The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Has Too Much Going On
- George Burkert
- 17 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is finally out, produced by Illumination and directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, starring Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, and Keegan-Michael Key, as well as newcomers Benny Safdie, Brie Larson, and Donald Glover. Bowser Jr., voiced by Benny Safdie, wants his father back and revenge on Mario. Mario and the gang are on an adventure to stop him, which also involves other characters, including Yoshi and Rosalina. The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a big hit a few years ago. It got mixed reviews from critics, but audiences loved it. It seems like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is heading in the same direction.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is more of a mixed bag. On the one hand, it looks beautifully animated. The attention to detail on the characters and settings is incredible. The Easter Eggs and references to other games feel like an attempt at writing a love letter to the fans. The movie is well-voiced. Chris Pratt as Mario is growing on me. The best voice performances are still Anya-Taylor Joy as Princess Peach and Jack Black as Bowser. Brie Larson does well as Rosalina, as does Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr. Donald Glover as Yoshi feels similar to Vin Diesel as Groot in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. The movie’s music relies more on video game scores and original music for the movie, rather than real-life songs, unlike the previous movie. The Mario action is fun and entertaining. The humor isn’t dumbed down for just kids, and adults will find some of the jokes funny.
Having said that, the plot of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie feels all over the place. This movie has a runtime of an hour and thirty-eight minutes. It’s only six minutes longer than the previous movie. As mentioned earlier, the movie has many great references. As cool as they are, they also feel squished into this movie, combining elements from a lot of games, including Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Sunshine. Some Mario games don’t have consistent plots, but games like Super Mario Galaxy do. It feels like, instead of adapting from just Super Mario Galaxy, they adapted from various games. The first movie did that, but it wasn’t as messy as this.
At times, it felt like I was watching a Star Wars movie instead of a Super Mario movie. Minor spoiler alert, but Bowser Jr. even has a planet called Planet Bowser that feels like the Mario equivalent of the Death Star. The film has subplots and quests you would expect from a Star Wars movie, with the runtime of a Star Wars movie. It feels like some characters have to be sidelined and things have to be rushed through. While Rosalina was great, she’s not in the movie as much as you would expect for a movie based around Super Mario Galaxy. Toad feels pushed to the side at times over Yoshi. Fox McCloud, voiced by Glen Powell, appears at one point, and it’s cool to see, but it’s another character thrown in a movie that should probably be longer. I get it, animated movies are usually not that long, but at least an additional ten minutes alone could help improve things and give some characters better development.
Do I dislike this movie? No, it’s fun and still better than a lot of other video game movies. At the same time, it feels like the Super Mario movies have this potential that’s being held back. Compared to the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, despite Mario making more money, Sonic has better storytelling and character development. Overall, this has great animation, references, action, and voice-acting, but a story that needs less and more should stay focused.
My final grade for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a C+. I recommend it for Mario fans and families, as they will enjoy it.
What did you think of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie? Let us know in the comments below.