Common Sense Media Review
By Renee Schonfeld
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
More scares, less message-driven than early Equestria tales.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
Based on 15 kid reviews
Kids say the latest installment in the series features a mix of enjoyable moments and cringeworthy content, particularly surrounding the love subplot between two characters that many found unnecessary or inappropriate given their age difference. While some appreciated the character development and animation quality, others criticized the film for being too mature for younger audiences, incorporating more intense themes and excessive consumerism.
- undue romance
- mixed reviews
- mature themes
- visual appeal
- consumerism criticism
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
All the kids from Canterlot High are excited about their trip to Camp Everfree in MY LITTLE PONY EQUESTRIA GIRLS: LEGEND OF EVERFREE. Only Twilight Sparkle (voiced by Tara Strong) is worried. She's been having nightmares about her "alter ego," the very wicked Midnight Sparkle, whom she's afraid she can't control. What if Twilight's "Midnight" personality shows up at Camp Everfree? Sunset Shimmer (Rebecca Shoichet) tries to calm her friend, but Twilight is still nervous. When they get to the camp, run by the energetic Gloriosa Daisy (Enid Ray Adams) and her brother, Timber Spruce (Brian Doe), things go swimmingly -- at least at first. After an eerie storytelling session about an evil spirit (the title's "Legend") around the first night's campfire, a series of strange, unsettling events upset everyone. The dock the teens are building as a gift for the camp is destroyed. An earthquake shakes the surroundings. And, one after another, the other girls, Applejack, Pinkie Pink, Rarity, and Fluttershy discover magic in themselves that they'd never been aware of. Poor Twilight, she thinks it's all her fault that Midnight Sparkle has managed to take control of her. What the girls don't know is that Gloriosa and Timber are faced with losing the camp to a greedy developer, Filthy Rich, and have pulled out all the stops to keep their camp out of his hands. The machinations of the camp owners, the new powers of the Equestria Girls, and the unexpected return of the Legend herself come together to provide a danger-filled climax. Will Camp Everfree ever be the same?
Is It Any Good?
While My Little Pony attracts all ages with its gentleness and positive messages, the Equestria Girls subsidiary is aimed at tweens, so peril, spookiness, and trendiness take center stage. The six main characters are engaging and attractive even as they're superficial and one-dimensional -- here's the fashionista, there's the athlete, and the animal whisperer is quietly saving the planet one squirrel at a time. There are lots of references to characters and situations from the three earlier DVD stories, so kids new to the brand may be wishing for a little help with backstory. Still, despite that, the forgettable songs and the fact that the plot is dense (with multiple antagonists), My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree has enough going for it to appeal to old fans and new audiences as well. Hasbro has created this franchise to compete with tween-favorites such as Monster High, Barbie, and Scooby-Doo! -- all runaway money-makers. It's OK for kids who are clear about real vs. cartoon violence.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the many new toys and products released at the same time as My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree. How are these new dolls different from the ones already online or on the shelves of stores? Do the changes (costumes and so on) encourage you to add the new dolls to your collection? Why is it important to be aware of the benefits of cross-marketing to the manufacturers?
With the Equestria Girls brand, what changes to the existing My Little Pony characters did Hasbro make to appeal to older kids? What is different about the tone of the movies? How have the stories been altered?
How did Sunset Shimmer help Twilight Sparkle in this story? What made her such a good friend? If you've seen earlier Equestria Girls movies in which those two characters were villains, are you surprised that they're now very likable heroines? Do you think people can learn from their mistakes and change their behavior?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 1, 2016
- Cast : Tara Strong , Rebecca Shoicet , Ashleigh Ball , Andrea Libman
- Director : Ishi Rudell
- Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Hasbro
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Friendship , School ( High School ) , Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Run time : 73 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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