The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is the long-awaited follow-up to 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie. After a Super Mario World theme was teased at the end of the original film, Nintendo and Illumination threw a curveball at fans by choosing the third mainline 3D Mario entry as the main inspiration instead. This decision left many wondering what the movie would have in store, what would happen with the Yoshi tease from the original, and whether the scale of a "galaxy" would result in a grander adventure than its predecessor. We now know the answers to all of these questions, but the results might not be everything fans of the original film were hoping for.
While The Super Mario Galaxy Movie does fix a handful of criticisms viewers had with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the new breakneck speed and seemingly random direction might not be for everyone. Many moments are clearly aimed at Nintendo fans in an attempt to cram as much into the runtime as possible, but that doesn't mean viewers need to be familiar with the source material. In fact, on its own, the Galaxy movie is still a simple yet fun ride of a lifetime.
For this review, we did something a bit different here at Netto's Game Room. Rather than going completely solo, most of us have seen the film and have our own thoughts and feelings to share. This review is the result of our discussions and collective opinions. Additionally, I watched this movie with my wife, who is not a gamer in the slightest but absolutely loves movies. Her memories of Mario come from playing Mario Kart 64 as a kid at her babysitter's house, watching other kids play Super Mario 64, and playing Mario Party and Mario Tennis with me. For her, the references didn't come off as simple fanservice; instead, they were just another part of the movie to enjoy.
With all of these different perspectives at play, here is our full review of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie—a film we did ultimately enjoy.
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The Story:
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie wastes no time getting things going. While the previous film took its time to establish Mario and Luigi living in Brooklyn—detailing their struggles with their family and running a business before bringing them into the Mushroom Kingdom—this sequel has no need for any of that. Viewers already know who these characters are, and the two brothers have already set up a second residence within this new world. Here, they are revered as heroes and the best plumbers around, so it makes sense that they would stay.
With that being said, things start off with Mario and Luigi using their Mario Kart bikes to visit a location from Mario Odyssey that is instantly recognizable to fans. In this town, the residents are having issues with a pipe and the strange sounds coming from it. As viewers, it is quite obvious that this is the setup to introduce Yoshi, as teased by the ending of the previous film, and to officially make him a part of the group. From here, the movie kicks into overdrive.
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Similar to a Mario video game, the Galaxy movie wastes no time introducing a main conflict and setting our heroes out on an adventure to resolve it. Just prior to Mario and Luigi stepping into the spotlight, Rosalina is introduced with a lengthy scene that gives viewers a glimpse into her character. Within the span of a few minutes, viewers learn how she lives on the Comet Observatory and takes care of the many Lumas, and how she apparently knows the story of Mario and Luigi saving Princess Peach from Bowser. After she tells this story to the Lumas, however, the Observatory is attacked, and Rosalina is captured along with a poor, unfortunate Yellow Luma. Rosalina does everything she can to save her adopted child before being imprisoned by the nefarious Bowser Jr. The Luma is able to escape, however, and by following Rosalina's orders, it makes its way to the Mushroom Kingdom to locate Peach and inform her of what has happened.
As strange as it might sound, this surprisingly action-heavy moment for Rosalina is one of the scenes in the film with the most dialogue and the slowest pace—outside of one moment later on that is played for laughs. Once the Luma finds Peach, she quickly sets out to save her, leaving Mario and Luigi behind to take care of the kingdom in her stead. Of course, they too get roped into the adventure when Bowser Jr. appears and attempts to rescue his dad—who is still shrunken to a small size after the events of the first movie—and that ultimately forces the brothers and their new Yoshi friend out into the greater universe as well. With the goal of rescuing Rosalina as the finish line, both sets of characters follow their own paths, and the adventure along the way is filled with nonstop Mario nostalgia. Again, this format is very similar to the Mario games themselves, with little room to breathe between each "stage" of the film.
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Character Development:
Despite this pacing and occasional reference overload, that is not to say there isn't any character development along the way. In fact, there are quite a few moments during the Galaxy movie that help push the entire cast forward, but they are extremely subtle. The real issue is that the film contains inferences to time passing without us actually seeing it for ourselves. In one scene, a character might be forced into a new situation that feels like it should last for the entire duration of the story; however, as hours pass in-movie, only seconds have elapsed in real life and the situation has already been resolved. While this makes sense for the runtime of the film, it still comes off as a bit awkward. This is actually a recurring theme throughout the entire story, so these major events sometimes lack the emotional weight we would typically expect.
As for the character development itself, we have Bowser and Bowser Jr., whose relationship is a little shaky and quite conflicting. Bowser has changed since his fight with Mario and Luigi, but Bowser Jr. retains the original ideals his father instilled in him. The movie's length doesn't allow for this to be fully explored, but the foundation is there. Sadly, Jack Black doesn't get to have quite as much fun with the character this time around, but there is at least one reference that will bring a smile to your face. Additionally, there is a moment where Mario truly regrets his actions and has to process what he has done. It might be a feeling that is difficult for many to understand—and I honestly hope everyone reading this never learns what that feeling is like—but it was surprising to see it tackled in a Mario movie, even if only for a brief moment.
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Finally, there are some changes made by The Super Mario Galaxy Movie that Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto was directly involved with. As it stands, these updates will reflect back into the Mario video games as well, so it is one of the few parts of this movie that will have a lasting effect. Not everyone might like the change, but it is here to stay.
Star Fox and Beyond - Eastereggs Galore
As previously mentioned—and as expected—The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is packed with Easter eggs and references, and not just for Mario.
The most significant inclusion in the film was none other than Fox McCloud of Star Fox himself. It is still a bit baffling that Nintendo would drop this bombshell and include him as part of their main marketing right before release, but with it being out in the open, there's no reason to pretend he isn't part of the main cast. His inclusion does make sense for the story, though his role isn't quite the same as Donkey Kong's in the previous entry. Along with Fox, fans can expect to encounter multiple Star Fox references, though not all of them are as clear-cut as others. For example, one moment is not only a callback to Star Fox Adventures but is also used as a way to reference Yoshi's Island and Super Mario Odyssey all at once. Unfortunately, it is one of the parts that seems a bit underdeveloped and pointless story-wise because of how fast it goes, but it was still cool to see.
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Outside of the obvious references, such as Super Smash Bros., there are countless "blink and you'll miss it" moments as well. Every inch of the world is jam-packed with enemies, characters, items, and more, all of which come from one game or another. One of my personal favorite Easter eggs is a reference to Kirby, but the vast majority of viewers might never even realize it happened. The same can be said for Punch-Out!!, as something a bit more iconic for the general audience distracts from it. All of these little details are a lot of fun to spot and provide reasons to rewatch the film, but they really are only for the fans of the games. Anyone else will just accept these little details as part of Mario's world and not fully grasp the meaning behind them—and that's okay.
Galaxy is in its DNA
Despite being called The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it is important to note that the story isn't actually a recreation of the original Wii game or its sequel. Instead, "Galaxy" is used as part of the film's DNA, and that can be seen throughout the entire experience.
The greater universe allows for characters and situations that wouldn't normally appear in the Mushroom Kingdom and features mechanics exclusive to the original games. Worlds with gravity-defying areas are on full display here, and the planets themselves are used for their unique settings and the set pieces that go along with them. Again, this is an action-heavy movie, with the planets themselves often feeling like stages right out of a game. Yoshi being a major part of the story also helps bring in elements from Super Mario Galaxy 2, along with some other smaller details, and of course, Rosalina is the central driving force of this adventure to begin with. While one can argue that many of the locations still felt at home within the Mushroom Kingdom, having an expanded galaxy to work with did open up the universe in new ways and is something that can be expanded on in the future—which the movie does tease. So, although this film isn't a true adaptation of the source material, it still feels like it's a part of the "Galaxy series" and provides plenty of reasons to go back and play the original two games—not that a film was ever going to replace them anyway.
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Visually Stunning, Outstanding Soundtrack
While the story and fast pace might not vibe with everyone, one thing most will be able to agree on is just how visually stunning the film is and how much of an improvement the soundtrack is this time around.
As shown in the advertising and marketing material, the Galaxy movie features plenty of blues mixed with starry skies and particle effects. That is not to mention the glow of the multiple Lumas, the lush environments found on each planet, and, of course, the simple details of the characters themselves. Everything about the film looks great, and there are plenty of smaller details that Illumination could have left out—and no one would have noticed—but they didn't. There are even moments where dust and tiny rocks move due to the on-screen action; most viewers wouldn't even pay attention to these, but the studio took the time to animate them. It helps the world feel alive, can be seen throughout the entire experience, and ultimately adds to the enjoyment. Of course, the first film looked great as well, but with Galaxy, they were able to go even further.
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When it comes to the soundtrack itself, many will be happy to know that the licensed songs are gone. This is a fully orchestrated soundtrack consisting of original songs and arrangements of iconic Mario and Star Fox pieces. Like the many Easter eggs, a lot of the tunes heard here are easy to miss, as the new arrangements mix together multiple tracks and dynamically change with the scene, but others are front and center and cannot be ignored. The same goes for the sound effects as well, with many being taken straight from the games. It helps the film retain its Mario identity fully throughout and is honestly what one would have expected from the original as well.
Our Thoughts:
Ben: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a bit difficult to judge. First and foremost, this is clearly a movie aimed at fans of the series and children. That is not to say that someone new to Mario, or an older viewer, cannot enjoy it, but it isn't a film that has a very deep meaning behind it—and it doesn't have to.
The plot is simple, with an end goal introduced from the very beginning, and the fast pace means there is little time to breathe, which prevents the film from lingering on one scene for too long. While a typical movie's pacing allows for more development through longer-lasting moments, the Galaxy Movie opts for quantity over quality. This approach is what will lose the vast majority of non-fans and those who are unable to simply enjoy the film for what it is, but, in a way, it feels like each moment could have been an entire episode in a TV series if given the chance. Instead of going this route however, we are left with bite-sized stages crammed into roughly an hour and a half.
That is not to say I didn't enjoy it.
The movie's visuals and audio are certainly two of the most standout features, but I also genuinely liked the story and characters. Despite wishing for more, which would have required a longer runtime, seeing Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi in action was a real treat. Star Fox's inclusion was great to see as well, and even my wife, who knows absolutely nothing about Star Fox, remarked on how cool of a character he was. He doesn't have a lot of screen time overall, but way his on screen time was paced made a bigger impact—something other parts of the film could've learned from. Additionally there were also quite a few moments that actually made both of us chuckle and caused audible reactions from the rest of the audience. It isn't the funniest movie, but one can't help but laugh at some of the ridiculous situations that arise during the adventure.
All things considered, the film was simply a fun time, and that is ultimately what mattered! I do have to agree with my wife, however—I wish Rosalina wasn't the one who got captured this time around simply because she is such a great character, but perhaps they will correct that in the third film.
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Jonsku: I am going to keep things simple with a few pros and cons from my personal perspective. Let's start with the pros: the movie is good-looking, with a lot of detail crammed into every single frame you can imagine. It uses licensed music sparingly and focuses more on using the actual themes from the games themselves—every time the Star Fox themes came up, I couldn't stop smiling. Illumination was careful not to use their typical style of humor too much, letting the movie have its own take. I heavily appreciated the animated section, and lastly, I was surprised by how well-made every action and battle scene was; the first Bowser Jr. encounter with the brothers, in particular, stands out.
Now for the cons: the first half of the movie was paced decently and introduced a lot of interesting elements. However, in the second half, it is like someone put their foot on the gas and never slowed down. It became so fast that you could barely keep up with anything. Some sequences were just kind of "there." It feels like they wanted to cram every single reference from the Mario world into one movie, even if it killed the pace or wasn't really necessary. Honestly, I wouldn't have minded if they had cut out some sections and put those minutes into other parts to create better pacing and let the audience breathe before the next action sequence. I am not expecting deep writing from a movie obviously aimed mainly at kids, but if you are going to introduce themes and then just throw them away haphazardly... that doesn't score points with me. Kids' movies can have complete themes and stories without losing the audience's interest.
Overall, though? I didn't go into it expecting a masterpiece of any kind. That being said, I did enjoy the first movie more, but this film is still a fun and, most importantly, entertaining flick, especially if you're a fan. I hope that in the future they focus on smarter pacing. And, now that Star Fox has been reintroduced to a new generation, I hope we finally get to see a new game, Nintendo!
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Conclusion:
Ultimately, we here at Netto's Game Room did enjoy The Super Mario Galaxy Movie for what it was and would recommend it to fans of the series or those simply looking for an action-packed fun time. Just do not expect anything too deep or meaningful out of this one, as once it hits the ground running, it never slows down. Though it corrected the soundtrack issues of the original, features some truly stunning visuals, and introduces great characters like Rosalina, Yoshi, and Fox McCloud, the original film is still the more developed of the two—and that is honestly a bit surprising.
VERDICT: Recommended
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