Everyone’s favourite plumbing duo has taken a page out of Fast and Furious‘ book and launched their next adventure into space. Mario, Luigi, Peach and the gang are sent on an intergalactic quest when Bowser Jr. captures Rosalina in his quest for power.
The classic case of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” is ever prevalent in this sequel. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie takes the exact same approach as the first film, carrying over every single positive element as well as every single flaw. Considering it’s currently the highest grossing film of the year, just crossing the $1 billion mark, you can’t fault the approach. However this is a review, so I can. I’m going to get my gripes out of the way so I can end this review by praising it. My biggest issue is that it takes absolutely no risks in its narrative, playing it so safe that it actually becomes almost entirely forgettable. Not even a few days after watching this film I had to dig deep to remember what happened in the majority of the story, which isn’t a good sign. I understand the approach from a financial standpoint, and also an “appealing to kids” standpoint, but I just feel like the property has so much room for creativity that’s waisted in favour of nostalgia. Don’t get me wrong, I love the nostalgia element, but look at something like Wreck-It Ralph or Sonic the Hedgehog; films that rely heavily on nostalgia, but still house a fun, unique story within.
The narrative in this film is simply a means to an end. Just like in the first film, writer Matthew Fogel identified all of the easter eggs, references and iconic Super Mario moments he wanted to recreate, then crafted a barebones, predictable story around that to move things from A to B, through to Z. At its core this is still a fun journey that I enjoyed, but I just wish it strived to be something more than your run-of-the-mill, commercialised animated film. As far as my negatives go, that’s really it; it’s just such a glaring issue and missed opportunity that it becomes a blight on all of the things the film does well. The next point is less of a negative and more of an observation; and that’s that the voice performances are just fine. Chris Pratt’s Mario is solid, Jack Black’s Bowser is charismatic, and Anya Taylor-Joy’s Peach is easy to root for, but I was never overly impressed by any single performance. Overall it’s a good ensemble and each voice is well selected for the respective character, there’s just not much to write home about.
One of the positives is the pace at which this adventure progresses. It’s just about as snappy as you can get, ensuring there’s not a second spent meandering between plot points. The story is constantly moving; allowing the writers to pack in as many easter eggs and Nintendo nods as possible. Honestly the pace being so lightning fast means that while it’s never really impactful, it’s the furthest thing from boring. Speaking of the easter eggs and Nintendo references, these are the elements that brought me the most joy. From subtle visual gags to the inclusion of Yoshi and Fox McCloud, there’s a lot to love in here for fans of the video games. It doesn’t stop at the visuals; the sound design is incredibly nostalgic, nailing the franchise’s most iconic sounds that will thrust you right back to your childhood.
Throughout this fun, fast-paced journey, there’s a number of joy-filled action-adventure sequences strung together by the barebones story mentioned above. The animators clearly had a blast bringing this world to life, with dynamic action set-pieces that utilise powers and abilities from across Nintendo’s library of properties. The climactic action sequence on its own is just exceptional; it has so many fun, wild elements all woven together that it makes the whole journey well worth it. I also need to credit the attention to detail in the animation; there’s so many small references and fun visual gags that together just elevate the experience. If the story ever doesn’t hold up, which isn’t the case here, the animation is so sleek and beautiful that it would be enough to still hold my attention.
In the end, if you watch The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it’s exactly what you sign up for… which is both a blessing and a curse. It’s simple, straightforward and about 90 minutes of lighthearted fun, but that’s all it is. It’s like a run-of-the-mill theme park ride; you hop on, it’s over in a couple of minutes, you enjoyed yourself, but give it a couple of days and you won’t be able to remember any specifics. The performances are solid, the comedy is safe and enjoyable, and the animation is wonderful, so if you’re a Mario/Nintendo fan, there’s a lot to love about this experience, but don’t expect something groundbreaking.
6.4/10
Everything Movie Reviews 