Starring: Tara Strong, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain, Cathy Weseluck, Rebecca Shoichet
Directors: Jayson Thiessen
Rated TV-Y
Studio: Shout! Factory
DVD Release Date: August 6, 2013
Run Time: 72 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars
I have to admit, love it or hate it “My Little Pony” is very popular since the TV series “Friendship is Magic” really took off with fans of all ages. The brand has never been popular and now Hasbro got even more and decided to expand in this universe. “My Little Pony: Equestria Girls” shows our favorite ponies being transformed in teenage girls. This gives Hasbro another opportunity to continue producing more toys, apparel, publishing and accessories for this franchise. I think this was a very smart idea. And to be honest the movie is quite fun, especially for young girls. My daughter enjoyed it quite a bit between the music and the bright colors. A must watch for any fan of the show, whether you are a young girl or even an adult you will enjoy this.
Official Premise: When Twilight Sparkle’s crown is stolen from the Crystal Empire, she pursues the thief, Sunset Shimmer, into an alternate world where she finds herself turned into…a teenage girl! To regain her crown and return to Equestria, Twilight must learn how to fit into this strange, new world and defeat Sunset Shimmer in a competition to become crowned Princess of the Fall Formal at Canterlot High. Luckily, she will have the assistance of Spike and five teenage girls who remind her of a certain group of ponies back home.
If you are a fan of the series, then you will be happy to know that this full-length movie follows the events of “Magical Mystery Cure”, which was the final episode of the third season of “Friendship is Magic”. So it continues the story line and holds us off until season four comes this November. I also like that it has a certain “Alice Through the Looking Glass” feel to it as well. I noticed that from the moment I saw the box and it peaked my interest. Comparing this to the TV series, it is a little more mature since the ponies are turned into high school girls but it is nothing that a young girls will not be able to watch. Also the end monster is a little scary for younger kids.
Shout! Factory really has given a lot of love to the “My Little Pony” over the last few years. I also should point out that this is the first time that the ponies have been given a high-def Blu-ray release. So the 1080p transfer really shines (or should I say sparkles, maybe?). The colors are really sharp and the animation style looks fantastic. Like I mentioned there is some fun movie in the film with six new songs from Dan Ingram, but it is more pop music and quite different from the original series but that is a good thing also. The special features are also fun including a featurette called “Through The Mirror Of Equestria Girls”. There is karaoke versions of the songs in the film. There is an option to “Pony-fy Yourself” and lastly there is a Printable Movie Poster included.