The Dean of Cinema

The galaxy awaits. Having thwarted Bowser’s previous plot to marry Princess Peach, Mario and Luigi now face a fresh threat in Bowser Jr., who is determined to liberate his father from captivity and restore the family legacy. Alongside companions new and old, the brothers travel across the stars to stop the young heir’s crusade.

Written by Dean Zarbaugh II

Let’s-ah go! I loved the first Mario Bros animated movie. I thought it was a great introduction to this version of Mario and Luigi and the way their world works. I’m a MASSIVE fan of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and hearing that Charlie Day would voice Luigi made even more excited for Mario. If I wasn’t already a fan of the games, I’d have gone for Charlie Day alone. I was definitely stoked for the sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and to see where the story goes next. I almost missed out on the Rosalina’s storybook 4K steelbook to match my Super Mario Bros. “?” block steelbook, but thankfully GRUV released a new batch and I couldn’t buy it fast enough.

Super Mario Bros. was the first video game I ever owned and played. I would play it for hours on the tv in our basement that had the Nintendo hooked up to it. My cousins had Super Mario 2 and I have warm memories of playing that whenever I would go over to visit. Mario 3 and Super Mario World were my jam, though. I loved riding around on Yoshi and flying with the cape. I still break out the old Super Nintendo every now and then and play through some levels for old time’s sake. I still have my save file from completing every level AND collecting every Yoshi coin… the secret levels were the toughest parts of the game. After beating and collecting everything, all of the goombas and koopas get pumpkin heads for some reason.

Back to the movies. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie picks up with Princess Rosalina telling the Lumas the story of the Super Mario Brothers when story time is interrupted by Bowser Jr kidnapping the princess. Meanwhile, in the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser is still tiny and imprisoned by Princess Peach, Mario and Luigi. On her birthday, Princess Peach finds herself wondering who she really is and where she came from. When one of the Lumas finds Peach in the Mushroom Kingdom, she sets off with Toad for an adventure through the stars and a date with destiny.

The first film was a great introduction to the world and the characters and the second one keeps the fun and adventure going while building on the first film by expanding the universe and introducing new characters. Galaxy is another love letter to the Mario franchise, with endless references to the variety of games that have been made in the past 40 years. It doesn’t pretend to be anything that it’s not. It’s a kid’s movie based on a kid’s video game franchise. It does a great job of keeping the story moving forward, never overstaying its welcome before moving to the next. The characters from the first film have grown and it shows in their actions and willingness to face danger. Galaxy also introduces some fan favorite characters in Yoshi, Bowser Jr. and Fox McCloud. Yoshi absolutely stole the show for me. It’s wild that Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, got paid for like 5 lines 😂 but good for him! Now we just need Danny Pudi, who is no stranger to animated voice acting, for a Troy & Abed In The Morning reunion. The characters stay consistent with their growth in the first film as they set out on this new, dangerous adventure.

Galaxy is a gorgeous looking film making full use of its animation, making it a veritable kaleidoscope of vibrant colors. There’s a lot going on in the big action sequences that requires multiple viewings to see it all. The animation from Illumination is perfect for the Super Mario world. It feels like they’ve been taken directly from the video games and dropped into the movies. I hope we get more Nintendo films with this kind of animation. Donkey Kong would be a fun film series especially with Seth Rogen already set up as the great ape in the first film. I know Nintendo has a live action Zelda film coming, but I would love to see Illumination tackle that game, too.

I was hesitant on Chris Pratt voicing Mario when it was first announced. Nothing personal, he’s just in EVERYTHING nowadays. I’m happy with his take on Mario and I’m glad he didn’t just try to imitate Charles Martinet, the OG voice of Mario and many other characters. He made the role his own and going by his performance, he seems to be really enjoying himself in the role. He’s just as fun as Mario this time around and his bickering with Bowser is hilarious.

As I mentioned earlier, Charlie Day is one of my favorite actors. He is absolutely bonkers as Charlie Kelly on It’s Always Sunny so it’s nice to see him get to show another side of his abilities. He also released his directorial debut Fool’s Paradise recently where his character is mute throughout the film. Critics unfortunately didn’t seem to vibe with the film, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Like Mario, it was something decidedly NOT Charlie Kelly. Like Pratt, Charlie is a father, and is clearly having a blast doing something for them. He can play both Luigi’s freak outs and his more heartwarming moments, effortlessly switching between the two.

I don’t have “idols.” I don’t really believe in them, but if I had to pick one, it would be Jack Black. Endlessly entertaining to watch and listen to. School of Rock still holds up today as does his performance in it. He’s clearly been told to let loose while playing Bowser and it works to maximum effect. There is no “Peaches” level tunage to speak of this time around but watching Bowser working through his anger issues, what kind of father he is, and his issues with Mario was highly entertaining. Black is one of the most charismatic human beings on the planet and can do anything he wants with extreme ease.

Anya Taylor-Joy is delightful as Princess Peach. She radiates strength, warmth and empathy as Peach, which is perfect given her role as leader of the Mushroom Kingdom, where she works hard to ensure her people are happy, healthy and well-protected. Taylor-Joy’s career couldn’t be more diverse, going from roles in edgy fare like Peaky Blinders or Furiosa to Princess Peach with ease.

Joining the cast this time around is Brie Larson as Princess Rosalina and Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr. Both are welcome additions to the cast. Brie Larson is a massive gamer, and a huge Mario stan so getting to be a part of something she loves so much had to have been a blast. She works well as Rosalina and has great chemistry with the cast, especially Anya Taylor-Joy. Benny Safdie nails the role of Bowser Jr, a boy looking to impress his dad. I look forward to seeing more of him in future installments. His chemistry with Jack Black was top notch and the two of them together are fun to watch. Glen Powell was top notch casting for Fox McCloud, riding on Powell’s success in Top Gun: Maverick among numerous other films in the last few years.

Overall, Super Mario Bros. Galaxy is a lot of fun for viewers of all ages. Older fans who grew up on the game and new gamers alike will have a blast watching Mario & Company take on this new adventure. It’s filled with plenty of laughs and suspense to keep you engaged throughout. It’s saturated with references to many classic games from the series. I will say I do miss Donkey Kong, but he honestly wasn’t needed on this adventure. I just love Seth Rogen in that role, haha. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Super Mario crew.

GRADE: B