THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY REVIEW: Mama Mia! There’s No Level Up On This Sequel.

Fans have been highly anticipating The Super Mario Galaxy Movie for months after non-stop teasers and built-up excitement. Fans and critics are once again split while it has been raking in a massive $372.5 million worldwide in its first weekend at the box office. But, is the film all visuals and no substance? Before jumping into my review, I approach every movie differently. If it is an Oscar-worthy film, I will grade it as such, and if it’s supposed to be plain fun, then of course, I can go in with that mindset as well. Let’s break down my thoughts and feelings below!

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

The film starts off with Rosalina being kidnapped by Bowser Jr. as revenge for his father being taken and across the stars we go from the start. Meanwhile, Mario and Luigi are off on a mission where we meet Yoshi before going back to the Mushroom Kingdom. Now, Yoshi is my favorite character from the franchise, and I was stoked to know he would be in this film. Unfortunately, I feel as though his introduction was rushed, and really, his inclusion in the film as a whole didn’t add much to it aside from a few funny moments of fast-paced chase sequences.

In fact, my biggest criticism of this film is how quickly we jump from scene to scene and place to place. The pacing felt fairly rushed overall, and I understand that, being a kids’ movie, this is how we keep the audience engaged. I was left feeling as though most moments were there to just get us to the next big moment as quickly as possible. After Peach goes off to find Rosalina, and Bowser Jr. attacks the Mushroom Kingdom, the story truly begins. I loved the relationship and rivalry of Bowser and Mario continuing in this one, as Luigi plays the friend to both. Jack Black as Bowser is the right amount of humor, and it brings in some delightful moments.

So What Worked?

I did leave this film with one thing in mind, and that was needing a Star Fox movie immediately. I also need that Lego set of his Arwing right now. Glenn Powell plays the suave action hero perfectly, and he steals the scenes he is in. There were moments the team understood the assignment with various nods to levels from the games that allowed me to immerse myself back into my childhood and love of this franchise. Anya Taylor-Joy, Brie Larson, Donald Glover, and Charlie Day do great work with their characters and were excellent as well.

The visuals and various ways that the team managed to showcase things, such as the different mushrooms and diving more into that, allowed for some exciting moments as well. Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, as well as screenwriter Matthew Fogel, return and remind us that they do love the lore surrounding this universe.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, despite all of this, the plot itself is nearly nonexistent, and as though it is an afterthought. We are focused on shoehorning the next toy to be sold and getting to the next scene, but the film does feel ultimately lifeless despite its bright colors. Sometimes we are unable to capture lightning twice, and that’s okay, as this movie was made for kids and less for those of us who grew up with the franchise. I have to wonder as well why we jumped to Galaxy right away over going Odyssey, but here’s hoping the third installment gets us back on track.

OVERALL: 3/5 Mushrooms

Let us know if you liked this film in the comments below! Make sure to check out more reviews from Matt as well!