Undoubtedly, videogame adaptations are in full vogue now. From the recent Sonic trilogy, Amazon’s Fallout television show, Netflix’s “Devil May Cry” anime and both its “Castlevania” anime, adaptations are being produced for both large and small screens. Nintendo, coming off a billion dollar film in 2023, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” has released the sequel: “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” This time around, the film is directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic and written by Matthew Fogel who penned the last script too.
I liked “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” well enough when I watched it. I thought Jack Black as Bowser was an inspired choice. Charlie Day as Lugi and Ana Taylor Joy as Princess Peach were also fantastic choices. It had enough charm and personality that if and when Nintendo decided to make a sequel, I would sign up to go see it. How does “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” fair then? Much the same if not a little worse.
Back of the DVD Summary:
After putting a stop to Bowser’s plan to marry Princess Peach, Mario and Luigi alongside Yoshi, head to the stars to save a new princess, Rosolina and contend with a new villain: Bowser Jr. The new villain is hellbent on freeing his dad from his prison in the Mushroom Kingdom and destroying the universe.
The plot, like the previous film, is paper thin at best. Fogel’s script serves as a scaffold to build out a collection of moments, iconography, familiar sounds, places and music, not as a way to tell a story. While I was certainly left wanting more in the writing department, I respect that this film is unapologetically for the fans, be it for good or ill. What didn’t work in the last film and still doesn’t in its sequel is Chris Pratt as Mario. I can’t unhear Pratt and it doesn’t help he is essentially doing a faux Italian accent, that still is, at its core, just him.
I loved Black’s Bowser in the last film, but him and newcomer Bowser Jr. ended up being disappointments. They were flat in a boring way as opposed to being one dimensional entities that chewed up the scenes and were still larger than life.
The climax where the two antagonists should’ve been at the forefront with all their wacky powers on display, were sidelined for some random enemy that could’ve been a reference to a game I am not familiar with. The end was loud and confusing but incredibly well animated.
What worked the most in the film is its high-quality, stunning animation. The fidelity and color all created for some truly vibrant imagery befitting of the Mario franchise. Every frame had such a rich texture. My misgivings about the plot and story were not mitigated by the animation, however, it made the whole experience go down a lot smoother thanks to its polish. Each set piece and even moments of exploration were a carnival of fan service and easter eggs. I believe die hard fans and children, who this movie was made for, will adore what’s on screen because “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” is another celebration of the franchise.
Outside of the visuals, there were parts I did enjoy. Carrying over from the previous film, Day’s Lugi delighted me as much as it did before. Black’s Bowser wasn’t as over the top as I would’ve liked, but I still enjoy his take on the character. Newcomer Brie Larson played Rosalina, and she did a good job too, seamlessly blending in not as herself, but as a character. I could’ve used more of her.
Another inclusion I quite liked was Yoshi. Yoshi served the plucky side character well and made for some of the more funny moments in the film. I will say there were a handful of gags that genuinely made me laugh out loud. Especially the gag toward the very end of the film.
I won’t lie, I am not a fan of the movie. Yet for what it is and what it aims to be, it succeeds. If you are a massive fan or have kids to take to enjoy the pretty colors “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” is for you.
