Star vs. The Forces of Evil Review: Star Comes to Earth / Party with a Pony

Hi everyone.
I’m Andrew and I welcome you guys to yet another review of yet another TV show. Yeah, I know you’re getting tired of it, but it’s my blog and I do anything I want.
This time I’m reviewing Star vs. The Forces of Evil, Disney Television Animation’s latest series airing on Disney XD. This series, created by Daron Nefcy, centers on Star Butterfly, a precocious and over-optimistic princess from another dimension named Mewni, who comes to Earth to practice her magical powers to become a better fighter. There she meets Marco Diaz, a smart, yet over-safe guy who becomes Star’s guide. From there, they become friends and team up on many adventures, whether at home or in many different dimensions with or against characters that are interesting and/or exiting to watch.
And I freaking love this series. Its bright, colorful atmosphere, the anime vibe, the lovable characters, the hate-able characters, the title sequence, the theme song, the end theme song, the writing, and everything else that either I didn’t mention or are too obscure to notice. And all of that starts here, the very first episode.

The one that started it all. The one that will start a brand new story of epic proportions. I'm excited to review this, so let's go!!!

It all starts at the royal kingdom of Mewni, another dimension. Star, narrating the beginning of the story, is a princess, and some have said she's a bit reckless and extreme for her actions; that's because she is also a major monster butt-kicker and unicorn tamer.
--Okay. Star is freaking awesome (obviously). She not only is a princess, but also fights monsters, tame wild horses, and can still look hot doing it. Also the hearts on her cheeks make her even more cute. Also, the devil horns headband shows a great contrast with them, and can pretty much tell you what she is. She can be a sweetheart at her best, and a demon at her worst. Call her the ultimate tomboy and girly girl mixed together.

It’s her fourteenth birthday, and during a coronation, her parents, King and Queen Butterfly, give her the family heirloom, a new magic wand, which she is clearly excited to own. But, because of her rusty magic (and the fact she almost destroyed her kingdom singlehandedly, despite claiming she can handle it), she’s forced to move to a different dimension. Star fears it’s the St. Olga’s Reform School for Wayward Princesses,
but her parents assure her it is Earth (a place they deem safe) where she will practice her powers.
--I like this scene for quickly but efficiently introducing Star, her parents and her kingdom very well. Plus, Star’s over-enthusiastic, curious and very eager behavior (along with the fact that she can kick butt, too) is just so adorable and just makes me smile. The fact that she’s voiced by Eden Scheer of The Middle just helps.

Anyway, Star and her parents arrive on Earth in a little California town called Echo Creek, and she goes to high school at Echo Creek Academy. After a minor hiccup with Principal Skeeves (Star playing with the lightswitch, believing it’s magic), they bribe him with a chest of gold and jewels, confirming Star’s enrollment. When Star plays with the lights again, the King asks Skeeves to provide a student as a guide to show Star around Echo Creek and watch after her. He suggests Marco Diaz.
Marco, doing his schoolwork, is called to the hallway. First, he brags about this to fellow students like he’s a bad-boy jerk-like student, who clearly do not care, and then secretly asks the teacher for a hall pass, but is shunned away. In the hallway, he meets up with Skeeves and meets Star, who has her eyes checked out on the water fountain, thinking it’s a sentient being, and tries to fight it. He is creeped out by this sight, but the Principal wants him to show Star around and become her guide. Skeeves later goes the ice cream store, while Marco is annoyed, now that he’s stuck with someone he’s just met.
While Marco repeatedly denies being the “safe kid”, he tries to assure Star that he’s actually a tough, dangerous, take-lots-of-chances, misunderstood bad boy (It’s clearly just a front); but while doing so, he pushes Star away from some dangerous stuff across campus (broken glass bottle, open floor tile and an open locker door.), so Star helps him prove this by turning a butterfly into an ugly, scary monster fly, which freaks out Marco. Perturbed by Star, he asks "Who are you?"
and she responds

That GIF was supposed to move. Sorry.

Even more freaked out by her, Marco ends the tour and runs home like he’s being chased by bulls, while Star greets goodbye.
--This is one of my favorite scenes of the episode. I really liked Marco’s introduction; at first it seems like he’s a cool, yet tough, bully-like student. But when he asks for a hall pass, it’s clear that it’s the complete opposite.
Now, before I get too detailed, I freaking like Marco. Like, a lot. He’s cool, kind, smart and is pretty charming, and is also funny at times. Not to mention he can kick butt, too. (why do I know this? It’s in the title sequence. We’ll get to that later)
--Also, that throwaway line about him once wearing a helmet in the shower room was hilarious, along with the rest of the scene.

Later on, Marco reaches home, but to his horror, he finds Star again, this time talking with his parents. They take a big liking to Star, and tell their son that she will be staying with them for the time being (as in the rest of the series), something Marco is not okay with, and finds the same sentiment level in a litter of puppies. Star (who loves puppies) then conjures up some puppies, but they have laser-vision eyes, which are uncontrollable. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz find this amazingly cute, and ask Marc to help Star move into her new room.
While the two go upstairs to Star’s new living arrangement, someone is watching them in the distance--Buff Frog, a henchman for Ludo, a villain residing in a dark castle in another side of Mewni. He discusses his plan to destroy Star and take her wand for his own intentions to destroy and take over her family’s kingdom.
--This one is one of my favorite lines of the episode (and possibly the entire series):
“I didn’t know these were your parents. I just assumed everyone on Earth had the last name Diaz!” Star has a lot to learn before becoming an honorary Earthling.
--I found the gag with the litter of laser-vision puppies funny, especially the dialogue from Marco’s dad when he took a hit from one of them to the eye, “Aye! My eye!”. To say nothing of the puppies being super cute.
--Also, in their short appearance here, Marco’s parents are such a lovely couple. His dad
I would love to see them a lot more during the series, but as a later episode “The Other Exchange Student” would attend, we do, and we do see them a lot more, and see their personalities flesh out more.
--Meanwhile. While the reveal was cliched and predictable, it was still funny, and I take a lot of interest in Ludo. I think he be one of my favorite Forces of Evil in the series going forward. Also, his henchmen as just as funny.

Meanwhile, back at the Diaz home, Star moves in to her new room, with a little help from Marco. After liking what she sees, she gives it an expansion pack in the form of an above-ground loft for her to frequent, which amazes Marco, who says he wishes he had one, too. Star takes this to heart, and goes to Marco’s room to try to give him one, too. Unfortunately, the spell she uses involves the word “suck”; Star accidentally creates a black hole that sucks Marco’s stuff through the vortex into an unknown location. When Marco is shocked and frustrated, Star tries to cheer him up by literally brightening his day with a sun over his head, but her screwed-up powers turned it into a raincloud, leaving Marco soaking wet.
From that point, Marco is furious and refuses to take in Star living in his house and being in his life, and decides to move out. So he climbs out the second story hallway window, but slips and falls down to a bed of cactuses, thankfully breaking his fall. Star asks if he’s okay; he says yes, and “storms” off (pun intended), telling Star not to follow. Star tries to agree, but can’t stop worrying about him.
--Honestly, I felt very sorry for Marco to have all this crap happen to him in one day. But I'd be darned if I didn’t admit that almost all of it was funny. Poor Marco.
--We don’t get to see much about Star’s expansion pack room other than a quick fly-by down. I hope we do see more scenes take place from this room as we go along, but the room looks really nice and does serve as a nice home away from home for her.

Later that night, Marco is at a convenience store, the Stop & Slurp, crazily begging people to go inside to buy food and refills for him, because the raincloud still following him won’t let him inside. Star finds him, and tells him her painful story about her not having a choice about appearing on Earth and him not having a choice in her staying with his family. Before she can go any further, Marco notices something horrible behind her and calls Star. It’s Ludo and his henchmen! They’re ready to fight Star and take her wand for themselves. But there is one major flaw in their plan: Marco.
When they begin the fight, Marco makes the first hit (of many) to the HM, and when I mean hit, I mean kick and flip and such. When an amazed Star asks him about his amazing powers, he says “It’s called...Karate”. The two quickly pool their fighting prowess and begin beating the butts of Buff Frog and the other minions. When two of the henchmen get an upper hand on the two, it seemed all is lost (really, one of them punches Star), they quickly dust off and Star delivers the finishing blow. All of the Ludo’s henchmen are completely, utterly and thoroughly trashed. Ludo is embarrassed, and When asked by Star if he wants a thrashing, Ludo says No and heads back to his castle, taking his rag(doll)-tag group of losers with him. (You can just hear the shame and disgust in his weak, tired voice.) Marco is utterly amazed by his and Star’s performance of teamwork, and after Star goes back to the house to pack her bags, Marco says she doesn’t have to, as he changes his mind and asks Star to stay with him and his mom and dad. Star is delighted, and shows her thanks by hugging Marco, who smiles. After that, the two head on home, starting a new friendship, and beginning a new adventure for what will come their way--villains, new dimensions, people, what have you.
Gonna be fun, huh? Yeah.

In the next half-er, “Party with a Pony”, Star and Marco (or should I say Starco? That will be a thing...someday) are at home, about to enjoy Marco’s famous Super Awesome Nachos, when someone’s at the door. Marco goes to it, answers, and looks around. At first, no one is there, but when he looks again, Marco is greeted by a floating talking unicorn head, which freaks him out. Star notices this, and is excited to see her best friend (from Mewni) Princess Pony Head. She introduces Pony Head to Marco, her other best friend (from Earth), and PPH is frazzled by this. But, she shakes it off by asking Star to join her in reconnecting by partying in other dimensions. Star agrees, but asks her if Marco can tag along. Marco tries to relent, but quickly gives up and agrees. The plan is set and the three are on their way. Pony Head pulls out (or, more accurately, gags out) a pair of Dimensional Scissors (which Star is “Jealous” of), and snips up a portal, taking them another dimension. A second later, another portal opens up, but it’s from another group of beings from Mewni. And they are looking for someone: Pony Head.
--At first, I began to really like Princess Pony Head, with her laid-back and cool (and somewhat ratchet) behavior and voice. But then she threatened Marco, and that likeness went out of the window. I would hate her for how brutal she treats Marco. and I would love her for how laid-back she is and that her voice sounds funny. For now, I’d put her in the middle. I don’t know whether or not I should like her from here, but let’s see what happens.
--And on a side note, She kinda looks like the Horse Head from The Godfather if it had been reincarnated, and sent to another dimension.
--Also, what does Star call Marco’s nachos? Triangle Food. That is funny. You should laugh at that. Plus, her excitement and gal-pal talk with Pony Head was so cute.

Later on, Star, Pony Head and Marco land on (in Marco’s case HARD...on the ground) a party joint called Bounce Lounge, which lies in the clouds. The girls dance and have fun, while Marco stays far away because of PPH’s warnings, but Star pulls him back in. They later go into a photo booth and take so-cutesy-it-makes-your-eyes-bleed pics like there’s no tomorrow. Star then leaves to grab the photos and let Marco and Pony Head bond. Except...they won’t bond, as PH tells Marco that they will not be friends...and even second-best friends.

Marco tells her that doesn’t exist, and she gets offended.

Pony Head then tells Marco that tonight with Star means the world to her, and if he screws it up, she will cut him with her horn.

Pony Head asks if he's got, and leaves the booth, with Marco scared out of his mind and clutching his chest.
And now things are getting heated.





-- Yeeeaah, Snooki Head is going all Fatal Attraction on Marco. How quaint.
--You don’t have to see this a mile away, but this was one of the funniest scenes in the episode...despite being a little dark.

Marco runs to Star and warns her about Pony Head, but PH shoves him out of the way, nearly killing him by falling off the edge. Fortunately he picks up enough strength to hold on before Star picks him up. Marco tells her about what PH did back at the photo booth, and Star admits that she can be possessive. Star later suggests that she, Marco and PH to another dimension, Amethyst Arcade. PH says she still wants to dance, but quickly changes her mind when the three men with masks are on the trail.
--That part with thw skeleton saying "FALL!" both made me cringe and laugh at the same time.

At Amethyst, which is filled with more video games than meets the eye (and more squares than the Entertainment Center at Walmart), Marco is amazed by what he sees. He and Pony Head then immediately go to a game, Lance Lance Revolution, and the beef heats up like a patty at Hardee’s. The two face off and it’s tense. When Star then goes off to get popsicles, the two rivals still fight it off until Marco wins (actually because the 9-9 is still looking for ). Then The Men in Black come back again, and Pony Head runs off, leaving Marco. She then finds Star and they go to another dimension, lying that Marco has left first. So she goes along.
--(Really Star?? You’re actually believing this?? You actually think that Marco has somehow gotten the scissors to get there before you?? Are you actually believing Ms. Nay Nay for that)
--Also the names for Marco is hilarious. Earth Turd. Genius.
--And another thing, Marco called Pony Head’s mother a whor...se.
(I honestly thought he [“the writers”] meant it that way, until I realized he actually meant saying that PH mom is a horse. Still, it was funny, though.)

At Scum Bucket (the writers really found good names for these places [I’m not being sarcastic BTW]), Star looks around for Marco, but can’t find him. She talks to PH about him, and she reveals that she lied about him leaving AA before them. This infuriates Star, and she calls Pony Head out for doing this and treating Marco horribly. From there, PH realizes how much Marco means to her as a friend (best friend, actually), and they go back to Amethyst Arcade to find him.

Meanwhile, back at AA, The Beygency interrogates Marco on PH’s whereabouts; he says he has no idea. They turn up the intensity by shoving a lamp in his face...and then proceed turn it on and off very quickly, which annoys Marco. Just in the nick of time, Pony Head and Star return to save Marco from the torture...and the oscillating bright light. But first Pony Head gives Star her Dimensional Scissors, as she says she doesn't need them. Pony Head then faces the Smith clones and challenges them to...chase her. She glides around the Arcade with the men on her trail. She uses her horn's power to destroy the games, deflecting their chase. She is successful...until she hits a wall, and faints. The Masked Men have her cornered. That is until Star and Marco have her back (of her head) and face them too. When it seems like we're in for a(nother) fight, a booming voice appears. It's of King Pony Head.
--This gag is also funny. I’ve seen interrogation scenes like this before, but the light flicking thing was seen before and really different, and really made me laugh.
--I can't deny how awesome it was seeing Pony Head holding her own against the Masked Men while they chase her. Her laughing and cunning snarks make me smile.

And now the reason The Blues Brothers were following the three in the first place. Princess Pony Head's father, King Pony Head, is looking for her (as she ran away). Princess reveals to Star why: she wanted to have a final day of freedom by enjoying herself and having fun with Star, as he is sending her to St. Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses. Star is happy for PH's night of fun with her, with PPH finally realizes what kind of person Marco is and how much Star likes that as her best friend--I mean bestie, she changes her perception of him and begins to like him. Marco wishes her good luck, and she thanks him for defending her and now considers him her friend. Pony Head Jr. accepts her long-term punishment and heads over to St. Olga’s, But she says in parting that it won't hold her down for long. And then she gets pulled into the portal, with Pony Head Sr. coming along.
--

"Oh, kids. You have them, and then you wish they weren't aroun..."

Damn, King Pony He--I mean, Dang, King Pony Head!

Star is delighted to see her two best friends from two different dimensions becoming best friends themselves...although Marco says he wouldn't go that far to agree. After a mini freak-out about still being in another dimension, Marco asks Star how they'll get home. She knows a way: the Dimensional Scissors. Now with them in possession, the two can now go to any dimension in the universe anytime they want. Marco has a suggestion of where to go first: home.
The episode ends back the Diaz home, with Starco watching TV, finally enjoying Marco’s Super Awesome Nachos.

I like this episode a lot, but not as much as the previous. Since it did introduce us (and Marco) to the series’ aspect of other dimensions and how they play out, this is a really good start. The worlds I saw look really nice and adds a touch of complexity in them without putting in too much. And the balance between light humor and dark humor here was perfect. One moment, I feel morose as Heck, the next I’m laughing my head off. I don’t how the writers and animators could pull it off, but they did, and it paid off. Big time.
Pony Head is a very interesting character;
As for St. Olga Reform School for Wayward Princesses, I’m very curious to see what it is more than a “place that’s like jail” and what goes on there. I’m very interested to see it in a future episode. (Will there be a dark, dreary atmosphere inside?; Will Star somehow end up there?; Will we see Princess Pony Head again?) I’m very eager to see what St. Olga would be like late on in this series.

A Few More Random Thoughts:
--This.

Make what you will of that.
--It’s gonna take a lot of congrats for Pony Head to keep a pair of scissors in her mouth…
--And it’s gonna take a lot more congrats for Marco to stand up for her later on, even after she made fun of, threatened and nearly killed him. Makes me like him more and like her less. Like Star said, “Classic Marco, putting friends first”. I’m super proud to be a Meatball.
--No I was wrong. King Pony Head is like the Horse Head from The Godfather if it had been reincarnated.

Even More Random Thoughts:
I'm probably gonna get flack for this, but I’ll start it off with this:
I’ve said earlier in the review--I really like Marco. He’s a really cool character, and a really good friend to Star, and there are some things I like about him along with a few things I will like about him later on the series, as you guys will notice in these reviews.
But there is one thing about him I do not like. If you guys know what the trope known as “Butt Monkey” is, then you’ll know that Marco is treated kinda badly in this series. I mean, usually in each episode, there are at least a few gags involving him get physically or verbally hurt. In the Star Comes to Earth alone, there were seven gags involving this (eight if you count the picture being destroyed by the laser-vision puppies).
I understand there are some characters in a series that would be treated this way, too. And of course this is Played for Laughs, and I do laugh some of these jokes. But, here, this happens more than a few times...and it annoys me. I really can’t stand it.
I’m not really a fan of the Butt Monkey trope, and this is the worst example for me. And after watching the next episode, it’s going to continue whether I like it or not.
Now, I’m not complaining, I’m not gonna demand this be toned down or removed or waste my time protesting it. I do believe these constant gags could make him a better, stronger character along the way, and can make me like him a lot more, but I’m saying this as a personal opinion. I just plain don’t like it.
You don’t have to agree with me or argue with me about this, but that’s how I feel.

On the other hand, I really like this series; not only because of how bright, colorful and positive it is, but also because of the fact that a female is not only a main character and focus, but also because she can kick major butt, too, and isn’t annoying (or overly annoying, depending on what your view on it is). It’s great to see more female leads on TV shows, not just in live-action, but in animation too. And it’s really working like a charm. But this isn't the only reason why I’m in love with this series. It also has a male lead that is a minority (Marco), villains that aren’t too scary (at least not yet; I could even bet money on this one), and a very catchy title sequence theme AND end theme. There are a lot more I could say about how the series is awesome, but then I’d be over-analytical like usual. So yeah, it rocks hard.

Well, umm, thank you guys for joining me for my first-ever review of Star vs. The Forces of Evil. I hope you’ve enjoyed watching this review as much I did making it and watching the series so far. In fact, from now on, I would like to call you all Stargazers,
I also like to thank the SVTFOE page on Wikia for helping out with the details. Couldn't have done this without it. See you soon for another review, this time for "Match Maker" and "School Spirit".

Until next time, reach for the Star and Keep looking up! ...at your TV screen.