This review may contain spoilers!
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a direct sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023). In this feature, Bowser Jr. is on a galaxy-wide rampage and wants his father returned to him. It will take our heroes, and some new friends, to stop the Bowser family and their Koopa army.
I really liked that it felt like Princess Peach got to be active in this story. The good thing about a Nintendo property film is that all of these characters are equally exciting and can command their own story. Peach undergoes a real heroic arc, venturing throughout the galaxy to save her sister and uncover the mysteries of her past.
The one thing I have to say positively for Illumination is that they have really turned out their A game for designing these Mario movies. The colour palettes are entirely vibrant, and everything really pops with a varied colour scheme. There is plenty of background detail to look for here, and the animation team has really worked to bring the world of Mario and his friends to life. Tyler Bates' score is a real love letter to the cartoonish video games, with tribute to those original game scores woven through his adventurous musical arrangement.
Anya Taylor-Joy, who voiced Princess Peach, is really fighting a great fight this time around; Taylor-Joy gets to present Peach as a bit of a stubborn and capable warrior. Brie Larson, who voiced Rosalina, is this really gentle and motherly figure to the stars; yet Larson also makes it clear that no one in their right mind messes with someone as tough as Rosalina. Keegan-Michael Key, who voiced Toad, has a very dry wit that works well; Key's Toad is always up for adventure even when he isn't the most equipped for it. Charlie Day, who voiced Luigi, suits the plumber brother more ready to jump at his own shadow; Day's take on Luigi is rather stressed out yet full of admiration for his brother.
However, the best performance came from Benny Safdie, who voiced Bowser Jr. As far as antagonists go, Safdie has really stepped up the game in this sequel. Bowser Jr. can seem like a mean-spirited kid who lashes out in tantrum-like ways. However, Safdie does a good job of following through and actually sculpting him to be an intimidating villain. This is a Bowser who just wants the approval of his father and his father's love. Safdie leans into the playful wickedness of the role, creating an animated villain who actually stands against our heroes well.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is much like the first Mario movie; it barely has any plot to speak of. These films are made by Illumination, which famously treats its animated features like products, and less like art forms. If you don't believe me, perhaps just reflect on the fact that we almost have as many Minions movies as we do Despicable Me movies now. This is a film that starts off with hints of a grander, nefarious plot, but in reality, Bowser Jr. just wants Bowser back. Princess Peach flies all over the place to find her sister. The Mario Bros. eventually stumble after her. Yoshi is just kinda introduced and then becomes a part of the gang. Bowser's character development is weirdly stripped away, and he regresses back to being a villain. Even the final battle sidelines our main antagonists for a monster fight that didn't seem especially well set up. A lot of this movie wants you to see and be interested in the familiar locations, characters and objects of the various Nintendo games. It dangles them out in front of you with a big grin, hoping the memory of the past is enough to have you hooked. This coming out after Pixar had just released one of its most imaginative films in years is such a stark contrast.
The soundtrack for this movie has a few strange moments of hip-hop or modern tracks that just don't really mesh with the sort of story being delivered.
Glen Powell, who voiced Fox McCloud, is a moment where the actor is trying to impress upon you that his character is cool; Fox feels awkwardly stuffed into this movie to mirror what Donkey Kong achieved in the last one. Chris Pratt, who voiced Mario, just doesn't have a voice that makes me think of Mario; the accent inflection Pratt does is quite painful. Jack Black, who voiced Bowser, feels like he's only really capable of playing to this strange comedic take on the villain; Black often sounds more like himself than the character he is attempting to portray. Donald Glover, who voiced Yoshi, feels more like a marketing move than anything else; Glover voicing something as innocuous as Yoshi is a waste of time. Kevin Michael Richardson, who voiced Kamek, is quite an annoying henchman figure; his grating presence in the Bowser scenes really brings those down. Luis Guzmán, who voiced Wart, is a barely notable antagonist role; he does some remarkably unimpressive posturing to ignite a fight scene.
Mamma mia, here we go again. I would give The Super Mario Galaxy Movie a 3.5/10.
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