So, Rarity's starring role in Dance Magic was a complete snore-fest, but could Rainbow Dash do any better with Movie Magic?
Not only that, this is the kind of plot you'd expect to see on Scooby-Doo. Hell, the whole thing is a Scooby-Doo rip off, right down to the talking dog - in this case, Spike. And that makes Sci-Twi, Pinkie, and Rarity Velma, Shaggy, and Daphne, respectively, and I figure Sunset and Rainbow Dash both take the role of Fred, meaning Applejack and Fluttershy are once again just there to complete the cast.
But honestly, this flops as a Scooby-Doo parody because... well, look at this part in the description for Mirror Magic, and notice what I've marked in bold:
...while Sunset Shimmer was away, a revenge‐seeking Juniper Montage finds a beautiful hand mirror enchanted with Equestrian magic...In Movie Magic itself, they tried to make Chestnut Magnifico (you know, the actress playing Daring Do) the red herring, but the description of Mirror Magic very much spoils that it's Juniper Montage who's the real bad guy in the former. It becomes less a case of "who wants revenge", and more a case of "why she wants revenge".
On top of that, you can already tell Juniper is the bad guy the moment she's introduced. What makes it worse is that no one suspected her to be the true culprit. Sure, Sci-Twi did in the third act, but she and the others could've just asked Chestnut for her true intentions rather than investigate on their own. Yes, I know that "if they did this instead of that, you'd have no story", but I counter with how I feel about the ending to Legend of Everfree: if the solution is simple, then it makes your story feel pointless. (The same could apply for Mirror Magic, which I'll get to next time.)
Speaking of pointless, the Power Ponies bit is exactly that. It bears no impact on the plot, and could be cut altogether. It exists purely for fanservice.
One final point of contention is Canter Zoom scolding his niece; some say he's the true villain of the trilogy, but I don't agree. Like Sir Topham Hatt in Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure, Canter Zoom is just doing his job, trying to get everything ready for the Harwick extension and the Daring Do movie, respectively. Not only that, Juniper brought this upon herself and refused to accept responsibility for her actions. She deserved to be punished for being petty.
However, this brings up a double standard - try and ruin your uncle's movie? You get banned from the studio. Capture those who exposed your crimes in a mirror, gain power and wreak havoc a the mall? That's perfectly okay as long as you have friends by your side! Seriously, this cannot be one rule for Movie Magic and another for Mirror Magic, especially since it makes Juniper worse than she is!
Final Thoughts
If you want this plot done properly, watch either an actual Scooby-Doo episode or MLP's Rarity Investigates!. Even if they fall into predictable territory, they at least have a certain degree of charm that Movie Magic wished it had. The lack of tension makes the EG special a waste of time, and it's a sloppy, sluggish build up to Mirror Magic.
Rating: -2 out of 10
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