One of the many reasons video game movies have long had a bad rap, is that most were based on titles that only gamers would give a damn about. But everyone, I mean EVERYONE, knows who Mario and Luigi are. 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, worked precisely because Super Mario is an iconic brand, and put together with Illumination’s familiar and proven animation style, it was so good it had milllons yelping “It’s a me, Mario!!!” on the car ride home. The sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, is less like a sequel and more like a companion piece; a gorgeous, Easter Egg-heavy expansion of the budding Nintendo Cinematic Universe. Just like its predecessor, the more you know about the games themselves, the more this one will send you warping into the great wide galaxy with excitement.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a toadstool full of wild video game surprises and cameos. But what shocked me most was how much this one resembles Star Wars in structure, and how much more I love Bowser (voiced once again by Jack Black) this time around. It’s safe to say that while the first film focused, rightfully so, on Italian plumber bros Mario (Chris Pratt) and his timid twin Luigi (Charlie Day), this one is about the Bowser clan. Turns out, they really love painting in that weird Koopa family. The thorny-shelled Bowser, still a tiny captive since the first movie’s conclusion, soothes his savage heart by painting elaborate paintings of himself and his beloved Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy). But, when his evil estranged son Bowser Jr. (voiced by filmmaker/actor Benny Safdie) shows up to rescue him, he’s wielding a magical paintbrush with which he can paint almost anything into existence. Awwww! The turtle shell doesn’t fall far from the…tree?
This being based on the 2007 Nintendo Wii video game, you probably know some things to expect. The debut of the magical Princess Rosalina, voiced by Brie Larson? Check. Of course, we already know one of her beloved children, the Lumas, thanks to that deranged, nihilistic prisoner Luma from the first film. They’re a lot cuter and cuddlier now. And they also love being told bedtime stories about Princess Peach…but why? When Rosalina’s kingdom is attacked by Bowser Jr. and his massive robot, she defends it using powers we’ve never seen before. But when she is defeated and princess-napped, it’s up to Peach, Mario, Luigi, Toad (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key), and…oh yeah, Yoshi (!!!), everyone’s favorite egg-pooping dinosaur, to come to her rescue. Yoshi, voiced by Donald Glover somehow, is my favorite Mario character full stop, so yes I let out a little yelp of glee when he first shows up quite early into the film. I wish he had a bit more to do and was more central to the plot, but hey, at least he’s here, and Nintendo can start working on a Yoshi’s Island movie right away.
On the one hand, it’s great that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie doesn’t have a crapload of backstory to wade through. The action is brisker and stays at a high level throughout. The problem is that there really isn’t much of a story here, as the film is overloaded with characters to maximize the Nintendo brand. Some have already sussed out the debut of another iconic Nintendo hero, the roguish Fox McCloud from the awesome Starfox video games. But there are also amazing cameos, like in a casino world where the gang encounters all of the major villains from the maligned Super Mario Bros. 2 game. Honestly, the references come so fast and furious it’ll make your head spin like the spinning launch stars that send our heroes hurtling through the cosmos.
Filmmakers Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic return and they go even deeper into Nintendo lore than before. It’s unsurprising the way they both skewer and embrace the Mario mythology, given their time ripping DC Comics on the animated series Teen Titans Go! Illumination has stepped up visually, as well, with clever homages to Mario’s 8-bit history mixed with gorgeous modern CGI. And we can’t forget composer Brian Tyler, who knows exactly when to needle drop those unforgettable Super Mario beats, especially from the infamous dungeon boss levels.
If I were being cynical, I would let it get me down that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is such an obvious cash grab, but that would be silly. Of course, it is. The Yoshi merch at your local theater and the Mario Galaxy Happy Meals tell you that, already. That’s not just a product of this film, but of literally every entertainment business in existence. But I’m not going to let that stop my enjoyment of seeing Starfox, Yoshi, and more characters I’ve loved since childhood on the big screen from folks who clearly hold the same feelings for them as I do.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie opens in theaters tomorrow, April 1st.
