Reviews
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
The Super Mario Bros movie from 2023 was loaded with complaints about Nintendo and Illumination choosing fan service over a coherent story, which was fair, but it didn’t stop it becoming a huge success. Now, three years later, the studios are back at it, bringing audiences into the video game world again with The Super Mario Galaxy movie, and it’s probably going to spark a lot of those same complaints all over again.
To its credit, it does feel like The Super Mario Galaxy movie is at least trying to build something a bit more fleshed out narratively, even if it stumbles along the way. The main premise is pretty chaotic, and maybe a bit overstuffed for its own good. Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie) takes the lead here, trying to rescue his father Bowser (Jack Black) from captivity in the Mushroom Kingdom, while also building a Boomsday weapon that requires a princess’s magic, leading to the capture of Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson). It’s then up to the returning crew of Mario (Chris Pratt), Luigi (Charlie Day), Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) to once again save the universe from the Bowsers and their Koopas.
As expected from the marketing, there are new additions to the mix, most notably Yoshi (Donald Glover) and Fox McCloud (Glen Powell), but their presence definitely leans more into fan service than anything essential. Their introductions in particular feel like distractions, with side plots that don’t really add much beyond bringing them into the story, which at times pulls focus away from what’s already going on. Even then, revealing Powell as McCloud ahead of release feels like a strange choice, as that could have been one of the film’s more memorable surprises.
Where the film really ramps things up is with the action. There’s a lot more of it this time, and most of it is genuinely entertaining. One sequence in particular, where things shift into a 32-bit style action scene, is easily one of the highlights. It’s a lot of fun and works as a nostalgic throwback, especially for older audiences. That said, all of this does add to the pacing feeling a bit all over the place, more chaotic than controlled, but at least it’s never boring.
Matthew Fogel’s script makes more of an effort this time to give certain characters a bit of added depth, with Bowser and Peach getting some extra attention. These moments don’t last long, but they do enough to give a slightly stronger emotional connection beyond what we already know from the games. It’s still pretty surface level overall, but it works for what the film is going for.
Visually, it’s once again impressive across the board. The colours pop, the world feels alive, and it’s hard not to appreciate just how well Illumination has translated Mario into this style. There were a few moments where I genuinely caught myself just smiling at the screen because of how good it all looks, with the casino sequence being a real standout that deserves the biggest screen possible.
The humour is also a strong point. There are plenty of laughs throughout, not just small chuckles but proper laugh out loud moments. Charlie Day and Jack Black are once again standouts, both completely leaning into their roles and clearly having a great time with it.
The full voice cast delivers again, each bringing their own touch to the film. Chris Pratt continues to do his own thing with Mario, and it works. That said, some of the newer characters feel underused, especially Brie Larson as Rosalina, who barely gets much to do after her introduction.
Like the first film, the score is fantastic. It leans heavily into nostalgia, but the film knows exactly what it is and doesn’t shy away from that, which makes the fan service land better. The sound design is just as strong, adding another layer to the overall experience.
At the end of the day, while the complaints about the story, or lack of one, are still valid, The Super Mario Galaxy movie is a really fun and genuinely sweet cinema experience for both kids and adults. It leans heavily on nostalgia again, but it doesn’t try to overcomplicate things either. If you liked the first film, you’ll more than likely enjoy this. If you didn’t, this probably won’t change your mind. For me though, I had a great time and I’m excited to see where it goes next.