We’ve just watched The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and what a wild ride it is! We’ll be avoiding spoilers as much as possible, but where we can’t, we’ll drop subtle hints. Without any further delay, let’s-a go!
Is The Super Mario Galaxy Movie a cinematic masterpiece? No, it’s not — and if you saw the first film, you’ll immediately know why. Yes, there’s a plot: a son seeking his father, wishing to make him proud, and the heroes who stand in his way. The film is pure Super Mario, and you can easily see why Nintendo chose it as the crowning jewel in their 40th anniversary celebrations of the Super Mario series.
With a touch more story than we’re used to in a Super Mario game, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie goes bigger and bolder than the film that came before it. Are things ramped up to galactic proportions? Not fully, but there is still a galactic threat, and for a film set in space, Illumination did a fantastic job of filling every corner of it. Packed wall to wall with cameos from historic characters that make the Super Mario series great, plus additional characters thrown in — such as Pikmin and the recently announced Fox McCloud — we’ll be talking about Fox very shortly based on what’s been revealed officially. But there is one potential spoiler we wish to share first.
Not every character from the first film returns, so there isn’t a full Mario family reunion this time around. However, eagle-eyed viewers will notice a couple of characters from the first film returning in unspoken roles. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment for both, but for those who spot them, you’ll instantly know who we’re talking about. But just because The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is not absolute cinema, what we will say is that it’s a thing of absolute beauty. The animation is amazing, the colours make each scene pop, and the fight sequences are next-level. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie does not fully conform to typical movie standards — it’s not your average film. Both it and its predecessor are best described as experiences.
They capture the feeling of the games and adapt them to the big screen in such a way that it feels like you’re watching a visual novel with a nostalgia hit strong enough to make a grown man cry. You don’t need to be a fan of the games or have played every title to appreciate this film, but if you are, all the Easter eggs will stand out a hell of a lot more, and this film is going to make you feel like a kid again.
Speaking of being kids again, yes, there is a genuine reason why Mario and Luigi are reverted back into babies, and yes, there is a reason given as to why characters like Fox McCloud can even appear in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The explanation is flatter than most would have liked, but at least Illumination and Nintendo put something together rather than “he’s in the movie, just deal with it.”
Talking about Fox, as we’ve come to expect from any character in a Super Mario movie, he is rather animated and has a fleshed-out personality we can get behind. And he’s not just a cameo either — he actually has a decent amount of screen time compared to Rosalina. Yes, we hoped she would have more, but given the teasers and trailers we had before the cinematic debut (which often repeated her scenes rather than giving her new ones), we honestly didn’t expect her to feature all that much.
In fact, to be brutally honest, with characters like Yoshi cemented in the gang very early on (to the point he feels like he’s been here all along), The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is one film that doesn’t want to slow down. Even the slower scenes are all rushing toward a dramatic conclusion that comes far too quickly for our liking. Between Bowser Jr. doing a great job of establishing himself as a genuine threat and a villain his father could be proud of, Princess Peach setting out on an adventure, and Mario & Luigi getting wrapped up in the fallout of other people’s actions, it makes it hard for Rosalina to have even more screen time than she already did. Every character does a great job of standing out and appealing to their audiences.
Toad is still a badass, but nowhere near Rosalina’s level. Peach is the girl boss we know her to be, Mario is more Super this time around, and Luigi actually feels like a proper character for once. Instead of being a simple prisoner, he’s along for the ride and gets the spotlight he deserves. As for Bowser, he’s going through an emotional time, conflicted at his very core, but beneath all the teeth and spikes, he’s a pretty good dad who would do anything for his dear sweet Junior.
Fox is the cool rebel who will do anything for a lot of money, but instead of being the typical cool guy that makes everyone forget about Mario, he fully appreciates the plumber and seems to have a genuine friendship going on. The Lumas are adorable and hilarious as always, but the true standout character is Yoshi. For a dinosaur who can only say his name, Yoshi’s actions and facial expressions say more than his words ever could, and we’re all for it.
From his own montage scene to every scene he appears in, by all means come to the cinema to see Fox McCloud, but it’s Yoshi who you’ll stay for. As for the question of whether The Super Mario Galaxy Movie feels like an actual Galaxy movie? The short answer is no. It has the music, it has the locations, and it certainly has a lot of the characters, but with the cameos and everything else going for it, The Super Mario Universe Movie would have felt like a more apt title.
So, with less licensed music than its predecessor and a more fleshed-out universe, we can happily say that while The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is by no means the best movie in the world, it is one of the most chaotic, brilliant things we have seen in a long time. It’s fun, it’s emotional, and it’s pure Nintendo!
