“It’s-a me, Space Mario!”

A Review of “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie”

Photo from Picryl / C BY-NC-ND 2.0

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

On Wednesday, April 1, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” was released in theaters as the highly anticipated sequel to Nintendo and Illumination’s 2023 hit, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” The sequel, which has already grossed over $400 million worldwide, follows Mario and Luigi as they embark on a new adventure through outer space in order to rescue Princess Rosalina and stop Bowser Jr. While the film has superior voice acting and colorful animation, its simple and slightly underdeveloped plot ultimately make it an entertaining but average sequel to the movie franchise.

The film benefits from strong voice acting that brings many characters to life, including new performances from Brie Larson (Princess Rosalina) and Benny Safdie (Bowser Jr.). Fans were excited to see Chris Pratt return as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi and Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, as the actors’ performances in the first film perfectly captured the characters’ personalities. Pratt, Day and Joy did not disappoint in this sequel and the performances felt confident and natural. In addition, Yoshi’s (Donald Glover) voice closely resembles his original game sounds, which adds a sense of nostalgia that Mario fans appreciate.  

One of the film’s strongest elements lies in its animation, which consistently brings the Mario world to life in a visually engaging way. From the very start of the film where Princess Rosalina is introduced, viewers are drawn to the smoothness of the animation, especially with Rosalina’s dress and flowing hair. The lumas appear exactly like their video game counterparts, with their glowing aura and sparkly bodies. Even smaller details throughout the movie, such as the designs of background characters like Birdo, add to the overall quality. Furthermore, the film does an amazing job of incorporating game visuals into the cinematic film, as shown in the scene where Mario and Princess Peach have to go through Bowser Jr’s booby traps. 

Despite its strengths in animation and voice acting, the film’s plot is noticeably simple and at times, underdeveloped. The film felt like a series of loosely connected adventures rather than a cohesive narrative, as the characters jump from one setting to another without much buildup or depth. For example, when Mario, Luigi and Yoshi managed to escape from Bowser Jr.’s gravitational pull, they somehow landed in the Honeyhive Galaxy, despite being in the Mushroom Kingdom only minutes ago. Moreover, Bowser’s character goes through a confusing character development. In the first half of the film, viewers see that the relationship between Mario and Bowser starts to improve, with Mario beginning to trust Bowser enough to return him to full size. Bowser appears to develop into a more sympathetic figure when he even sacrifices himself in Mario, Luigi and Yoshi’s place. However, this development is quickly undone as he abruptly returns to being a villain after reuniting with his son. This inconsistency makes his character arc feel confusing and unfinished, as there are even certain points in the film where Bowser grapples with guilt at Bowser Jr. hurting his new friends. Additionally, the connection between Peach and Roslina feels rushed and lacks the emotional depth needed to make it truly meaningful. A single flashback to the sisters’ separation is not enough to establish their sisterly bond. As a result, while the plot is easy to follow, it feels too basic and prevents the film from reaching the same level of storytelling as its predecessor.

Ultimately, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” delivers an entertaining experience with its vibrant animation and strong voice acting, which successfully captures the charm and creativity of the Mario world. However, the film’s overly simple plot and inconsistent character development make it feel less impactful than it could have been. It can be conceded, though, that the film is targeted primarily towards children, so it needs to have a basic plot that young ones can follow. Regardless, the movie isn’t a bad sequel, but it feels somewhat forgettable, leaving it as a fun yet ultimately average addition to the franchise.

<Star Ratings>

Animation: ★★★★★

Voice acting: ★★★★★

Plot: ★★★★★

Overall: ★★★★★