The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Review - A beautifully animated husk

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“Wahoo!” – Mario

It’s hard to not see movies like this as anything more than cash grabs. I understand after making over a billion dollars that sequels were inevitable but if I’ve learned anything from the majority of Pixar films, Dreamworks Animation like The Wild Robot and Sony Picture Animations like The Mitchells vs. The Machines (favorite animated movie) it’s that these animation studios are fully capable of making stories fit for the entire family. It used to be widely accepted that if the animation had a lot of bright colors and silly, elementary school humor that it was enough. Thankfully someone came along and pondered the idea of “what if?” What if they developed stories that captured the imaginations of children everywhere while engaging the parents and older kids with in-depth storylines and thematically mature content? 

Toy Story explores themes of friendship and feeling unwanted. The Incredibles explores family dynamics and tension between conformity and individuality. The Wild Robot is about parenthood and the adaptation for survival all at the intersection of technology and nature. Up hits heavy with grief and loss and finding purpose beyond unimaginable pain. The Iron Giant is profound dealing with loss in the face of sacrifice. And the animation across the board is superb. 

So when movies like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, The Emoji Movie, and Ice Age: Collision Course come along with the low bar of “being good enough” because it keeps the kids occupied for two hours is no longer good enough. Even Hoppers, a Pixar release described more wacky than usual content from the studio, still provides themes like climate change and grief. So what the hell did we do to deserve The Super Mario Galaxy Movie?

The first Mario animated adventure felt like a natural next step after years of video game content and a horribly misguided live action effort in 1993. While it’s a serviceable effort, the 2023 release is gorgeous animation painted over an empty husk. This time it feels like an obvious reaction to making an ungodly amount of money because of course they would make more after such a successful first release. With such lofty financial goals to replicate and a 40th anniversary impending they had no choice but to release the sequel this year. Perhaps that’s why the whole thing feels rushed and every bit as vapid in its intentions beyond a whole bunch of “hey look at that!” and “hey remember that!?” 

Much like the first movie, the animation is succulent, vibrant, juicy eye candy that is so incredible to take in from a visual sense. I don’t think they could have come up with a better animation style than what they gave us with both movies. For that I applaud them. Beyond the visual splendor it becomes repetitive and boring quite fast. Half way through the movie I had to remind myself who the villain is as it tries to give Bowser a redemptive arc and it makes the actions of his son feel trivial and childish. The Koopa Kingdom feels flaccid without any kind of viable threat the Bros. really need to even worry about. Most of the runtime is Mario chasing after Princess Peach from galaxy to galaxy feeling more like a tour of Nintendo nostalgia than a true adventure of genuine creativity and peril. 

Charlie Day still delivers as Luigi and much like the first, Chris Pratt’s casting as Mario still perplexes me. He’s great in a lot of things and I’m a fan but his casting as the heroic plumber feels like a matter of timing. “Who’s the biggest name in Hollywood right now?” – A Hollywood exec in 2020 probably… He feels as flat and uninteresting as he does in the first movie. Luigi is far more entertaining and you would think that would make Mario number 2 but you’d be wrong. Peach is a bad ass, and now there’s Yoshi to contend with. And with Jack Black being himself as a giant Koopa the idea of being a fan favorite feels insurmountable. In his own movie, Mario is outshined in every way. Oh and I can’t forget the newly introduced Rosalina, another princess getting “princess-napped.” She’s just as awesome as Peach. 

I’m required by my own set of rules that if something is worthwhile I must give credit however lackluster the rest of the movie may be. In that regard, the part I was looking forward to most just so happens to be the best part of the sequel which is the special guest from the world of Nintendo – Fox McCloud himself of Star Fox fame. Voiced by Glen Powell, Fox McCloud is a cocky pilot reminiscent of another arrogant earthly pilot also played by Powell by the name of Hangman from Top Gun: Maverick. Fox may be full of himself but he’s got the moves to back it up. He’s funny, clunky at times for comedic purposes but ultimately comes through in true heroic fashion as more of a larger-than-life presence than Mario himself. And if the dialogue is to be deciphered in any way, perhaps we can expect a Star Fox spinoff down the road. Now that I would love to see. 

Please don’t mistake what I don’t like about this movie for thinking the movie is terrible. There is a lot to be desired beyond the visuals but it has fun characters, visually brilliant action sequences, and reasonably funny dialogue that admittedly made me chuckle from time to time. 

I saw it in a private screening but there were some children present and they seemed to have a great time. When their dad asked them if they should make more Mario movies they enthusiastically exclaimed, “Yes!” I’ve always maintained movies like this are not intended for my age group. Like I said earlier, animated features can choose to include adults in on the fun but both animated Mario movies are proof that it isn’t necessary, at least on the financial front. I would love more adult themed, nuanced character study animated adventures that explore the human experience but at the end of the day, if the kids are happy, that’s goal number one. If you enjoy the first, you will likely find something worthwhile once again with what this has to offer. 

Pixar’s Soul left me introspective and fulfilled. Toy Story 3 made me weep and cheer in triumph. The Mitchells vs. The Machines made me hysterically laugh, made me shed a tear or two, and I found genuine, jovial enthusiasm from such brilliant creativity and relatability. The Super Mario Bros. Movie and now, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie left me grateful for the end credits. If there’s a bare minimum, it achieves little beyond it. That said, for all of the “just for kids” entertainment available, there are worse ways to spend ninety minutes.

Rated PG For: action, mild violence and rude humor

Runtime: 98 minutes

After Credits Scene: Mid-credits and Post-credits

Genre: Animated, Adventure, Comedy, Family

Starring (voice): Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black

Directed By: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Pierre Leduc (3 Directors? Perhaps this explains a lot.)

Out of 10

Story: 5/ Acting: 8/ Directing: 7/ Visuals: 10

OVERALL: 6/10

Buy to Own: No.

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Check out the trailer below: