I recently watched “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” and although I had heard some negative things going in, I was optimistic as I entered the theatre. Illumination is known to “play it safe” when it comes to their movies, and as a well-established name, they know that even if a movie does not do well, they can always make more. When they were announced as the producers of the first mainstream “Mario” movie, many lacked faith, as the studio has a reputation for making subpar, and to some extent crude, children’s films. “The Super Mario Bros Movie,” to the surprise of many, was received quite well, hailing praise from critics and especially audiences, and even grossed over 1 billion dollars.
I feel like the studio’s sentiment of playing it safe carries over into this film, with not much risk taken. I also did not watch the first movie until after I had seen this one, although I managed to follow the plot just fine. Seeing as I would like to preserve some surprises if anyone plans to see the movie, I will also try to refrain from any major spoilers. Although it is not the strongest film narratively, it still offers a lot, so let’s get to it.
Positives
The worldbuilding in this movie is very solid, with our titular Mario brothers having officially moved into the Mushroom Kingdom after the events of the first movie. We spend most of our time in fantasy land and see little of their hometown, Brooklyn, which works to the movie’s benefit. It allows more time to explore the vibrant worlds and the vast galaxy.
The animation is also stellar; what is truly pleasing is that it retains a stylized, vibrant style, making the characters resemble their video game counterparts rather than the hyperrealism seen in many movies today. They are not uncanny; they do not have too much detail, but are instead smooth, and their movements are animated so swiftly, with plenty of slapstick and engaging action sequences, especially in the third act.
One aspect of the film’s high praise is its soundtrack. Much of it is original music and renditions from the game, a major step away from the first film’s heavy use of licensed tracks. I had heard the music in “Mario” games was phenomenal, and having watched this film, I understand that viewpoint. It manages to capture all the moments—grand, small, sentimental, action-packed, and joyous—all without feeling disconnected, and fitting well with the scenes.
The voice cast also gave a stellar performance, for the most part. When Chris Pratt was announced as Mario, many were unsure of the casting decision, wondering whether he could capture the essence of the happy-go-lucky plumber. While his performance is not terrible by any metric, I found it lacking, going with the Illumination style of “playing it safe”. Charlie Day as Luigi, on the other hand, acts his heart out, portraying the slender Luigi and encapsulating the character’s energy, especially his franticity. His delivery manages to envelop you in his role as the loving, but also anxious, half of the duo. Donald Glover as Yoshi was also a pleasant surprise, and although he speaks little beyond his name, he, too, brings great energy to the character. He is cute, charismatic, and generally brings a great vibe to our heroes’ adventure. He was a very strong supporting character, even saving the cast in a tense sequence where they outran a full-sized dinosaur. The humor is decent, making me chuckle a handful of times. Some jokes landed flat, but it did not hinder my enjoyment of the movie.
Weaknesses
I mentioned that I had heard negative reception for this movie before watching it, and while most of it was blown out of proportion, there were some noticeable weak points. The pacing was said to be very off, and I can confirm that. It is very short, as most kids’ movies are, meaning the story only has so much time to explore the world and characters, and to advance the plot.
Unfortunately, it moves far too quickly and without a strong narrative structure. Events seemingly just happen, mostly out of convenience. Mario and Luigi are separated from Princess Peach for a short time, which in theory could allow us to explore two different stories as well as flesh out the characters. This is, however, merely done to get these characters into more action set pieces, especially Princess Peach, who admittedly has a well-choreographed scene in which she takes on countless foes in a casino. The trio reunites shortly thereafter, with little development of the story or the characters, making the endeavor seem rather pointless.
General reception to the inclusion of Fox McCloud—from the “Starfox” video game franchise—was mixed, with some being excited while others worried he was there just to excite fans of the franchise. I enjoyed his overall presence; however, the reasons for and how he is included are presented rather poorly. Once again, he is around when Princess Peach is looking for anyone to fly them out and take on Bowser and his army. He is introduced merely for convenience and serves more as a plot device to literally take them to the next act.
Another character I should mention is Jack Black’s portrayal of Mario’s arch-nemesis, Bowser, which was far from awful, to say the least. After being thwarted at the end of the first movie, he is, at first, reduced to being a companion, providing some banter to the dynamic. We are led to believe that, in his captivity, and in the time he spends with the Mario brothers, he has grown to like them. When the movie’s new big bad—his son, Bowser Jr.—seemingly blasts them into oblivion, Bowser seems sad that his son would do such a thing. Later on, however, this characterization is all of a sudden undone, as by the third act, both Bowser and Jr. are once again trying to take down the Mario brothers together.
At the beginning of the film, we are also introduced to Rosalina, who is established as the galaxy’s most powerful princess and set up as a major character. This did not come to fruition, as she gets little screen time and few speaking lines, making her inclusion feel pointless and serving only as a plot point to motivate another character.
Final Verdict
With all that said, I enjoyed the movie for the most part and do not regret seeing it on the big screen. The movie was nowhere near as bad as some may make it out to be and delivered quite a lot. As someone who is not familiar with or well-versed in the “Mario” franchise or other Nintendo media, I can offer a more moderate take on the movie than those who enjoy it purely for the fan service. Like much of Illumination’s catalog, it is safe, innocent, and suitable for family viewing. It may not have broken any new ground and may not be as structurally strong as its predecessor, but it is a fine enough movie, and one which I would rate three out of five stars.
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