions of our heroes, who soon realize
something is wrong. They contact Princess Twilight by writing a letter to her
in their magic book (something the creators admit to ripping off from a fantasy
novel in the DVD commentary track). When Twilight gets the message, the book
there vibrates like a cell phone, which is a cute touch.
There are some really nice moments in this film. Pinkie
Pie’s antics make me laugh, like when she explains Twilight’s idea of creating
another portal to the human world. The girls realize they have to combat the
sirens’ spell with a musical spell of their own, leading to a great moment when
Pinkie Pie tries to get Twilight to play the theremin. (Have I mentioned how
much I love Pinkie Pie?)
However, this film isn’t nearly as good as the best of
the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes. The trap door in the
stage floor is a little too convenient, and the climactic battle of the bands
sequence goes on for a long time, and doesn’t have as much charm as the other
scenes. (Also, it reminds of that awful battle of the bands sequence from Scott
Pilgrim Vs. The World.)
Special Features
The DVD includes a commentary track by Michael Vogel (VP
of development at Hasbro Studios), Brian Lenard (executive director at Hasbro
Studios), Meghan McCarthy (screenwriter of Rainbow Rocks), Jayson Thiessen
(supervising director of Rainbow Rocks) and Ishi Rudell (co-director of Rainbow
Rocks). Surprisingly, one person makes a Dungeons & Dragons reference
right off the bat (to the Bag of Holding, a magical item that would really help
me clean my apartment). But overall this commentary track doesn’t offer a whole
lot of information on the making of this film.
There are also eight shorts that act as prequels to the
film. Three of them are seriously good. A Case For The Bass is a cute
and funny short in which Apple Jack tries to get her bass back after Granny
accidentally sells it to the owners of a second-hand shop. Hamstocalypse Now
is probably my favorite. In this one, Rarity attempts to help Fluttershy with
hamsters, and we all learn that hamsters like the tambourine. (Though it seems
odd to give it a title that refers to a film that this DVD’s likely audience
would never have heard of.) The third one that I really like is Pinkie On
The One, in which Pinkie Pie helps Rainbow Dash find a drummer for the
band. It’s absolutely adorable. Of the others, three are basically music
videos.
The special features also include three sing-alongs, to
the songs “Better Than Ever,” “Battle” and “Rainbooms Battle,” with the lyrics
at the bottom of the screen.
Friendship Is Magic Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks
is scheduled to be released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 28, 2014 through
Shout! Factory.
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