Equestria Girls: Friendship Games - Grading & Discussion

[Amaris]

So here it comes! This Saturday, not only do we get a new episode of pony pony, we also get to see the premiere of the latest Equestria Girls movie "Friendship Games!"

I have been looking forward to this movie for months. I was on board with the original "Equestria Girls," and loved "Rainbow Rocks!" along with many other fans, but this one is the one: this is where we get to see EG's Twilight Sparkle in action. We get to see our friends again, we get to see a great new story, and we get to expand on the interesting universe that is the EG universe.

The poll for this thread will be a full sized poll, with more nuanced options available.

So let's break down all of the important information!

WHAT: Equestria Girls: Friendship Games
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 26th, 8 PM EST
WHERE? Discovery Family Channel (consult your local listings)

HOW? (Have no fear, streaming sites are here!)
Bronystate
The Brony Network


DESCRIPTION:
"In this all-new movie, it's Friendship Games season - but the competition is anything but friendly. Canterlot High, home to the magical Equestria Girls, is set to face off against its rival school Crystal Prep Academy - Sunset Shimmer's new home turf - in a series of three events: an Academic Decathlon, an Athletic Competition and a spirited game of Capture the Flag. But when the magic at Canterlot falters, the Equestria Girls begin to wonder what or who could be responsible - and if the Magic of Friendship will reign supreme in the end."

OFFICIAL TRAILER:
[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDBxJEfEsGc[/yt]
​

 

[DarkHorizon]

Really looking forward to this. Equestria Girls was fun, and Rainbow Rocks was excellent, so I can't wait to see what happens next - although I won't actually get to see it until Sunday (it airs at 1am my time!).

I've avoided watching most of the preview clips (although I watched the DF sneak peek), and refrained from listening to the soundtrack, so it should mostly be a surprise!

 

[Kemaiku]

I've listened to the soundtrack, and there are some spoilers but mostly just one track, the rest you can guess from the premise and trailer.

Well okay, I watched the little promo clips too but they didn't show as much. I am starting to like all the Shadowbolts they've properly introduced so far, which is 3 though.

I know, shouldn't be liking the bad guys, but RR already made that difficult.

tl;dr Go Wondercolts! or something.

Edit: Oh what the hell, it airs 1am Sunday morning over here, damnit.

 

[Amaris]

Really looking forward to this. Equestria Girls was fun, and Rainbow Rocks was excellent, so I can't wait to see what happens next - although I won't actually get to see it until Sunday (it airs at 1am my time!).

I've avoided watching most of the preview clips (although I watched the DF sneak peek), and refrained from listening to the soundtrack, so it should mostly be a surprise!

Indeed. I've seen a few unrelated clips, and some teasers, but no longer trailers except the one listed above.

I'm going into this unaware of 99% of it, which is remarkable considering the internet.

I've listened to the soundtrack, and there are some spoilers but mostly just one track, the rest you can guess from the premise and trailer.

Well okay, I watched the little promo clips too but they didn't show as much. I am starting to like all the Shadowbolts they've properly introduced so far, which is 3 though.

I know, shouldn't be liking the bad guys, but RR already made that difficult.

tl;dr Go Wondercolts! or something.

Edit: Oh what the hell, it airs 1am Sunday morning over here, damnit.

Hey, the bad guys can be awesome! Look at Sunset Shimmer, and I think everybody finds Sonata Dusk adorable. I hope she reformed. She was the sweetest one of them.

 

[Kemaiku]

Yup. So actually it's 2am Sunday it airs here, so I'll have to wait for the youtube rip tomorrow afternoon. Someone will have the 1080 stream recorded by then, good thing it is going out by stream first this time.

*realises he has to wait an extra 24 hours for more Shimmer*

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Two hours!!!!
ETA: Due to family stuff, I will catch the show tomorrow!

 

[SeerSGB]

Better than I was expecting. Not all the way up there with Rainbows Rock, IMO, but pretty close. The ending felt very "Series Pilot" and I think we're starting to split EQG off on its own.


Also Spoilers

Spoiler: Ending

Nightmare Twilight


All hail Alicorn Shimmer

 

[Taylirious]

A+

Awesome! and that ending!

 

[Amaris]

Just finished watching it. I loved it! Like SeerSGB, I didn't think it was quite up there with Rainbow Rocks, but it really was excellent, and I also think it's heading into spinoff territory, which if it did I would be most pleased. Could you imagine getting two types of pony every week? Couldya! Couldja couldja couldja? Yes! *squee*

There be spoilers ahead.

Spoiler: Friendship Games

The actual focus on the games was short. The interesting part of the story occurred during the events leading up, and toward the end. That said, I think it still worked out well.

Twilight Sparkle from Crystal Prep is just like our adorkable nerd from Equestria. She's curious, she's shy, and she sometimes does things without thinking through the potential ramifications. In this case, a magic stealing talisman of her own design.

I love Sunset Shimmer. Have I mentioned that? Because I do. She absolutely shines in this movie. I was certain they would make her this world's Twilight, but it looks like that this world's Twilight will be, um, this world's Twilight. Still, that ending was fantastic! Sunset finally finally got to use her magic for good; I still consider her that universe's ambassador of friendship.

Also, I'm just going to say it: Every TwiShimmer fanfic confirmed ever.

Along those same lines, um... did anyone look at Sunset Shimmer all magicked up and think she was uncomfortably pretty? By that I mean very attractive? Anyone? I mean, you know... not that I thought that... because she's a cartoon obviously... um... but that she was ridiculously hot with all that glowy power behind her? Um, yeah.

The events themselves were okay, although I found it odd to have a Motocross event. That seems a little dangerous for high school, don't you think? I mean, archery makes sense, speed skating makes sense, baking, intelligence, things like that all make sense, but Motocross?

Speaking of baking, Pinkie Pie's Mona Lisa cake had me rolling.

I adore Sugarcoat, who sugar coats nothing.

Sour Sweet was awesome, too, precisely because of who she was.

Principal Cinch reminded me of Ursula from The Little Mermaid, for some reason. I loved seeing Dean Cadance, and hope she takes control of Crystal Prep. Shining Armor, of course, was awesome to see, though I didn't like that he was a bit too eager to have victory at any cost. Of course, I may have misinterpreted that.

The portals opening to Equestria were awesome, because to me it really connected the series to the EG universe in a way that the portal doesn't. Everyone got a glimpse of their alternate world, and it was awesome (IMO).

There's lots more, but I'd rather let it all sink in so I can think back on it later. That said, the characters, the story, the dialogue, the music, all of it was top notch, and I have to give this film an A. It's not quite as good as Rainbow Rocks, but then I think that film set the bar so high it would have been nigh on impossible to surpass it. Just my two bits, though.

Regardless, I will own the DVD when it's released. This will be an excellent addition to any collection.

 

[Taylirious]

I didn't catch the name who was the one with green hair from Crystal Prep? Loud music on bus with Twilight?

 

[Amaris]

I didn't catch the name who was the one with green hair from Crystal Prep? Loud music on bus with Twilight?

I believe her name is Lemon Zest, if I heard correctly.

 

[Taylirious]

Okay. http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Lemon_Zest_images Yep!

Thanks.

 

[Amaris]

You're welcome.

 

[DarkHorizon]

That was a lot of fun. Agree with the general sentiment that it doesn't quite hit the highs of Rainbow Rocks, but it was really enjoyable.

Spoiler: spoilers

Liked how the "villain" was just an ordinary human with ordinary desires.

I felt horrible for Human!Twi as she realised more and more what was happening and was utterly powerless to stop it right up to the point she was transformed.

And loved how it was Spike that got through to her. Actually quite liked the whole Spike sub-plot - I had been wondering whether Cathy would only get to growl and bark all the way through!

The whole Twilight/Sunset parallel was really well done - even down to reusing dialogue from Equestria Girls.

I think it would have been nice to spend a bit more time with the Crystal Prep Six, as they didn't really have much characterisation. Maybe there'll be something in the extra scenes on the DVD release.

Also,

[spoiler="post"-credits scene]"time travel loop"? Season finale hint?! (No actual spoilers, please!)[/spoiler]

 

[Kemaiku]

I think it holds up as well as RR, not going to compare the two anymore as FG stands out on it's own. It's as good but in it's own way, the entire series is really taking off and both it and Shimmer are proving they don't need to rely on Equestria quite so much anymore.

It had a very different tone but it worked so we may see each new movie trying something new this way. Not a bad thing as the fans have been asking for it to start pushing it's own identity for years.

Spoiler: Spoilery bits

The Dean is just a bitch, bringing the villainy down to plain human greed for power and glory, not even caring about magic as anything other than a means to make it happen. Even Shimmer knew magic was essential and dangerous, the Dean was simply weaponising Twilight with no regard for anyone else.

Shimmer carried a lot of the movie here, and she managed to even without her Twilight's help. The EQG franchise is going to be dependent on her growth as a character, parallelling it's own, and they're doing that brilliantly each time.

Hated the thought of her being rendered fully human and the portal, and Twilight, being taken away from her. Did everyone see that happy little face when she thought Twilight had come back? that was too sweet, and how upset she was when it wasn't her.

I really thought they might sever the tie for a while. I'm glad they didn't as although I do want EQG to work well on it's own, it's nice to have that connection there.

Felt so bad for Human Twilight, they all treated her so badly. I know in the case of the Shadowbolts it was purely their inpersonal bitchy rival nature, but the rest? that was cold. Just wanted to hug her for most of the movie.

Even as Midnight Sparkle, her desire was to know everything, to rip knowledge and experience she'd been denied from the world, it was driven by her isolation.

We didn't get to know the Shadowbolts very well and that's one of the main problems with the movie. They were couterparts to the mane6 so we already have a pretty good idea who they are. But I don't think we're seen the last of them, Crystal Prep might be an ongoing thing now.

The games were nicely done, shown but not dominating the story at any point, spread out over the movie and set up and resolved neatly.

The entire ending was great, I just, wow, Goddess Shimmer was amazing. Her scene with Midnight Sparkle made the movie, a full circle for the series and it had as human a resolution as a setup.

I'm not sure how I feel about Twilight joining them actually making a mane7 but I think they were going for that for a while now.

Oh and the last scene. That's awkward.
And they very slightly spoiled a major plot point for the season 5 finale which only reinforces the idea they were meant to have finished it by now and not had a hiatus.

All in all I look forward to EQG 4.

 

[Taylirious]

And the Crystal Prep characters are all new? We didn't see them as ponies in the Crystal Empire? I can't remember.

 

[Kemaiku]

They're all completely new.

 

[Amaris]

Adorable, too. I took a quick liking to Sugar Coat, as well as Lemon Zest.

 

[Kemaiku]

^Lemon Tart. I know, thought it was Zest too but she's called Tart in the credits.

Also on the naming thing, one of the lead designers on EQG 3 just tweeted and;

Spoiler: Big Spoiler

Sunset's final form is called "Daydream Shimmer" as a counterpart to Midnight Sparkle.

 

[Taylirious]

Both sound like strippers! ETA: Twilight Shimmer!

I like Lemon Tart.