Equestria Girls: Friendship Games

Gr 2–4—In this new installment of the "Equestria Girls" films (which take place in an alternate dimension where the characters are ordinary high school students), most of the main characters—Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity—attend Canterlot High School, while Twilight Sparkle is enrolled at the prestigious Crystal Prep. The two schools are about to go head-to-head in the Friendship Games, a long-standing academic and sports competition that Crystal Prep has always won—until now. Though Twilight initially plans to stay out of the Games, preferring to immerse herself in her schoolwork, Principal Cinch refuses to sign off on an upcoming independent study unless she takes part. Unsurprisingly, bookish Twilight eventually learns a valuable lesson about the importance of interpersonal relationships. Meanwhile, all of the girls grapple with new magical abilities. The production values and voice acting are strong, but the quirky charm and zany humor of the TV show have been swapped out for a more generic, Disney Channel-esque tone, from the long-limbed, big-eyed design of the characters to the forgettable musical numbers. Although the educational content is fairly low, there is—as in all of the My Little Pony episodes and films—a heavy emphasis on the power of friendship. While the story is fairly predictable, the target audience will enjoy it.