A colorful, fast-paced sequel that expands the beloved Nintendo universe with heart and nostalgia
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie builds on the massive success of its predecessor, continuing Nintendo's cinematic expansion with another vibrant and family-friendly adventure.
The Super Mario Bros. Is a game series that premiered in September of 1985. Created by Shigeru Miyamoto (The Legend of Zelda) for the Nintendo gaming system, it has become a beloved franchise over the past 41 years, branching out to merchandising, comics, manga, television series, and films. In 2023, an animated film, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, was released and grossed $1.361 billion at the box office on a $100 million budget. It broke several records and was the second-highest-grossing film of 2023 and the 15th-highest-grossing film of all time. Exactly three years later, the sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, is set to premiere in theaters this week.
As the Mushroom Kingdom is celebrating Princess Peach's (Anya Taylor-Joy; The Gorge) birthday, a star crashes into the planet and explains that their mother, Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson; Captain Marvel), has been kidnapped. Remembering a connection with Rosalind, Peach leaves with Toad (Keegan-Michael Key; Wonka) to try to save her. Mario (Chris Pratt; Jurassic World), Luigi (Charlie Day; It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia) and their new friend, Yoshi (Donald Glover; Solo: A Star Wars Story) try to go after her but are detained when Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie; Oppenheimer) steals the Castle to save his father, Bowser (Jack Black; Anaconda) with them inside.
The creative team behind the 2023 film returns once again for this sequel. Writer Matthew Fogel (Minions: The Rise of Gru) offers a heartwarming tale that includes characters we know and love while incorporating new ones from the video game. Also returning are directors Aaron Horvath (Teen Titans Go!), Michael Jelenic (Teen Titans Go!), and Pierre Leduc (Despicable Me) to give the film a fast-paced adventure without losing the audience. They don't make the fight scenes with Bowser and Bowser Jr. too scary so as not to frighten the little ones.
The cast is excellent, and they do a wonderful job of creating the necessary emotions and excitement with their voices. Taylor- Joy always has a calming lilt to her voice that is perfect for Princess Peach, as does Larson, who portrays her sister, Rosalinda. Pratt gives Mario a practical tone and his voice is rather even which helps keep Mario from getting too excited. Joining them are Glover, Issa Rae (Little), and Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick), who all do a great job playing their respective roles.
The animation is top-tier with textural depth throughout the film and colors that are vibrant and bright to attract younger audiences. There are shiny, beautiful moments on screen that will make even the hardest of hearts melt. Some scarier moments with Bowser and his son could scare the little ones. For the most part, the characters are cute (even the Bowser family is cute on occasion), the music is enjoyable, and the story is on par with the Super Mario Bros. franchise.
If you have never played the video game and are not familiar with the franchise, there are going to be things you will miss, and that will go over your head. However, if you are a fan/avid player, there are so many Easter Eggs and familiar sights to see that you will feel right at home in this world. There is even a cute throwback to the original version of the game to make the older audience members feel nostalgic. Overall, though, it is a feel-good film that is fun family fare. However, we will need to wait and see if it can garner the same hype and cash flow as the first movie.
There are also two end-credit scenes you will want to wait for, especially if you are a fan.
Grade: B+
