The Crystal Gems are back in their very own movie! Directed by the great Rebecca Sugar, Steven and the Gems have returned to the screen for 82 minutes. The Steven Universe Movie aired on Cartoon Network on September 2nd. As a fan of the show, I was a little disappointed in this fact since I cut the cable cord a while ago. However, for $15, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video were also showing the movie, and it’s going to be released on DVD in November. As for the casting, the original voice actors of all our favorite gems are back, including two new voice actors.
Back in 2018, during the San Diego Comic-Con, a very short teaser trailer was shown, which revealed that Steven and the Gems would be facing a new villain. We also learned that the movie was going to be a musical, which is not surprising given that music has always been a great part of the Steven Universe world. That is how I became a fan of Steven Universe. I fell in love with Garnet’s Song back during the “Jailbreak” episode of season 1. From there, I, just like many other fans, followed Steven along his journey. From discovering his purpose as Rose Quartz’s son to finding out that his mom was also Pink Diamond; thus making him part of the Diamond Authority too.
The last episode of the series, Change Your Mind, is where we last saw Steven before the movie. It is here that Steven and the Diamonds came to terms with their relationships with each other and other gems. The Diamonds learn to accept Steven as himself and not Pink Diamond. We leave the Crystal Gems in Beach City, ready to build their futures, which is where we pick up with them again in the movie.
The movie takes place two years in the future from where “Change Your Mind” leaves us. Steven has been helping Homeworld while the Gems have been busy with Beach City. Steven comes back to Earth, ready to relax with his friends and believing that Earth is finally safe. But he is wrong. From the sky drops a new villain, voiced by Sarah Stiles, who has a former relationship with Pink Diamond. The new villain, with a catchy song, attacks the Crystal Gems and Steven,using a new device. She also has a drill that is ready to destroy the Earth. The new device that harmed the Crystal Gems has changed them in ways that make them useless to protect Earth. Through a weird turn of events, Steven and the villain partner together, with the help of Bismuth, Lapis, and Peridot, to bring the rest of the Crystal Gems back to normal. Through a multitude of catchy, new songs, Steven is on a time crunch to bring his friends back to normal and save the Earth before it dies. While doing so, we also learn more about the new villain and why she is after Steven. Along the way, there is also a new fusion, voiced by Ted Leo.
I have been waiting to see this movie since the teaser trailer came out last year. I could not wait to see it on September 2nd. When I did, it had me on the edge of my bed the whole time. I love the songs and characters. The Crystal Gems are still as great as before, if not better. I love the new fusion. I never thought of this pairing but now that I have seen it, it is wonderful. The songs are all great and many are meaningful. The new villain is colorful and so full of emotion. Steven Universe is known for having deep meanings in the show and the movie does not disappoint. I am certainly one of the many people who want to see the movie expand into a season six. Even if that doesn’t happen, I am happy. My only complaint was the Diamonds, who got more annoying than before, especially White Diamond. Overall, I rank this movie a 10 out of 10, despite the Diamonds. (They aren’t on screen long anyway).