The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Review

Directed By: Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic
Written By: Matthew Fogel; Based on Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros.
Runtime: 98 minutes
MPA Rating: Rated PG for action, mild violence, and rude humor

Chris Pratt – Mario
Charlie Day – Luigi
Anya Taylor-Joy – Princess Peach
Jack Black – Bowser
Benny Safdie – Bowser Jr.
Keegan-Michael Key – Toad
Donald Glover – Yoshi
Brie Larson – Princess Rosalina
Glen Powell – Fox McCloud
Kevin Michael Richardson – Kamek
Luis Guzmán – Wart
Issa Rae – Honey Queen

Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. return for another big-screen adventure, this time facing Bowser’s determined son, Bowser Jr., who seeks to free his father and take revenge by threatening the universe. Once again, it’s up to the Brooklyn plumbers and their friends to stop him. It’s all in a day’s work for a plumber from Brooklyn.

After their first cinematic outing, Mario and Luigi continue their work in the Mushroom Kingdom, helping those in need. They investigate a disturbance in Tostarena and find Yoshi, the lovable green dinosaur who was previously teased at the end of the last movie.

Unfortunately, Bowser Jr. has made his presence known, and he’s seeking to liberate his father from imprisonment in the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser Jr. takes the cosmic Princess Rosalina (Larson) captive as part of his plans, and Princess Peach (Taylor-Joy) and Toad (Key) go on a mission to rescue her, traveling across the galaxy, leaving Mario and Luigi in charge of guarding Princess Peach’s castle.

The still diminutive Bowser claims to be a changed Koopa and wants to prove he’s walking a better path. Unfortunately, his son’s appearance complicates matters, as he wants to team up with dear old dad to wreck the galaxy in his honor. Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Yoshi will need all the power-ups and help they can get to vanquish this deadly threat.

There’s copious material for longtime Nintendo fans and gamers to like about The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, since it’s big on fan service, references, and cameos. However, the narrative of the sequel suffers from a lack of focus, and it just throws so much at the audience at once. The movie sets up major story arcs for all the characters, but none of them have enough time to breathe.

Case in point, the movie plays around with a “reformed” and conflicted Bowser, and there’s great potential there considering the example he sets for his son. The subplot starts in promising fashion, but then the movie abandons it in the second half.

Then, the writers introduce Yoshi, and he is adorable, quickly befriending Mario and Luigi. However, a story about Mario and Luigi forming a bond with Yoshi could have been a whole movie on its own, but co-directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic are essentially speed-running through all the major moments.

The problem is not so much that The Super Mario Galaxy movie comes off as vapid. Overall, it’s well done and still highly entertaining; yet, all the major characters and subplots at play in the sequel needed more room to breathe. Additionally, at 98 minutes in length, the movie is not long enough to fulfill the more significant character arcs. Characters throughout Fogel’s script routinely reference Mario’s romantic affection for Princess Peach. It’s an ongoing subplot throughout the narrative, but it lacks sufficient development and payoff, similar to Bowser’s emotional conflict, which becomes unsatisfyingly forgotten about later.

Nevertheless, the animated motion picture world looks incredibly vibrant and imaginative. Horvath and Jelenic certainly enjoy introducing exotic new locales and character types, which is a big part of the fun. Much like the movie’s interactive gaming counterparts, there is something weirdly enthralling about the environments and areas in which the characters routinely find themselves, whether it’s Tostarena Town, the Gateway Galaxy, or the casino belonging to the dastardly gangster Wart (Guzmán). Credit to Illumination and the directors, as they excel in bringing the iconic worlds of Nintendo to life on the big screen.

Serious credit is also due to Illumination and the directors who clearly listened to the feedback and criticisms of the first movie’s overuse of pop songs and needle drops, and they obviously took it to heart. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie only has one genuine instance of a needle drop. Instead, the movie leans on the score and music composed by Brian Tyler.

Considering Tyler once again utilizes and adapts the Mario Bros. franchise’s iconic movie into the movie’s score, Horvath and Jelenic wisely let Tyler’s score take center stage this time.

It’s not a spoiler because the character was revealed right before the movie’s release, but another longtime Nintendo luminary character, Fox McCloud (Powell), also makes an appearance. Fox is basically the sequel’s Donkey Kong, and that’s fine. The movie delivers just enough of Fox to show his deal and get fans excited about the character, and hopefully set up more for him down the line. It’s not a Fox McCloud movie, but the narrative maximizes his screen time.

Powell does a fine job and clearly had fun portraying the hotshot pilot. Whenever Fox shows up onscreen, the story gains a fun burst of energy, and Tyler nicely pays homage to the classic Star Fox theme as well. Hopefully, this is not the last moviegoers see of Powell as Fox McCloud.
Other than Powell’s Fox McCloud, Jack Black as Bowser is still the standout among the voice cast in terms of his performance. Benny Safdie does well as the quarrelsome Bowser Jr. with a skillful performance as Bowser’s evil little kid.

Pratt’s work as Mario is still reasonably underrated. Opting not to do a thick Italian accent for Mario was the right choice, nor does not attempt to overdo it with a big “New Yawker” accent. Mario feels anxious throughout the movie because of his feelings for Peach, which is cute and all, but the plot never takes it far enough. Day is perfectly cast as Luigi, and it’s interesting to see Luigi trying to outgrow his scared-of-everything personality.

Donald Glover plays his part adequately, considering the character only speaks in gibberish or familiar Yoshi sounds. However, the casting of Glover still comes off as unnecessary, considering it’s not a traditional speaking role.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie provides quick and easy entertainment, and it’s not that the characters lack charm or emotional resonance. It’s there, especially for Nintendo nerds. However, the plot suffers from the sheer overabundance of characters and subplots, which weigh it down.

The imaginative worlds, characters, and references are well executed. But much like the studio and creatives listened to feedback regarding the oversaturation of pop songs, the homework for the next Nintendo animated movie lies in tightening up the narrative and focus. Let characters and story arcs have room to breathe. Otherwise, the Nintendo Cinematic Universe might start coming off as vapid when it’s clear these movies and characters are capable of so much more.

Where to Watch The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie thwomps into theaters on April 1. Ticket and showtime information are available at the movie’s website.

7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

The Super Mario Galaxy is still highly entertaining, with vibrant worlds, imagination, and charming characters. However, the movie becomes way too busy, throwing so many characters and subplots onscreen that few of them have enough room to breathe or receive sufficient development. The movie develops ideas that are actually quite interesting, such as Bowser's emotional conflict and the example he's setting for his son, but the script unceremoniously tosses them aside later. Fox McCloud works because it's not really his movie, and he makes the most of every second he's onscreen. The next Super Mario Bros. Movie must significantly increase its length, especially if the creatives continue adding more characters, which appears to be a given. Is this a movie primarily for Nintendo fanatics? Yes, probably. But despite the story’s flaws, this Nintendo fan was still suitably entertained.