The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Review

After the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Illumination brings the audience back for another trip into the world of Nintendo’s mascot, Mario, and his pals. The world is broader in scope with the sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, as directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic have Mario venture into the cosmos with brand-new worlds to discover and new character encounters. There’s certainly a lot to unpack in the new movie as fans and newcomers are introduced to new characters from the world of Nintendo while having some fun with these interactions. Despite the narrative not being the focus, much of the time spent with Nintendo’s beloved characters will be a fun time for audiences.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie follows up from the first film with both Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) making themselves useful in the Mushroom Kingdom, fixing problems that a couple of plumbers from Brooklyn can deal with. Alongside Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Toad (Keegan Michael-Key), they are all living it off as heroes after defeating Bowser (Jack Black), who is now imprisoned in their castle. Their harmonious lives are disrupted with the arrival of Bowser Jr. (Bennie Safdie), the infamous son of Bowser, who is out to rescue his father with his army of minions and a bunch of new tech he has developed. We are also introduced to Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson), a protector of the Comet Observatory and adopted mother of the Lumas, who also comes into conflict with Bowser Jr.

Just like the previous movie, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie continues to dazzle with its visual effects to bring the world of Mario to life. The folks at Illumination have broadened the scope of what made the Mario games so fun, which is the many different worlds and creatures they’ve created. The film does a great job in replicating that sense of wonder with the production and art design of the many locales in the sequel, like Tosterena and the Gateway Galaxy. Much of what is shown may be recognizable to fans of the games, taking cues from titles like Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, as well as Super Mario Odyssey.

Even though this is a Super Mario movie, the characters surrounding our main hero get some great screen time. The introduction to Yoshi makes great use of his time on screen thanks to Donald Glover’s performance. The MVP of this film does go to Princess Peach, who has lots of scenes in the movie as her character kicks some butt alongside Toad. Much of the film does focus on her origins, making this more her story than the Mario Bros. Her familial connection with Rosalina also added to the layers of Peach that we haven’t seen much of in the first movie, so it was definitely an improvement to see her evolution.

Even the story between Bowser and his son had some great moments, exploring more of their dynamic. Black continues to deliver well with his villainous and hilarious take on the infamous antagonist. We do see that his captivity has caused him to grow a soft spot for the Mario Brothers, which is an interesting development that could’ve been explored a bit more in the film. The internal conflict that Bowser faces between being good and evil had something to keep us invested if given some more time. Even his complex relationship with his son might’ve benefited from more story to watch their bond grow.

We also had some introductions to other characters in the Mario universe, but one that stood out was the surprise appearance of Fox McCloud. Although he was revealed well before the release of the film, he was a welcome addition to the movie, who had some considerable screen time. Voiced by Glen Powell, he was a well-suited actor to take on the pilot with his charisma and charm in the time he was given. Even his origins were shown in a different animation style, so hopefully we can see more of him and his comrades down the road if Nintendo and Illumination decide to do more with Star Fox.

Much like the first movie, the musical score is also pretty well done by taking cues from various games. The iconic theme from Super Mario Galaxy is present throughout, but we also get some tunes from older games and even Odyssey. Brian Tyler returns from the previous film to score the latest installment, showing off his impressive use of an orchestra to recreate these scores from classic Mario titles that suit so well with what’s happening on the screen.

There are tons of Easter eggs and references to the Nintendo library in the film, and it’s all just fan service at this point. The plot is scattered, so don’t expect to see a cohesive story or even try to make sense of what’s going on. If you know much of these characters and the universe, that’s all you’ll care to see on screen. Once you turn your brain off and spot all the hidden gems that the film has to offer, it’ll be a fun experience for all.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a vibrant film that is a love letter to the Mario characters and the broader Nintendo universe. There’s certainly lots to love about the new film, especially with the additions of Yoshi and Bowser Jr. It’s a treasure trove of nostalgia for fans to enjoy when they see the glory of the visuals and the impeccable video game score that takes us back to childhood. Even though the Mario Brothers are taking a bit of a back seat in this installment, there are still tons to enjoy for all ages.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is now playing in theaters.