The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Offers a Charming but Overall Messy Adventure
Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures
By Luis Zonenberg
Few animated movies coming out this year were as highly anticipated as The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The film rides off the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie from 2023, delivering a much more bombastic and jam-packed sequel that is sure to delight any avid gamer or young child playing with their toys at home. Does this film live up to the hype or will it be reduced to another egg Yoshi produced while on holiday? Well, let’s take a closer look at the film and find out.
The story focuses on Mario (Chris Pratt) and his brother Luigi (Charlie Day) investigating a disturbance in the desert town of Tosterena. They discover that it was none other than Yoshi (Donald Glover), a rather small dinosaur who hatched back in Brooklyn and made his way back home. They take him back to the Mushroom Kingdom, where all the toads are busy celebrating the birth of their ruler, Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy).
Things are not as they seem when a Luma star (Pepper and Virginia Dare) falls just outside the castle grounds. The Luma claims that his mother, Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) was captured by the nefarious Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie), prompting Princess Peach to travel to the edge of the galaxy to investigate. To make matters worse, Bowser Jr. invades the Mushroom Kingdom, going toe-to-toe with Mario and Luigi as he fights to rescue his father, Bowser (Jack Black).
There are surprisingly a lot of moving mechanisms in this machine as the story is jam-packed with numerous characters and story lines that don’t all mesh together. There are far too many subplots, like Mario trying to confess his love for Princess Peach, or Bowser struggling between choosing his son over his newest “friends” (Mario and Luigi). It would have been easier to consolidate the story if Bowser attacked the Mushroom Kingdom and Peach had gotten captured, prompting Mario and Luigi to embark on the quest while still weaving in the other elements.
While the Super Mario games always had a simple premise, this film seems to want to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. In that respect, it makes for a great kid’s film while also serving as an excellent video game adaptation. However, it fails to translate as a cinematic narrative, instead opting for an experience that requires the viewer to simply turn their brains off and enjoy the colorful mayhem that ensues. What I admire is that the film seemingly knows it’s not high art and doesn’t try to be, which makes the film more enjoyable if you approach it from that perspective.
The voice cast does an amazing job of bringing these iconic characters to life. Chris Pratt strikes a good enough balance between being zany and dramatic. He continues to have excellent chemistry with Charlie Day, with the two working so well off each other you perceive a real brotherly bond between them. Another standout here was Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr., whose threatening presence and childish demeanor is felt throughout the film. Other supporting stars like Anya Taylor-Joy, Donald Glover, Glen Powell, and Jack Black all anchor the film with their hugely entertaining performances.
The animation is jaw-droppingly gorgeous, bringing some of the most stunning visuals I’ve ever seen in an animated film. From the textures on the various creatures to the towering physicality of the enormous buildings and space stations, it paints a visual spectacle fit for the big screen. The vibrant colors add so much more depth and wonder to the scenery, capturing the whimsical fantasy of the video games in such style that compliments the epic action-packed moments throughout the film.
The latest Super Mario film is very reminiscent of last year’s Avatar: Fire and Ash, with both focusing on delivering such a visual spectacle for the audience that they lose focus on the story at hand. In both cases the story is arguably the weakest component, but they both more than make up for it on the technical side of things with the superb camerawork, dazzling animation, and entertaining performances. While The Super Mario Galaxy Movie may get lost reaching for the stars, it offers plenty of fun visuals and action-packed moments to satisfy fans of all ages.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is now playing in theaters.
Rating: ★★★ ½ of five
