Nice review JT. :)
boop I'm more active on here
Good review, agree pretty much all around. However, I'd disagree with Celestia an Luna being underutilized. I think they were left out on purpose to benefit Twilight's development. This time it's her that's narrating the backstory of the villains, not Celestia, it's her that figures out a way to the other world, and the film ends with Sunset writing a friendship report to her. Combined with Twilight worried about letting the group down as they depend on her, I think Celestia's absence is part of Twilight growing more and becoming her own person that doesn't need a mentor to rely on for aid.
All in all, a good review here... :D I agree on most points.
If at first ya don't succeed, try a bit more, then give up or cheat... ;) -Myself Nothing can stop me now! -Piggy by Nine Inch Nails
@Drake: I was talking more about the human Celestia and Luna; they get very little screentime, and the only bit of it that's plot relevant is the stuff explaining that they've been brainwashed. Other than that they don't really contribute much. They could've really gotten some mileage out of showing Twilight having to deal with the fact that her mentor has been turned into a jerk. It would certainly have gotten more emotional torque than what they did with Flash.
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Just like how KM A10k's review of the first one captured my feelings perfectly, this review captures my opinion on Rainbow Rocks perfectly. This is the Equestria Girls movie that should have been. At this point I'm deciding on calling the first one a parody or just not acknowledge it exists. And I'm right there with you regarding Twilight and Flash, JT. I am simultaneously relieved that their "friendship" doesn't go beyond what we see and disappointed/annoyed that their "friendship" doesn't go beyond what we see. They need to have just one full romantic moment in the third (hopefully last) one for my psyche's sake.
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A Marked Improvement
The first movie was, at best, So Okay, It's Average. It had some fun moments, but on the whole was a bit haphazard. This movie improves on it in just about every way.
The villains are entertaining and have a plan that actually makes sense, the conflict between the main cast is handled very well (building up gradually throughout the movie), the cameos and references to popular characters are handled smoothly, and best of all, Sunset Shimmer actually gets some characterization. While she was a flat Alpha Bitch in the first movie, in this one she's turned over a new leaf, and her attempts to redeem herself despite nearly everyone holding a grudge are easily the strongest part of the movie, and seeing her finally be accepted at the end is the most satisfying part of the resolution. In general, the plot (while still a bit iffy in parts) flows a lot more naturally than the first EQG movie did, and the characterization feels organic rather than forced. In general, it just feels like the writers had a much better grasp of what they wanted to do. The music, luckily, is very good, and fits the tone of the movie very well.
That said, Rainbow Rocks is still far from perfect. Once again, Flash Sentry is a weak link. He's even less plot relevant this time around, and while he has a few good scenes (being rude to Twilight to show how the Sirens have messed up the school) they all take place while he's under mind control, and once he snaps out of it he reverts to his Nice Guy persona from the first movie. And the whole Almost Kiss thing (which is thankfully interrupted) just feels tacked on, as Twilight and Flash barely even interact. The film also inherits a few issues from the first movie, such as the iffy, giant-headed character designs, and the fact that Celestia and Luna barely resemble their pony counterparts (and in general are underused). The connections to the Prime pony universe still bring up some issues (but the resolution seems to set up the setting as being more self-contained).
Overall, Rainbow Rocks is hardly going to win any Movie of the Year awards, it definitely took a big step in the right direction as far as the spinoff is concerned, and is definitely worth watching.