The 2023 blockbuster adaptation of the iconic Nintendo video games The Super Mario Brothers Movie was an overwhelming hit at the box office, grossing over $1.3 billion worldwide. The film, which was a safe, but entertaining sugar high, skirting by on its detailed animation and silly sense of humor. Hardcore fans of the classic characters and games were delighted to have a faithful adaptation that gave them the characters they love in the most vibrant adaptation of the Mushroom Kingdom seen thus far. The follow-up, adapting the 2007 game of the same name is largely more of the same, but far more inconsequential and soulless.
Courtesy Universal
After thwarting Bowser’s (Jack Black) plot to marry Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are now faced with a new threat in Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie), who is determined to free his father from captivity and further their legacy. Meanwhile, Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) has been captured by Bowser Jr’s army of koopas who want to use her stardust powers for a weapon. Rosalina is actually Peach’s long-lost sister and her kidnapping has sent Peach’s Kingdom into a frenzy. Peach and Toad (Keegan Michael-Key) travel to save Rosalina, while Mario and Luigi, alongside their new ally Yoshi (Donald Glover), plan to look after the Kingdom before getting thrust into an adventure that will take them beyond their galaxy.
Helmed by Aaron Horvath and Matthew Jelenic, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is another candy-colored sugar rush of a film that somehow features less of a story than the previous film and none of the miniscule character development. Die-hard Nintendo fans who will get a kick out of seeing their favorite characters appear on-screen and the overwhelming amount of easter eggs on display, but that’s about all this sequel has to offer. There is great craftsmanship in the film’s frenetic visuals, with animation that is consistently vibrant and eye-popping. Some sequences replicate the extreme fun of playing the games alongside friends with a stand-out sequence involving the core characters and Yoshi in Peach’s Kingdom. Yet, despite the overwhelming amount of plot points the film hits on, nothing in the writing or storytelling warrants any emotional investment or engagement for that matter.
While no one will ever confuse them for great art, the recent Sonic the Hedgehog films proved that you can tell a story within a vast video game-inspired world that has heart and grounded emotional stakes. The filmmakers at Illumination, alongside Nintendo, could care less and only seek to infuse their latest adaptation with as many story beats and easter eggs as you can fit into a single film. This is the kind of film that doesn’t have much of a plot rather than an endless series of plot points. The story merely bounces from one sequence of events to the next with little flow, rhyme or reason. Despite running at just 98 minutes, the pacing allows no breathing room for any insight into the characters or development for any of the relationships.
Courtesy Universal
The Lego Movie proved that a seemingly cynical attempt to cash in on IP can actually be thoroughly creative and smart. Both Spider-Verse films and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem have also proved that decades-old properties can be revilitized in the animation space with strong scripts and characters that audiences can fall in love with all over again. Not every piece of animation should be expected to be as profound as the work of Miyazaki or even the best of Pixar, but some semblance of inventiveness or originality can go a long way. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie does not have an ounce of character development for anyone with the exception of Bowser. Fan-favorite characters appear and have no meaningful arcs or serve a large purpose apart from exciting rabid fans who just want to see their beloved characters appear in a film. The script, credited to Matthew Fogel, doesn’t seem to know which story it’s telling, so it decides to tell them all. With so many characters featured in this, even Mario and Luigi struggle to retain screen-time. For a galactic adventure film that features characters discovering new worlds, there is shockingly little sense of discovery or adventure.
Courtesy Universal
What does it say when the film is at its best when it’s simply recreating the action of the video games? Such is the case with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie; a frenetic, noisy and chaotic film with no interest in telling a cohesive story. Just because something is aimed for children does not mean that it should be mindless. We should be able to expect a family-oriented story with characters audiences care for and have relationships that keep you invested.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is now playing in theaters.
I’ll see this eventually…even if the kids don’t watch with me…