Visually stunning but has a thin plot
The sequel is a feast for the eyes. Don't expect anything profound, though.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will delight hardcore fans and kids with its brilliant imagery. There's not much in here in terms of story and character development, so if you're that kind of viewer, this is not the movie for you.
Children will absolutely love this movie. It's bursting with colors. It boasts of beautiful set pieces that are intricately designed. There are many familiar characters that will—if you grew up playing Nintendo games—put a smile on your face. The action sequences are alive and had comedic elements that are surely going to be a hit with kids.
In the new movie, the brothers Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) head out to space to help Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Toad (Keegan Michael-Key) in their quest to find and rescue Rosalina (Brie Larson), guardian of the cosmos and adoptive mother to the Lumas, from the hands of Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie), who is out searching for his dad, Bowser (Jack Black).
Working off a script written by Matthew Fogel, Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic take the directors seats once again. This time, they did so much more in terms of bringing the Super Mario universe to life. It was visually stunning.
The set pieces were great to look at. Although there wasn't a lot of time spent in each of the galaxy Mario and Luigi (and Peach and Toad) went to, we've got enough glimpse to appreciate the details.
Even for adult viewers, each setting can be awe-inspiring. Fossil Falls, for example, is a character in itself. It served as a good backdrop for a fun chase scene that's reminiscent of the cute cartoons we grew up watching as kids.
The animators, designers, colorists, graphic artists, and those involved in bringing the places and characters to life did an excellent job.
They basically gave the movie its biggest strength.
Which is great because there's really not much story in there. It's not entirely a bad thing either since this movie clearly has a specific target audience.
Kids won't give much attention to how this sequel seem to have lost a bit of magic when it comes to the Mario-Luigi dynamic. Yes, they are a more formidable force this time, and Luigi has gained more confidence (which is a good character development). But they lack the emotional heft present in the first movie.
Or maybe it's because the story is focused on Peach and her long-lost sister, Rosalina. Fair point.
But when you look at it closely, it's not present in the sister's dynamic either.
The backstory and set up to the princesses' subplots are good. Our slight concern here is that it wasn't thoroughly fleshed out which leaves audiences (well, the older ones) a bit disconnected to the mother of Lumas. And that is a bit disappointing because her character has shown much promise in the little airtime she got.
Ironically, the movie's villains—Bowser and Bowser Jr.—were given more room to showcase their personalities. Their dynamic was also a strong point in the story especially with the older Bowser's (initial) conflict of interest after developing genuine affection for Mario and Luigi. Sadly, that plot point wasn't given enough room to explain why Bowser decided to go down the path he went towards the end. His character was actually overshadowing the protagonists for the first half of the movie. He was funny, sweet, cute, and playful. Watching him left a question in the audience's mind: has he really changed or was this a ploy to get what he wants?
The question was eventually answered, but not in a way that felt organic. It felt so sudden it's like being slapped out of nowhere. Either way, Bowser was more fun to watch than the plumber brothers. And that kind of says something about the way this movie was written.
Then again, I always keep on going back to the fact that this movie is visual-first. What the filmmakers did great here was to integrate game elements into the scenes. There are lots of them here. There is one scene in the third act where Mario and Peach were inside the castle and had to go through a dangerous maze to get to Rosalina. Meanwhile, Bowser Jr. is at a control room pulling switches and pressing buttons that trigger fire bars, lava, and all the obstacles that made it hard to finish the castle stage at the end of each world in the Super Mario games.
The intercut between real-time action and the game visuals was effective. They really did bring to life the game experience we had as kids. Even the part where Mario has to cross a wooden bridge, dodge Bowser's axe, and jump over him was flawlessly executed.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is visually stunning. You can even call it an immersive experience. Despite its thin plot and insufficient character development, it still ended up as a really good adaptation. Still worth watching in cinemas.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is now playing in cinemas.
Cast: Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Barry, Brie Larson, Donald Glover,
Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic
Written by Matthew Fogel
Run time: 98 minutes
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MTRCB rating: PG
