My Little Pony is a familiar name to almost all. However, what many people might not have heard of is the quadrilogy of movies in which the Mane Six are humanized and go to high school. These movies are referred to as the Equestria Girls movies, but it’s clear to see that movie two of four, Equestria Girls – Rainbow Rocks, soars leagues above the others.

Despite its somewhat low IMDB rating of 6.9 stars, I really think that this film is a diamond in the rough. The animation perfectly captures the spirit of the show, the story is cute and enjoyable for its simplicity, and the music is surprisingly amazing. Even though this movie has a fair bit of cringe to it, it makes up for that with style and nostalgia points.

The film’s main villains are a group of three girls, referred to as The Dazzlings. This trio really makes the movie shine. Their cheesy kids movie dialogue adds to the fun of the film, and while their “evil” plans aren’t anything hard hitting or scary, you still get some sinister energy from them. 

One of my favorite scenes in the whole movie is when the Mane Six go to their principal about the villains, to warn them of the danger they present to the school, and you see the principal’s eyes glaze over with a green haze, implying The Dazzlings had already gotten to them. Even in a movie like this it’s still a bit chilling to see the villains demonstrate their power in such a way.

Easily the best part of this movie, however, is the music. The story largely revolves around a battle of the bands that’s set to happen at the school, so you get to hear a myriad of different musical performances from the students. 

The Mane Six’s band, The Rainbooms, have some of the best songs in the film, including “Awesome As I Wanna Be,” “Shake Your Tail,” and “Better Than Ever.” The most standout song is “Welcome to the Show,” the final song in the movie. It’s a rainbow-filled song battle between The Dazzlings and The Rainbooms. The ghostly, loud vocalization from The Dazzlings, mixed with the pop music and singing from The Rainbooms is truly spectacular.

The animation in this movie is also highly impressive, the style perfectly matching that of the original cartoon. The designs for each character are extremely creative. Each outfit the characters wear are unique and personalized to them. You see this especially with the Mane Six, with each of them having their cutie mark and signature colors heavily featured in their designs. You can really see just how much love was put into making this movie. 

Even background characters are noticeable from their designs. While you only see a handful of characters that aren’t the Mane Six, the animators made sure each character stood out in their own fun ways. 

While this film is obviously made for younger audiences, I do think it can be loved by anyone as long as they’re willing to put in the effort to enjoy it. 

Understandably, many might think they’re “too good” for a film like this, but I think if you allow yourself to put that hardcore film critic version of you away for a little over an hour, then you can cherish this film just as much as me. And as someone who’s seen and adored not only this movie, but the entire Equestria Girls series, I truly recommend this film from the bottom of my heart.