MLP: Equestria Girls - Rainbow Rocks ~ Review

So we still have no exact release date for FiM's fifth season, but in the meantime, we do have Rainbow Rocks. And how does this brony think the movie holds up? As per usual with my MLP reviews, you are warned that there will be big spoilers present. With that said, let’s dive in and review “My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Rainbow Rocks”.

Preceded by eight promotional shorts collectively serving as a prequel to the main events, this second installment in the divisive spin-off series picks up relatively soon after the preceding movie left off, and focuses on an upcoming musical showcase taking place at Canterlot High School. Now reformed from her bullying ways, Sunset Shimmer seeks redemption from the other students, but aside from the Mane 5, is rejected by the entire school following her rampage at the Fall Formal at the end of the first film. Early on, she laments over her past mistakes by bluntly reminding herself and her friends, “I turned into a raging she-demon”. In her first non-singing role of the series, Kazumi Evans voices Adagio Dazzle, leader of this film’s trio of antagonists. Banished to the human world centuries prior, this girl group enter the school, and use mysterious gems to enhance their singing voices and create conflict among all the students. They gain their power by feeding off the surrounding negativity, which only strengthens after they manage to get the musical showcase turned into a Battle of the Bands competition. As the only ones not brainwashed by the Dazzlings’ magic, Sunset and the others manage to send a message to Twilight in Ponyville, leading her to return to the human world and help her Canterlot High friends against their new adversaries.

With the first Equestria Girls getting the process of establishing this alternate universe out of the way, Rainbow Rocks takes advantage of its freedom to craft an original narrative, and returning writer Meghan McCarthy does so in a way that makes this sequel a huge improvement on its predecessor.  As the decidedly lengthy title suggests, the story relies heavily on music, with Daniel Ingram contributing a total of 10 musical numbers, the most to be featured in any project from this franchise so far. While I wasn’t a fan of every single song, I did find myself enjoying, and sometimes humming along to most of them. The selection of music is suitably and commendably versatile, exploring a diverse range of genres that should ensure that every viewer finds at least one song that they like. The soundtrack is also bolstered by the pacing, which is vastly improved from the first film and “Magical Mystery Cure” episode, and rightfully never puts any of its songs out of place.

The characterization is a mostly impressive affair, but with some exceptions that unfortunately weigh the story down at times. Adagio Dazzle makes for a very enjoyable villain, with Kazumi Evans clearly eating up the role and loving every second of it. The same can be applied to the Dazzling allies Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk, voiced by Diana Kaarina and Maryke Hendrikse respectively. A regular voiceover artist for Barbie, it’s interesting to see Kaarina take on such an abrasive role with Aria, but luckily, she’s able to stylishly adapt to the character and turn in a great performance. Meanwhile, Hendrikse is adorably ditzy as Sonata, stealing every moment in which she speaks, and easily standing as my favourite of the three. Although it’s only briefly explained, the villains are also given some interesting history connected to Equestria’s mythology, as well as a new bit of intriguing insight into Star Swirl the Bearded. Though extremely momentary, a sequence with our mane characters in pony form is certainly a welcome one, complete with new library books and science talk typical of our adorkable Twilight. Speaking of which, she is once again scripted very well here, as once she ventures through the portal again, her first mission as the official Princess of Friendship has her full of self-doubt and struggling to conjure up all the answers. In arguably the most prominent role this time around, Sunset Shimmer becomes a very likeable companion to the others. Her struggle for acceptance allows the film to explore her character deeper, and makes her easy to sympathize with. A personal talk that she and Twilight share during a slumber party at Pinkie’s house is a definite highlight, not least because it also leads to a fantastic cameo appearance from Maud. I might just fanboy out here for a second, since as you know, I just love this character to bits. I won’t spoil it completely for you, but the scene had me in stitches.

Viewers are also treated to a sizeable amount of small but memorable side character moments. Lyra’s dream finally comes true as she appears in human form, the traditional cameo from Derpy adds a little something new to her character besides muffins, long-time fan favourite Octavia is given a couple of scenes and even a speaking role (Kazumi Evans providing the voice), and DJ-P0N3/Vinyl Scratch plays an entertaining part in the film’s climax. A few others leave something to be desired though. As founder, singer and lead guitarist of their band, Rainbow Dash regresses to almost Mare-Do-Well levels of cockiness, which border on being extremely unlikeable at times, and the always-controversial Flash Sentry is a complete waste once again. Save for some awkward interactions between him and Twilight, he’s mostly just there, and practically nothing would change if you cut him out of the story. For the most part though, interactions between the Mane Six and Sunset are still impressively written, and Rarity’s illustrious outfit choices for the band serve as a great running joke, especially one scene where she dons a Daft Punk style costume.

While certain aspects of the movie fall a bit flat and several outcomes are easy to guess, the film still has a lot going for it. The animation is exceptional, the music likeable, and the pacing and story structure much better than before. Several plot points don’t feel too rushed this time and are also not always as predictable as might be expected. With spin-off series “Equestria Academy” in production, the movie leaves itself open with two delightful endings. One has a heartwarming and somewhat nostalgic feel that opens a new chapter in Sunset’s life, while the other plays out in the spirit of a Marvel Studios flick. You have, and most certainly want, to wait until after the credits to see an awesome second conclusion clearly designed to set up future installments. While it’s unlikely to stop many of us pining for a pony-based Friendship is Magic movie in the future, “Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks” is still a colourful, upbeat and far more confident sequel that’s superior to the first in every way. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, look forward to watching it again on Blu-ray, and seeing which direction this series goes in next.

RATING: 8/10