My Little Pony: Equestria Girls - Friendship Games (2015) User Reviews

Canterlot High versus Crystal Prep

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 20 August 2017]

'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' is in my opinion one of the best animated shows in recent years. The first film based on it 'Equestria Girls' was an enormous disappointment and the complete anti-thesis in quality as one could get. Was apprehensive about watching its first sequel 'Rainbow Rocks' but was both pleasantly surprised and very impressed.

'Friendship Games' is a decent third instalment in the 'My Little Pony: Equestria Girls' film series. It is a step down from 'Rainbow Rocks' and is nowhere near as good as 'Friendship is Magic', but it is much better than the 'Equestria Girls' film (then again many things are better than that, and it takes a lot for any of its sequels to be as bad or worse). Its flaws are at least different to 'Equestria Girls', not being the "having the same flaws and amplifying them" sort of sequel.

It could have been much better. It has to be said though that there are a couple of improvements over 'Rainbow Rocks'. There is no forced or awkwardly written romance. Twilight is much more consistently written and is more developed and likable. And Flash isn't quite as bland. 'Friendship Games' does suffer from trying to do too much, there are too many characters and too many plot strands.

While the characters are fun and likable (though Flash is still a bit on the bland side, though not as much as before, and Principal Cinch is agreed too one note), the only characters that develop are Twilight and Sunset Shimmer. The film certainly isn't dull and the conflicts and dynamics are interesting, but some plot strands are better explored than others with a few under-explored and messily handled.

There could have been much more focus on the games too. The games themselves are very exciting, but happen too late in the film and the screen time for them is too short.

However, the animation is vibrant, ethereal and well-rounded, like 'Friendship is Magic' and 'Rainbow Rocks' and unlike 'Equestria Girls', with character designs that are appealing and don't send warning signs about potential bad messaging. The songs aren't quite as good as in 'Rainbow Rocks' but are still catchy and cheerful, they're easy to hum along to and the lyrics aren't too cheesy.

Much of the writing is fine too. Like 'Rainbow Rocks', there is a good balance of humour and emotion, with winning and amusing humour and poignant and never schmaltzy or mawkish emotion. The references are clever and naturally integrated and the messages are well-meaning and heartfelt and avoid being preachy.

Story here has its messy moments but still moves along nicely and it doesn't feel like an extended TV episode. Twilight and Sunset Shimmer are well realised characters, love what the sequels have done with the latter, and of the newer characters Sugarcoat (hilariously personality-wise the complete opposite of her name) is a sheer delight.

Voice acting is very strong, no talent wastes here. Tara Strong, Ashleigh Ball and Rachel Shoichet are particularly good.

Although, decent second sequel but could have been better. 7/10 Bethany Cox

A sequel to 'Rainbow Rocks'

[tapio_hietamaki · 6/10 · 23 March 2017]

This was probably the weirdest of the 'Equestria Girls' movies. The third installment in the series focuses on the human world Twilight Sparkle. The story goes like this: in the first movie, the pony princess Twilight is transported into an other dimension, where she meets all her friends but in this world they are all human-shaped (though inexplicably they still have pink, orange and blue skin color and their names are still horse-themed). She later returns to her own world, but we never see her own human counterpart, who logically must exist.

'Friendship Games' follows the human Twilight, who has untapped potential like the pony Twilight but has not made friends with the other Mane Six characters which helped her reach princess status. Here human Twilight is lonely and depressed, and attends another high school. She is pressured into using magic in a questionable fashion, which leads to a disaster.

The acting leader of the familiar characters is Sunset Shimmer in absence of Twilight. Sunset is a character exclusive to the 'Equestria Girls' movies, though she, too, has a pony form as she originally came from the pony world. As a reformed villain, she understands the trust issues that Twilight faces (this was a plot point in 'Rainbow Rocks').

These are the same kind of themes that the main TV show tackles: the problems that friendships sometimes face. I'm not sure how much the franchise ever got out of such matters, its strength has always been in the joy and delight of friendship rather than overcoming hardships.

Great film, but very strange

[awesomeduck · 7/10 · 26 September 2015]

FIRST off, let me say that this review contains a spoiler, so if you have not seen the movie yet and you intend on doing so I suggest that you do not read on. I will start by saying that this film does not include a SINGLE pony (which is pretty ironic for a My Little PONY movie) and is only for Equestria Girls fans. When watching this film you may forget that it is, in fact, an MLP spin off. I am not going to disclose much information about the film. If you have young children, I would not recommend that you let them watch this- characters are accused of using "performance enhancing vitamins" (steroids) and there is one use of the word "sh*t" (Twilight tells her dog "try not to sh*t in there" when putting him in her bag.) . There are also explosions throughout that are "magical" but more closely resemble bombings or firework accidents. Besides the high amount of violent content, the film can be enjoyed by older kids and adults alike. It includes humor and some good one-liners (albeit not as good as MLP-FiM). Definitely worth a watch.

The Equestria Girls Series Is Getting Popular

[barbaradavis-39578 · 6/10 · 24 October 2017]

equestria Girls rainbow Rocks And friendship games are good movies the plot is so good it's about twilight joining the shadowbolts in the friendship games but on a early secne twilight became midnight sparkle to destroy the human world and sunset became daydream shimmer to defeat midnight sparkle so the plot is so amazing hasbro is making more equestria girls movies but they made a last one it was legend of everfree that movie is good so all the equestria girls movies are good and the plot is so good

Awesome! :D really loved it :3

[abidagordis · 10/10 · 27 September 2015]

Man, I loved this! I loved how twilight actually turned evil for once. I mean I nearly see someone who is a good character go bad. I loved all the characters, music, acting, loved the outfits too :3 and Sunset Shimmer!! oh gosh! just awesome!! she looked like sailor moon in this movie! Midnight Sparkle really made my heart pound. and spike... you sweet dog, you rescued your owner~ how sweet <3 I really really hope that equestria girls will turn into a series. and hope to see old faces again, ( Adagio, Sonata, Aria, ) The friendship games Really entertained me :D I will always love mlp and the EQG fandom. Pegasister for life... that's all I have to say

Too many Twilights

[ericstevenson · 7/10 · 1 April 2018]

The stinger for the last movie set up this sequel as it showed what was going on with the Twilight from their own dimension. What's interesting about this film is that we're introduced to this new Twilight and it does feel like we're meeting the same character, but in a different way. It didn't go in anyway how I thought it would be. I assumed it would just be the same as them meeting the Twilight from the Equestria dimension. Only very briefly do we see any ponies in this movie at all. The animation is as wonderful as ever.

Yes, I do believe this to be better than "My Little Pony: The Movie". The best part is easily the climax and how strong the emotions are. It's weird to describe the villain in this movie because there really quite isn't one. It's mostly just misunderstood people and that really makes for a better plot. It can get boring, but it's still a rewarding movie. I'm proud to have ended TV Month and now I can do my next theme month...Channel Awesome Month to celebrate the website's tenth anniversary! ***

A welcome addition to the MLP franchise

[directorianballinger · 1/10 · 27 September 2015]

My initial review of this film might've been a little harsh.. I think I was just a little off put by the short length of it. But... after rewatching it, my opinion has changed. This is probably the best movie of the Equestria Girls series, if only because it establishes its own identity and doesn't rely heavily on the the "Friendship is Magic" show. I like FiM a lot more, but this EqG series does have heart and its own soul. Which, to add on to that, I love how while these human characters are still the counterparts of ponies in Equestria, they still have their own individual personalities.. they're similar but definitely not the same.. their own souls and spirits, etc.

The music is good, which is the norm for a DHX/Vancouver / Hasbro production. The animation is on par with Rainbow Rocks. The acting is on par with the show and the direction from Rudell is great... he does a fantastic job. So I'd love to see a fourth film in the EqG series. If a fourth film was on par or better than these films, I'm sure it'd be a fine film... hopefully they'll try to finally break past the 72 minute mark. I think they need a little more time to flesh these stories and characters out.

Nice job MLP staff. Keep on doing your thing.

The Best Hasbro Has To Offer

[smittyt0198 · 9/10 · 2 October 2015]

In the third installment in the Equestria Girls franchise, viewers are taken on a magical journey once more to Canterlot High School, in more ways than one. DHX Media and Hasbro Studios prove once again that they have the capability to create quality entertainment for the whole family. Though very fun and imaginative, fans of the My Little Pony can grow to appreciate the depth and deep morals expressed in a show that looks as if it was made with all the colors of a crayola pastel box. The best part in my opinion would have to be the phenomenal music originally composed by Emmy winner Daniel Ingram, who shows us all that music is just as magical as the movie itself. If you are fan of anything animated and or gripping, this movie is the one for you.

Comming from AppleTV+ this is low quality in every way

[thediamondbrothersemail · 6/10 · 10 August 2020]

I understand AppleTV+ is the highest of the high with 4K HDR 60fps with Dolby Atmos surround sound, so I'm comparing this to other non AppleTV+ films, but the frame rate is way too low, it feels like 24fps, maybe it is, it makes me feel sick because of this and the fact the character's motion is really off, other things about the film are great but not enough to get it above a solid 6.

Let the games begin...eventually

[jediforce10 · 2/10 · 15 January 2017]

I've never exactly been a fan of the Equestria Girls movie series, but I've always given them a fair chance to see what they have to offer. Despite the flaws from the first two movies, there were things I enjoyed from both of those films. Whether it was the villains, some of the songs, or the interactions between Sunset and Twilight, the first two movies did have some good things in it. This movie though? I can't say the same at all.

Taking place after the events of Rainbow Rocks, the human world's Twilight Sparkle, who was seen at the end of the last movie, is going around investigating the strange readings around Canterlot High. Meanwhile, the main focus is supposed to be about how Canterlot High is getting ready to face their rivals, Crystal Prep Academy, in the Friendship Games. Sunset is tasked with keeping the magic under control while the games are going on.

Notice how I used to the word "supposed" in regards to the Friendship Games. Don't be fooled by the so called title of the movie. Despite it being about the Friendship Games, they barely play a part in the movie at all. That's the least of this movie's problems though.

The real title of this movie should've been "Twilight's Magical Hunt." All that happens for most of the movie is Twilight going around Canterlot High and stealing magic in some device she made. A lot of the scenes in this movie can be described as the following: Twilight meets one of the Humane 5, interacts with them for a little bit, one of the girls ponies up, Twilight's device steals magic from the girl, and then a small scene with Sunset talking about the magic or the Friendship Games. There is so little going on in this movie that it gets very boring very fast.

As I mentioned earlier, the Friendship Games hardly play a part in this movie at all. They talk about the games and all, but we hardly ever see them at all in this movie. You want to know how long it takes before we finally get to what is supposed to be the focus of the movie?

One hour.

You have to wait a full 60 minutes, in a 90 minute movie mind you, before the Friendship Games are ever shown. What's even more insulting though is that these Friendship Games are only around for 15 minutes before they are dropped from the movie completely. So out of the 90 minutes, the games are only around for 15 minutes. That's not even a fifth of the movie!

The songs themselves are also pretty lousy. Many of them are just forgettable and aren't that interesting at all. The only one I liked was the final song about unleashing the magic. The rest of the songs though are just bland and not memorable. Even the first movie had a better soundtrack than this.

The villains are just lame. Principal Cinch has to be one of the most note villains ever. She's not the least bit memorable. The Shadowbolts, while slightly better, are disappointing. While they are polar opposites of the Humane 5, and the intro title made it look like the two groups would face off against each other, they barely do anything in the movie themselves. The only Shadowbolt I liked was Sugarcoat, and that was because her bluntness was hilarious.

Then there's the final conflict with Midnight Sparkle. When Twilight gets engulfed in magic, it turns her evil. Why is she evil? Because the movie said so. I know the old saying is power corrupts, but there's no buildup to Twilight turning evil. It would've worked out better if Twilight showed resentment for the way the rest of the school treated her. Here, she's just evil for evil's sake.

Speaking of final conflict, this battle basically rehashes the climax from the first movie. Seriously, it's almost played out the same way. It's the same setting, same characters involved, and even Midnight Sparkle reminds me too much of Demon Sunset. I guess you could say this was meant to be an homage and some sort of test for Sunset as she went through this before, but this is a cheap cop out for a final battle. And the way it all ends is head scratching. All that happens is Spike, who can now talk thanks to magic, distracting Twilight, Sunset overpowers her, and convinces her to stop. Talk about an anti-climax of an ending.

There are really only a few minor things that I did take from this movie. One, the romance subplot with Flash and Twilight is ignored completely. Two, at least pony Twilight didn't return in the movie until the end. But those aren't enough to help this mess of a film.

Friendship Games is an overall mess, and arguably worst than the first movie. While the first film was bad, it at least had a three act structure to it, and some character development. This movie is a total mess and a complete bore. Aside from Sunset Shimmer and Human Twilight, nobody gets any screen time to develop their characters or anything. The story is all over the place with no focus, and it rehashes elements from the first movie. The villains are either lame or disappointing. The songs are bland. The writing is weak and the jokes aren't that good.

I can't recommend this movie to anyone unless they are a die hard Equestria Girls fan. Otherwise, I would suggest staying far away from this mess of a movie. And I do mean stay far away from it.

MLP Milgram experiment

[funestis · 9/10 · 29 September 2015]

This review contains some spoilers

I think this movie was creepy in a terrifying manner. It is a MLP version of Milgram experiment on Twilight, a perfectly good and well intended person cracking under peer pressure and doing things against her personal moral code.

Also the outburst of Sunset Shimmer toward Twilight was something. Typical frustration nonthinking outburst (we all do from time to time) doing irreparable damage to a weaken confused and depressed mind.

This movie is very dark in all significant places regardless of its shiny and colorful presentation.

This movie for me have left other 2 in the dust. Well done HASBRO.

Awful, awful, anything but friendly!

[MegaBronyAlastor · 1/10 · 27 June 2016]

This movie was horrible!

-Lots of exposition, exposition, rush it out ASAP! -With a 70-minute runtime, there's just not enough time to introduce an entire second school and still have time to give the Wondercolts spotlight. -Terrible "villains". With the exception of Midnight Sparkle (who's only on the screen for around two minutes), they do not have the coolness factor that other MLP villains and most Disney villains have. In fact, Cinch's plan to use Sci-Twi in the Friendship Games backfires so epically it almost gets the world destroyed. -The Friendship Games put untrained students in mortal peril. Motocross and archery have a high risk of injury, if not death. Plus no one bats an eye when the giant Piranha Plant attacks the stadium. -Dean Cadence is UGLY! -The HuMane 5 are still as flanderized as ever! Thank Celestia the 2017 movie won't be Equestria Girls-related, as the true Mane 7 had an entire show to be fleshed out. -Shining Armor has no more than two lines, and never shows up again. What a wasted character! -The final battle lasts only a few seconds. -Just Eat Gilligan: Twilight, why are you keeping that magic-stealing pendant around when it's clearly hurting people! Without it, you could have avoided this plot. NO ONE in your school has no idea how magic works. Is it any surprise that it goes out of control and almost destroys the world? -The Shadowbolts are one-dimensional and can be summed up in a single small sentence each: an ostentatious athletic girl, a brutally honest girl, a sarcastically nice but really passive aggressive girl, a girl who's really passionate about music and sort of outgoing if you could call it that, and then another one I don't even remember. You should be able to know who's called Sugarcoat and who's called Sour Sweet. That's how memorable they are. -Please get smarter about raising the stakes. -Very slow movie.

Avoid this movie. Watch Finding Dory instead. (It climaxes better than the entire FG movie.)

Fun, Magic, Adventure!

[rannynm · 8/10 · 10 November 2015]

After two series consisting of seven seasons, almost 200 episodes and two movies, people might think the series is getting old. But, I think it is not even half way over. The third installment in My Little Pony: Equestrian Girls does not disappoint My Little Pony fans of all ages.

This movie is an adventure about the main characters. However, with most My Little Pony titles, friendship is a magic related thing. There is also a good amount of silly humor that viewers can enjoy and a small dose of drama which makes it more entertaining.

The story follows Twilight Sparkle, the only pony who seems to be able to go between the human and pony world. She hasn't been in contact with any of her human friends and one day she arrives there. However, it isn't the Twilight they know. Additionally, the six friends are starting to get better control of their hidden magic powers which they need to learn to control for the friendship games (an athletic and academic competition between rivalry schools). If you would like to find out what happens, you have to watch the movie or read the book.

This film continues developing the positive reputation for the My Little Pony Friendship is Magic movies. The story is exciting, with many twists, and you still learn an important message. For this film, there are many. One of them is that, when help comes, accept it. The animation looks very tidy and, even though this is 2D animated, they are very creative with adding some 3D camera shots. The voice talent for Ashleigh Ball, Apple Jack and Rainbow Dash are spot on. Tara Strong who plays Twilight Sparkle makes us love the character, hate her and pity her all at the same time. The rest of the cast are also great at projecting the emotion of their characters. For example, in one scene with Applejack, she is helping her competition with archery and you don't hear pity in her voice, you hear a kind, friendly tone, which Ashleigh Ball is so known for.

My favorite scene is when two of the main characters are fighting the enemy high school on a dirt bike course. It includes my favorite character, Rainbow Dash and another main character, Fluttershy. The race goes well at first. However when the other Twilight Sparkle accidentally releases some strange magic, the race goes haywire. There is something you should be aware of. You don't need to follow the TV show that the film is based on in order to understand the storyline of the film. However, it is probably best if you watch the first movie, My Little Pony: Equestrian Girls, in order to understand this story.

Age rating is surprising for My Little Pony. A lot of people think this show is meant for 2 to 6-year-olds. But really, it is suitable for older kids and event adults. Many of this show's fans (including me) are 12 years old and older so, I recommend this for ages 2 to 18 and adults as well. Small children will enjoy the fun, bright, colors and the funny characters. But, older kids and adults enjoy the show as a fans. I give this film 5 out of 5 stars because it entertains people while teaching important messages.

Reviewed by Gerry O, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.

Probably one of the best things to come out of MLP Period

[irondude · 10/10 · 2 October 2015]

With the mixed reactions of the the 1st movie, and the more positive ones that came from Rainbow Rocks, I was hoping this movie wouldn't botch up the progress its previous entry made. I could not have be ever so wrong. Sure it does not star the Dazzlings, and the music is not completely like the last one, but I still think it manages to knock all the other entries out of the park. Now that Sunset is out lead role, we get to see even more amazing development from her, that, like Princess Twilight, she is still learning how to not only be a leader, but be a good friend.And Crystal Prep as the villains really do make quite a glaring contrast from our mane 6. And yet, though there is no battle of the bands this time around, the music is just as good and perhaps better than before. I whole heartedly recommend that every fan of MLP needs to watch this, not before the other ones of course.

SUNSET SHIMMER IS THE BEST, SHE'S MY FAVOURITE!!!!!!!!!!!!

[joeoflaherty-35699 · 10/10 · 29 March 2021]

This Is The Best EQG Film Ever, It Makes Sunset Shimmer The Best Protagonist Ever, She's My Favourite Character In The Movie, However, There Is A Downside, Principal Cinch Is Always The Worst Villain Ever.