Matt O’Connor: Editor-In-Chief
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie released to incredibly mixed reviews. Many critics panned the film, while responses from general audiences were much more positive. After enjoying the first Mario movie despite its issues, I went into the sequel hesitant but optimistic. There were some great moments in the first film and this new entry was promising to adapt the story of the original Super Mario Galaxy game which was released on the Wii back in 2007. As someone who absolutely loves the original game and the series as a whole, I can see where both the critics and general audiences are coming from. (Spoilers ahead!)
The Good
Starting off with the positives, most of the good stuff present in the first film is carried over. Illumination’s visuals are beautiful, perfectly capturing the spirit of the Mario world and its colorful cast. Brian Tyler killed it with the score with dozens of musical references to the games with an extra cinematic flavor that made for an incredible soundtrack. Speaking of references, there’s hundreds if not thousands of easter eggs hidden throughout the film and I was delighted to see so much of Mario’s history be represented on the big screen.
In terms of the voice cast, the main crew all deliver pretty good performances. Chris Pratt took some getting used to as Mario in the first film, but he’s a lot better and more consistent here. Anya Taylor-Joy has some great moments as Princess Peach and gets to go off on her own adventure with Keegan-Michael Key’s Toad. Charlie Day gets to shine a lot more as Luigi after being mostly sidelined in the first film. As always, Jack Black’s Bowser performance is a showstopper and you can tell he’s having so much fun with the character.
For the new cast members, Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr. was quite the tonal shift compared to how he sounds in the games, but he caught me by surprise and he ended up being one of my favorite parts of the film. Donald Glover being the voice of Yoshi was hysterical when it was first revealed, and he does have some decent comedic moments. As much as I really wish he was saved as a surprise, it was great to see Glen Powell as Fox McCloud. His inclusion has me hoping that we’ll get a full fledged Star Fox movie down the road. Finally, Brie Larson as Rosalina was an inspired choice and she’s expressed how much she loves the games. I just wish we got to see more of her.
The Bad
The big gripes that have been brought up in the negative reviews of the film are its pacing and its story. While the first film certainly had its issues with its plot, it was simple and understandable considering the source material. But with this movie, it feels like everything is moving forward at a breakneck speed with no time to breathe. There was so much going on at once, and it all felt relatively disconnected aside from a thin narrative thread trying to tie everything together.
Illumination isn’t a studio that’s known for its groundbreaking themes or deep storytelling, but it feels like this film is doing the bare minimum at times. Both this and the first film are always divided as to what audience they’re aiming for. While it’s obvious that it’s aimed at younger viewers, the extensive usage of easter eggs from the games and the fact that they go out of their way to include deep cut references have drawn in the fans that grew up with the series before its big screen debut.
My Biggest Issue
The original Super Mario Galaxy game is a personal favorite of mine. Mario as a series doesn’t really delve into emotional substance very often, but Galaxy tells a story that’ll hit you right in the feels. But The Super Mario Galaxy movie takes the plot of the game and completely throws it out the window. Some characters and loose plot points are present, but there’s way more stuff going on and everything feels bloated. There’s little resemblance to the original narrative that the game told, and nowhere is that more apparent than how the film uses Rosalina.
In the original game, Rosalina’s backstory plays a crucial part in Galaxy’s story. She was an orphan who traveled across the cosmos to help a lost Luma find her mother. Over time, she began to miss her own mother, but she eventually found comfort from the Lumas and they became her family. She’s a big player in Galaxy’s story, but she gets completely sidelined in the film. She’s captured by Bowser Jr. and doesn’t get to do much if anything until she’s rescued by Peach at the end. Mario and Rosalina’s relationship plays such a crucial role in the Galaxy game, but they only get one or two lines with each other. Fox McCloud (who isn’t even a Mario character) has more to do in the film than Rosalina. But the big plot twist that the film reveals is that Peach and Rosalina are sisters. This was specifically created for the film as was never a thing in the games. Despite how much of a big deal this is, the film barely elaborates on it. There’s no explanation as to who their parents are, where they come from or what connection they have to the cosmos.
Conclusion
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a solid viewing experience that’s on the same level as the first film, but it fundamentally mishandles the story from the original Galaxy game. There’s a lot of plotlines that don’t go anywhere and are tossed aside for the sake of having more action scenes and blink and you’ll miss it references. With Daisy being teased for the inevitable third film, I hope that Nintendo and Illumination learn from their mistakes and more faithfully adapt whatever games they choose to pull inspiration from. As a Mario Galaxy movie, it’s a 4/10 from me. But as a movie on its own, it’s a 5.5/10.
