There’s a particular kind of cinematic gravity expected to pull audiences into The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the sequel to 2023’s billion-dollar Super Mario Bros. Movie juggernaut. The pull is expected because there is no discovery happening here. We know all the characters. They have been beloved for 40 years and this sequel is set to showcase this, and not showcase innovative storytelling. Expect fast dopamine hits of “Hey, I know that!”
Three years ago, The Super Mario Bros. Movie got away with it at a pretty high level. It was novel enough, bright enough, fast enough to get away with a pretty thin storyline. This time, Princess Peach, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, blasts off to rescue Rosalina, played by Brie Larson, from the clutches of Bowser Jr., played by Benny Safdie. Mario, played by Chris Pratt, and Luigi, played by Charlie Day really haphazardly find themselves in the mix along with Yoshi, played by Donald Glover, and eventually Star Fox, played by Glenn Powel.
It’s a lot of chaos squeezed into 98 minutes. It doesn’t leave a lot of time for plot.
Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic experience with Teen Titans Go! DNA is quite visible in the film’s hyperactive cuts and constant state of motion. Scenes don’t unfold so much as collide. Emotional beats are introduced, acknowledged, and discarded. Rosalina, for instance, makes a striking first impression, like some anime-styled warrior princess holding her own against a menacing threat … only to be sidelined for the rest of the film.
All that said, there is still plenty of joy in watching this movie. There are brief, sparkling, almost accidental moments where Galaxy taps into the inherent absurdity that makes the games endure. A neon-drenched space cantina filled with reimagined 8-bit oddities. Yoshi’s increasingly operatic variations on his own name. A therapy-session Bowser trying to unpack his feelings. These bits land. I’ve been playing Super Mario Bros. for nearly 40 years now. It’s been long enough to remember when those blocky sprites felt like magic. I still fire up the original NES trilogy from time to time: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3. There’s a purity to those games. The tight design, the sense of discovery, and effortless charm that doesn’t rely on spectacle or nostalgia to work. They’re simple and inviting.
If this all feels oddly familiar, it’s because Mario has been here before. The infamous 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie that has spent decades as a punchline. Kind of reminds me of this film. It’s a mess, full of chaos. It is all missteps from Dennis Hopper’s glowering King Koopa, Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo slogging through a dystopian cyberpunk fever dream. Brought on by fungus-covered cityscapes, and grimy practical effects. I liken it to a Blade Runner-by-way-of-Brooklyn … ridiculous but interesting. But revisiting it now, it was still a fun watch for my kids and me. That’s the same magic the new movies keep circling back to. The callbacks to actual games kept me watching. For my kids, the pace, fun and absolute beautiful animation will fill their tanks. This movie is crammed with references. The animation is immaculate, the pacing relentless, the voice cast clearly had a good time. There’s a breezy, sugar-rush energy that will absolutely land with younger audiences and longtime fans alike. It’s not deep, but it’s not pretending to be. It’s a theme park ride, and a well-engineered one at that.
Is this enough? No. Not nearly enough for the wider audience. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is too busy moving, too cautious to make mistakes, too committed to giving audiences exactly what they expect to be memorable. It’s safe and comfortable in the middle ground.
