'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' Review: Maybe Just Play The Game
Mario and friends’ latest big screen adventure looks out-of-this-world, but with its weak plot, this adventure falls flat.
After three years of (im)patiently waiting, Mario and Company returned to the big screen! With The Super Mario Bros. Movie being a natural smash hit, a sequel was instantly in consideration, especially with a post-credits scene hinting to another beloved character joining the group. Now, fans can enjoy another Mario adventure in theatres, with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie debuting this past weekend.
The first movie followed Mario, voiced by Chris Pratt, in a classic adventure – a kidnapping, Bowser of course the culprit, and a heroic win to bring peace once again to the Mushroom Kingdom. Instead of drawing on a specific game, the movie chose to remain generic, focusing instead on introductions to the worlds and characters. Although this may have ultimately limited the story, keeping it quite thin, it also allowed the viewer to simply enjoy the stunning animation, fun action scenes, and silly musical numbers.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie took a turn from this, instead taking inspiration from a specific game. This could come with risks, especially if the game isn’t particularly well-loved, but the Galaxy games are the closest thing you can get to a safe bet. Super Mario Galaxy debuted in 2007 and instantly was a huge success, remaining a classic adventure for the newer generation of gamers. As one of the most critically acclaimed video games of all time, it seemed like an obvious choice to use as inspiration for a movie. Especially considering this one of the deeper and intricate Mario storylines, this movie could have really built upon the first, using high-quality animation to showcase a strong narrative.
Unfortunately, despite the name and choice character inclusions, the film divulges quite a bit from the original story, likely in efforts to incorporate elements from the first film and maintain a connection between both stories. Although there’s effort to include Easter eggs and references for Nintendo super-fans, this decision may not quite work for everyone. Losing the heartfelt and emotional touch from the original game, the movie’s plot was paper-thin, instead following another basic kidnapping plot with Rosalina as victim. This could have been serviceable, especially if Bowser (voiced by Jack Black) was at the heart of the story. Indeed, one of the best parts of the first movie in this duology was Jack Black’s hilarious take on Bowser, complete with an almost annoyingly catchy ballad dedicated to Peach and his overwhelming love for her. This movie, however, begins with Bowser shrunken and imprisoned in Peach’s castle, so the villainous plot is instead driven by son Bowser Jr. (voiced by Benny Safdie). Although this could be entertaining, the character is unfortunately one-dimensional and frankly, boring. If Rosalina (voiced by Brie Larson) had more of an impact in the story progression, even just through more frequent interactions with Bowser Jr. and his minions, this dynamic may have been fun, but it ends up feeling quite lackluster.
When the first movie was announced, fans were a bit unsure of Pratt’s casting as Mario. After all, Charles Martinet’s classic voice is one of the defining features of Mario’s character. The choice to depend almost completely on celebrity voice actors might contribute to excitement for fans of these specific celebrities, but at times, detracts from the overall quality of the movie. Although Jack Black is particularly fun, other voice acting is often serviceable at best, and, at times, uninspired. Some actors are supremely underused – Donald Glover joining the cast as Yoshi could have been an entertaining addition but seems almost unnecessary (there’s only so many ways one can say “Yoshi”).
Overall, the plot was clearly not prioritized, and instead merely exists to catapult Mario, Luigi (voiced by personal favourite Charlie Day), and new friend Yoshi through elaborately designed worlds and planets. This is where the film shines, along with phenomenal action sequences and brawls. There is a particularly strong opening scene here which highlights the spectacle. Although not experimental or especially impressive, the animation is crisp and well-done, and the settings are well-designed. It’s a treat to watch, although without the heart of the first movie, it’s a little tougher for viewers to sustain their attention. Even with a tight run-time of 98 minutes, viewers may find themselves glancing at the clock a few times, waiting (sometimes excruciatingly so) for the climax to finally peak. Arguably, this movie may do its job, entertaining fans and younger viewers, but it lacks a heart, and ultimately just doesn’t feel worth the price of admission. At the end of the day, playing these games may be time better spent, allowing viewers to instead immerse themselves as players.