SPOILERS!!!
Introduction
In the wake of "Spring Breakdown", which, though not awful, was underwhelming, I approached "Sunset's Backstage Pass" expecting to overanalyse every detail to keep myself entertained. I was decidedly unprepared for the film to soar above my expectations as it did, captivating me with a mixture of wit, likeable characters and, crucially, genuine intrigue. It gave me all the entertainment I could have wished for and then some. Let's dig deeper.
That this movie was on the right track in terms of storytelling can be guessed from the premise itself: "Sunset's Backstage Pass" spotlights the "dynamic duo" of Sunset Shimmer and Pinkie Pie. Not only does this mean a focus on Sunset, probably the EQG franchise's best original creation and USP, it also centers the plot around a creative new pairing of characters whose relationship had not been explored in depth prior to this new entry in the series.
Sunset and Pinkie's relationship
The film proves phenomenally competent at fleshing said relationship out. Although easy to muss, the first cornerstone of the dynamic the film constructs for them is laid shortly into the film, when Pinkie implies that Sunset is "the cool one", while she herself is "the zany one".
What does the film establish about these two characters' relationship? Let's summarise:
- They are brought close together through a shared passion for the band, "PostCrush". This is evident from their shared "PostCrush roll call" gimmick
- Sunset can be harshly judgmental of Pinkie when her antics go too far
- At the same time, Pinkie cannot think badly of her friend. Thus, when Sunset tries to "ditch" her, she initially lapses into denial. Upon recognising that Sunset wants to get away from her, she constructs an imaginary reality where the two of them spend the day together
- Over the course of the story, Sunset comes to appreciate Pinkie more, even saying that to be trapped in a time loop would not "be half bad" with her by her side. Presumably her resentment for Pinkie, who got her thrown out of the concert repeatedly, is outweighed by gratitude for her help in looking for a way to escape the time loop
These are only a few of the things we learn about Sunset and Pinkie's bond of friendship and what makes it special. In light of this, I cannot but credit the film with having picked an interesting focus and done it full justice.
The episode´s title card. Source: https://mlp.fandom.com/wiki/My_Little_Pony_Equestria_Girls:_Sunset%27s_Backstage_Pass
The mystery
Nearly as central to the film's appeal is its success at creating an intriguing mystery. Until the reveal I did not suspect the two singers, K-Lo and Su-Z, of being behind Sunset's time troubles. Nonetheless, this plot element avoided feeling forced or arbitrary because, even though there had been little to no indication that they were the culprits, their motive had been set up since the beginning. We already knew they were reuniting after a prolonged hiatus, so it made sense that they should went perfection in their performance.
One thing that greatly impressed me was the artful misdirection which the creators pulled off. While I have seen comments professing to have believed the Dazzlings were the bad guys, I was inclined to believe it was Pinkie Pie who was manipulating temporal progression. It was a little thing that led me to think this: each (repeated) morning, Pinkie makes the same joke: "What do you call a PostCrush fan with three eyes? You call her Pinkie Pie!"
While the punchline refers to the three i's in her name, I thought it might also indicate that she had found the Time-Twirler, a talisman with an eye on it. This misdirection might have been accidental, but if it was intentional, it's a work of genius.
Characterisation and character development
This film's gravest sin is making Pinkie unlikeable. She is portrayed as lacking restraint, and the way in which she drags Sunset into a million and one activities only she wants to do comes across as frustratingly egoistic.
All the same, it is clear the writer noticed the problem and made every effort to offset it. Pinkie struggles excruciatingly with herself before succumbing to the temptation to rush off to buy cinnamon crowbars, and the consideration that allows her to rationalise the deed is that she could buy two portions and share with Sunset. Both these facts make her seem more sympathetic, and while certain of her actions still leave a bad taste in the viewer's mouth, I find it possible to forgive this.
All the same, it is clear the writer noticed the problem and made every effort to offset it. Pinkie struggles excruciatingly with herself before succumbing to the temptation to rush off to buy cinnamon crowbars, and the consideration that allows her to rationalise the deed is that she could buy two portions and share with Sunset. Both these facts make her seem more sympathetic, and while certain of her actions still leave a bad taste in the viewer's mouth, I find it possible to forgive this.
Still, it remains a pity that, though her support of Sunset functions as a kind of redemption in the end, no timeline is shown in which she overcomes her desire for snacks for her friend's sake.
Outside of this Achilles' heel, the movie handles its characters gracefully. I especially enjoyed the moment where Sunset ignores Pinkie's breakdown at being shunned by her, bringing back some of her icy indifference from the first film. It's a beautiful example of character continuity, and even avoids feeling callous due to Pinkie's outrageous behaviour earlier.
The EQG frachise's skill at creating compelling secondary and background characters shows itself once again in "Sunset's Backstage Pass" with not only the return of the cook from "Spring Breakdown" with a deliciously funny line, but also the introduction of a criminally charismatic security guard who:
- Can be impulsive and abuse his power
- Is passionate about his work and feels frustrated when people fail to take it seriously
- Has a strong sense of fairness
- Likes kittens
Not every show can set up a background character as elaborate as that in one film, especially with all the other stuff that was packed into this one's 44 minutes (so rich in cobtent that it feels much longer). Thus, the Dazzlings make a return, displaying an interesting kind of semi-reformation or quasi-reformation, which sees them acknowledging that they made a mistake in trying to brainwash the whole of CHS, but preserves their spiteful nature and contempt for humans. It's as if they had evolved from evil to neutral, but whether through moral insight or simply weakness is left ambiguous, making for a very interesting situation.
K-Lo and Su-Z act as foils for Sunset, so they're not terrifically intricate characters, but they are stable and "round" enough considering their late introduction.
Animation
This is another strong point, with the characters' clunkiness in the first EQG film completely gone here. I could not help being impressed by the way the animators manage to make characters with such ludicrously long legs move in a natural-looking manner. The best animation is probably to be found in the song "True Original" near the end, which is accompanied by excitingly dynamic visuals (as well as a confusing moment when Zephyr Breeze appears to be standing in the audience behind Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. One wonders why the film never shows him interacting with either of them. But then, 44 minutes, right?).
Miscellaneous
During the final song, I thought the movie was opting for one of those uninspired "dance party endings" where the film just ends during a song instead of during some kind of resolution. I was pleasantly surprised when the song ended and we got some wholesome interaction between our two main characters to round things off.
One criticism of this film's moral I have read is that it "feels like a retread (...) of "The Point of No Return"". While I understand this opinion, I disagree with it, firstly because EQG is a different show from FiM, so I don't see the creators under any obligation to avoid overlap, but also because I found "The Point of No Return" rather bland, so it was all the more satisfying to see the same moral again, but done right this time.
Conclusion
What is there left to say, really? This was a damn good special, and I found myself rewatching parts of it almost immediately after I had finished watching it the first time. This film seems to have been getting surprisingly little attention, and this was my attempt to give it some much-deserved recognition. Of course, I have not discussed even all its main aspects, just the ones I found most important and/or noteworthy, and this review has been relatively one-sided. I take comfort in the fact that the title doesn't promise anything else. Have a nice day.
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