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| Dock around the clock |
Written by Kristine Songco and Joanna Lewis
24 Sep 2016 (Discovery Kids Latin America) / 1 Oct 2016 (Netflix)
My original rating: ★★★
IMDb score: 6.4
The one with Pinkie's marshmallow pillow
Thoughts: Another writing change for this movie, with Kristine Songco and Joanna Lewis taking over from Josh Haber. The only one of the four EqG feature films not to receive a cinema release in the UK, so I watched it when it eventually made its way to the Pop channel over here. I still feel it's a relatively weak instalment when compared to Rainbow Rocks or even Friendship Games. The music in Legend of Everfree is generally good (I love "Hope Shines Eternal" at the end), Sunset gets a pretty good part and even Flash Sentry gets some decent material to work with, while the different setting makes it visually appealing. The plot itself is okay if not brilliant, and at least the geodes made a comeback in the specials – even if Sunset's ability is a bit on the creepy side when you think about it. On the downside, I'm still iffy about a camp counsellor like Timber getting romantically involved with a student, Filthy Rich is pretty one-dimensional in his few appearances and Gloriosa/Gaea¹ isn't exactly the greatest villain MLP has ever had. This is... well, maybe "bland" is overdoing it, but it doesn't really stick in my mind. Still a three, but a weak three and I'm not absolutely confident it's even that any more for me. Probably Sunset and the songs tip it over the line, but only just.
¹ I still don't know why she's not "Gaia", but she isn't
Choice quote: Spike: "I think you're just gonna have to pick it up."
New rating: ★★★
Next time, back on the FiM beat, it's the lumberingly titled "P.P.O.V. (Pony Point of View)". Originally I felt this was a fun episode with a feeble ending. We'll see how it goes in 2023.
Yeah, that's all pretty on-point. Never liked Timber, the geodes led to some cool stuff, and Gloriosa is eminently forgettable. :B
ReplyDeleteI'd honestly forgotten most of the details before I rewatched this, something that wasn't the case with any of the previous three films. Now, maybe you can say that I'd skimmed over the interesting stuff (see Impossible Numbers' comments for that!) but it didn't especially stick as I was watching, either.
DeleteYeah, there just… isn't much to say about this one. There's two solid songs I remember ("Hope Shines Eternal" being one of course – "We Will Stand for Everfree" being the other), which is enough to at least musically elevate it above the first EqG film, though the songs here largely feel like an obligation rather then an organic extension of the storytelling.
ReplyDeleteThe geodes stuff is kind-of cool, yet also pretty shameless in its "yeah, plot magic for literally no reason just to make these teens have superpowers for future installments". Possibly magical girl aficionados feel different. Visually, this does continue to show DHX being flexible in their designs, especially for the costumes (certainly quite a change of pace from the same main outfits for the past three films). Sci-Twi's PTSD subplot feels like an afterthought, even if it's surprising they could even hint at it at all.
More then anything, this feels more like a tv movie or a two-parter; even the low stakes for most of it feels of that tone until higher-stakes magic generates action near the end. Which probably contributes to it just feeling… "eh".
I will say that on the micro level, the dialogue writing is generally pretty good, certainly better then the non-song parts in Friendship Games. Difference between Josh Haber and the Lady Writers, no? I'd also say this has benefitted considerably from comparison to the specials EqG pumped out thereafter: this feeling bland and indifferent pales next to the writing woes for Rollarcoaster of Friendship, Spring Breakdown and Sunset's Backstage Pass.
But overall, yeah, it's not hard to see why this is the forgotten bridge between the two eras of EqG. I wasn't even around at the time, and I get the feeling both Hasbro and the fans were already looking ahead to the FiM movie next year. Not a washout, but a pretty average affair. Just of the bland and forgettable variety as opposed to the "that was fine enough" kind.
And yeah, it's not exactly neat how EqG Filthy Rich is the nasty corporate stiff his FiM very self-consciously isn't.
Aha, yes. I think that may be one reason I didn't find myself as glued to this: it did indeed feel a bit like a slightly overlong special. Actually, maybe the story would have worked better at 44 minutes; I'm not sure.
DeleteThis EqG movie fascinates me, not least of all because of its sense of transition and a couple of things it does that I think are quite special.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, that sense of transition: I generally see the first three movies as a self-contained trilogy, the backbone of which focuses on Sunset's transition from Twilight's rival (needing to be redeemed) to Twilight's successor to EqG-Twilight's "rival" (and eventual redeemer) in turn. It all comes full-circle in a pleasingly tidy bookend fashion, and while plenty of smaller elements are left hanging, the set feels solid and deliberate to me in hindsight.
From this point on, though, EqG starts feeling more free-form and episodic, not helped by the repetitive "redemption" angle recycled for a long while in major media (Gloriosa being only the first in a long line of one-off redeemed antagonists). Sunset will be largely dipping in and out of the spotlight, overall continuing the static role set out for her in the third movie. Combined with the more frivolous slice-of-life elements coming to the fore with the camp antics and the Main Six going off to do their own things, and I think it gives a significant portion of post-movie EqG a watered-down and parochial feel at times.*
* The only exception I can think of is "Forgotten Friendship", which for all its faults is one of the few late-EqG media to really analyse who Sunset is now compared to who she was, and to (at the very least) attempt to challenge that. I think it's all the better for it, especially when it adds the PonyWorld trip into the mix to resolve hanging threads there.
As for the current film in question: it's the first to transition the redemption angle away from a major character (Sunset, Twilight) to a one-shot; it doesn't give Sunset the main arc, handing that over to Twilight instead; it's the first to start divorcing Equestrian magic from the narrowly focused-upon portal; it introduces the geode superpowers that become a mundane magical utility thereafter (giving more of a "superhero" feel); and it pushes the focus away from Canterlot High for the first time, entirely set in a different location.
Some of these I kinda admire as laudable attempts to broaden EqG's horizons and switch the formula around a bit, something only briefly hinted at last movie with the Crystal Prep setting. Heck, there's something to applaud in moving away from the multiversal cataclysms of before and lowering the stakes to something (potentially) worldbuilding and personal, such as the Camp's history and the mystery surrounding the Gaea legend. (Which, incidentally, shows the potential playfulness of having an A.U. not too rigidly bolted to the main series).
That does hurt the drama of the finale somewhat, not least because we don't really have a looming threat or all that compelling a mystery for the longest time, so the last-ditch effort to throw a villain fight into the climax is a bit of an abrupt, genre-shifting tactic that's loud and bombastic in a film largely content to be small and subtle. Gaea Everfree feeling like a random monster-of-the-week with no personal connection to the main cast - despite the lore setup - doesn't help that sense of arbitrariness (even the Dazzlings set themselves up early on as direct scheming rivals to the Main Six, so there was build-up to their coup-de-grace).
Now for the couple of things this movie does that I think are quite special. Thing is, on that small and subtle scale, I think this movie is actually quite neat.
DeleteFirst is the unspoken parallel between Twilight-Sunset and Gloriosa-Timber: both are struggling under the stress of failure to deal with an identity-consuming power that's just waiting for them to slip up; both have supporters who find it frustrating to be rebuffed and denied, despite the obvious problems; both are on the brink of giving in to the dark side of magic; and both don't get anywhere till they forego the easy-but-dangerous option and embrace the support of others (Twilight when her friends psychically encourage her in the finale, Gloriosa when she stops insisting she's "got this" and reaches out to others to save the camp).
Not only is it a good bit of parallelism and the best connection the new antagonist has with the heroes (something I wish was foregrounded more), but it jointly underscores the ongoing tension of the movie, each reinforcing the other. As character drama, it's not deep as such - if anything, we learn more about Timber's wants and concerns than we do about Gloriosa's, whereas Sunset feels more like a satellite character to Twilight - but it feels like the smart template for using antagonists as a way to reflect upon the main cast, rather than just throwing them a jerk to be redeemed.
Another thing I quite like is that, for all the redemptions thrown around like confetti in this franchise, this is one of the few media to deal with the aftercare, and to recognize that it doesn't just heal up overnight. The moment of redemption from the last movie is followed by showing the ongoing psychological effects on Twilight in this one, and with Sunset acting as the "big sister" shoulder to lean on, it's quietly honest in showing how hard that road must be: you can't cure a patient who refuses to be cured.
It's a long-term angle that I don't think is revisited much anywhere else (best I can think of is Luna's trauma in "Do Princesses Dream Of Magic Sheep?", followed by how ambiguous Discord's morality was throughout Season Four). Given my own views, I actually admire the movie's boldness in tackling that ongoing care head-on.
Lastly, while it continues EqG's problem of feeling ad-libbed, I do like the approach to lore in this one. It would've been so easy for Gaea to have been a real-all-along monster, but instead they take a more circuitous and layered approach: Gaea is ultimately fictional in-universe, the legend ends up being a cover and a point of contention between the siblings, and despite hating the "ridiculous story", Gloriosa adopts the protectionist trappings of the legend and basically makes her own version of the cryptid. The geodes... don't make a lick of sense to me, but I like how the superpowers given to the Main Six simultaneously do something slightly different (for the most part) than their pony counterparts' main powers (Rarity's crystal shields being my favourite innovation). If it all feels a bit tonally off from the Care-Bear Stare super-emotional approach prior, the movie at least makes the case for them being useful additions to their arsenal in more actionized stories later on.
To say nothing of Midnight basically being Twilight's equivalent of Nightmare Moon - not just an evil side, but a psychological reflection of Twilight's frustrations and secret desire to push boundaries - and it's an idea with tons and tons of potential. Despite being dropped after this movie, if nothing else it's prime fanfic fodder, and this movie does more to put that front-and-centre as a character arc struggle than as a surprise transfomation at the climax.
Overall, I agree with you in one respect: I don't think I'd go so far as to give this an impressed four stars. I agree with you that it overall feels "weak" or thin, especially compared with the more explicitly antagonistic throughlines of the prior movies (part of Gaea's problem is that, once she replaces the more dramatically committed Gloriosa, she's little more than a hammy gimmick monster to beat down). Timber's romance angle just seems like a bad and unnecessary idea from the get-go despite his onscreen chemistry, and for all that I love Twilight's recovery arc, it inevitably makes the movie feel like an encore to prior stories than like a strong standalone.
DeleteBut I think it's too fascinating to discount as a bit of tedium. Between the Twilight-Gloriosa parallelism, the more patient if honest confronting of a post-reformation state, and some of the creative reimaging of the lore, this movie does enough subtly clever things - and maintains enough of a good-natured spirit, especially through those songs - to stick to a strong three, with some elements on their own being four-star material.
Overall, I agree with you in one respect
DeleteOne more than I thought I might be going to get! :D
One of these days I might try another rewatch with your (very interesting) comments here in mind. Not soon, but sometime. I honestly can't see myself ever preferring this to Rainbow Rocks, but might I nudge it up half a star or so? Maybe, though I highly doubt it would be more.
Now this is praise I can get behind. If nothing else, the writers had a solid, even strong, concept for where to take the series next, and if the execution was bobbled, at least those important, overarching elements still remain.
DeleteThose are all interesting points and ones I can't disagree with, except to note the execution and connective tissue between them often isn't there and that contributes to a pervasive "less then the sum of its parts" feeling here. Still, considering Hasbro never afforded EqG the ability to build any narrative momentum thereafter, even relative to the minimal amount before, it's not nothing. So even if EqG only occasionally moves above tolerable for me, the staff are trying with effort that is very visible.
DeleteWhether me appreciating that now is as a result of the G5 show where the effort on the writing side is only visible once in a blue moon… well, eye of the beholder and all that, eh?
I liked this one a fair amount. It's no Rainbow Rocks, but I easily prefer it to Friendship Games. Not that it doesn't have its problems. Filthy Rich is awful in this, even as the main pony series paints him as a decent guy. Every time I watch it and Sunset first hears Gloriosa's internal scream when bumping into her, I never know it's a scream until she says it is. It just doesn't sound like one. Sometimes I don't even notice a sound at all. I also really don't like Sunset's abrupt about-face in her attitude toward magic. In the previous movie, she's cautioning them all against using magic, yet here, she's the one encouraging them all to explore it fully. I don't buy it.
ReplyDeleteI don't have an issue with Timber being a love interest, because he's more a staffer than a counselor, he's not in a position of authority over anyone, and he isn't substantially older than Twilight. Re: Gaea vs Gaia... I don't see the issue. They're both accepted spellings of the same thing. I like the music in general and especially Gaea's big number. Nearly all the main players have relatable conflicts, and I like Celestia finally being more than a set piece and standing to defend her students. Lots of background elements shine, like Derpy's appearances, Vinyl being seen talking, and Sunset getting a glimpse into Pinkie's mind (which is always cut when it airs on TV).
A lot of people rate this as one of their least favorite EqG films, but I'd have a tough time deciding whether to rank it third or fourth. I definitely like Rainbow Rocks best, and Forgotten Friendship was good, too. Legend of Everfree is about equal to the first film for me.
Re: Gaea vs Gaia... I don't see the issue.
DeleteOh, I don't object to the "Gaea" spelling. It just strikes me as odd every time I see it. Maybe it's one of those Transatlantic things, but a quick Google of .uk sites just now showed "Gaia" outnumbering "Gaea" massively, a ration of well over 30:1.
Forgotten Friendship was good, too
I quite liked that first time around and I hope I will again, though as a special it doesn't fit into my own films ranking. (RR, FG, EG, LE is probably how I'd rank them, though I don't hate any of them.)
if it makes you feel any better, "Gaia" is my usual go-to spelling also :B
DeleteI'm not sure if Equestria Girls is the worst thing out of Generation 4, but I would definitely consider it the most pointless. Besides the inclusion of Sunset Shimmer, I can't name a single thing EG did to make itself worthwhile as a spinoff, probably because the writing wasn't very good.
ReplyDeleteWith Legend of Everfree, I've always hated that film simply for how incompetent it is both from a writing perspective and from how it connects to G4 as a whole. This, to me, was the point where the writers threw up their arms and cried out "We give up!" and then just did whatever the hell they wanted to. (Some would argue it really began with Friendship Games, but I've found that to be a film with potential that was crippled by mandates on Hasbro's end.) There is nothing about this film that works. The romance subplot completely clashes with Sci-Twi's supposed arc about dealing with PTSD, the villain's motivations don't make sense, most of the characters are irrelevant to the non-existent story, the songs are forgettable, and any setup for future EG material barely means anything as after that point, again, the writers just did whatever the hell they wanted to.
What makes it more frustrating is that this film came out the same year as Gauntlet of Fire and Top Bolt, both of which were also written by Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco. Hell, they even wrote A Royal Problem and The Perfect Pear, which aired next season! I don't know how such a gap in quality like this is even possible, but it's disappointing to know that the lady writers were able to make such a mess out of seventy minutes of literally nothing. Legend of Everfree is easily one of the worst films I've ever watched.