My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic revived the cartoon/toy line by adding depth to the colorful small horses. While fans enjoyed the friends with four hooves, there was a desire for something a little more human. Equestria Girls was the perfect way to create human versions of the characters. Fans embraced an alternate universe where Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle could walk on two legs and have thumbs. Josie immediately fell in love with the first movie instead of being shocked at the transformation. She was a little scared at the battle at the finale. The second film Rainbow Rocks featured a battle of the bands that provided more musical moments. A year later marks the arrival of My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Friendship Games. As teased at the end of Rainbow Rocks, there is a version of Twilight Sparkle in the alternate universe. She goes to a rival school to Canterbury which is why she doesn’t hang out with Apple Jack and Pinky Pie. During a competition between Canterbury and Crystal Prep Academy the characters all meet each other. Can these bitter rivals end up being friends in both realities? Here’s Josie’s review of the movie:
For those who are new fans, My Little Pony: Equestria Girl Three-Movie Gift Set contains DVD versions of Equestria Girls, Rainbow Rocks and Friendship Games. The box has a cute Lenticular cover that allows you to see Twilight Sparkle transform from pony to high schooler.
The video is 1.78.1 anamorphic. The image brings out the bold qualities in the color and character design. The audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 which works great for the musical numbers. The movie is subtitled.
DVD has all the features of the Blu-ray. There’s also a digital version available for access.
Audio Commentary has the crew including the directors talking about the film. They talk about altering Sunset Shimmer to become a good pony girl.
Deleted Scenes (9:12) are a few scenes and songs cut during the production. There’s even an alternate ending. They were snipped in the storyboard stage. The commentary track option lets you know why they weren’t put in the final film.
Animated Shorts (12:00) are five moments that teased the upcoming film.
Sing-Alongs (7:41) features all three songs in the film.
Shout! Factory presents My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Friendship Games. Directed by: Ishi Rudell. Written by: Josh Haber. Starring: Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle and Spike. Running Time: 72 minutes. Released: October 13, 2015.
