‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’: Dazzling Sights Are the Heart of Slim, Colorful Sequel

Alci Rengifo

There is a particular challenge in discussing the whole “Super Mario Bros.” franchise as cinema. The plot is as silly as something concocted by a group of bored elementary schoolers yet it’s a totally immersive visual ride. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” arrives three years after “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” broke box office records and even produced a song that managed to chart. Its story was beyond absurd because it stayed true to its classic Nintendo video game source material. Despite dealing with two plumber brothers from Brooklyn who travel to another dimension, the movie still somehow pulled off a little fable about forcing others into unwanted relationships. What worked overall was the trippy visual experience, packing every frame with some surreal delight. The sequel ups the visuals and has even less of a story.

There is still a basic narrative which begins with Rosalina (Brie Larson), another Super Mario universe princess, reading to her “children,” the star-shaped Lumas. Their bedtime story is interrupted by the arrival of Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie), offspring of turtle warlord Bowser (Jack Black), who was turned to miniature size in the last movie after attempting to marry Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy). Bowser Jr. needs Rosalina’s magical power to fuel a disastrous weapon to rule the galaxy, after the young Koopa lord frees his father, of course. Over at the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario (Chris Pratt) and brother Luigi (Charlie Day) are still living in Peach’s realm, helping solve local crises. During one mission they meet Yoshi (Donald Glover), a cheerful dinosaur left orphaned during the events of the previous movie. When a Luma crashes into the Mushroom Kingdom and alerts Peach to the kidnapping of Rosalina, the princess and faithful mushroom Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) head out to the rescue, leaving Mario and Luigi in charge. 

Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic return with the aim of following the sequel rule of making the whole premise bigger. They certainly succeed, dipping into even more of the game first created by Shigeru Miyamoto to splash the screen with hallucinatory details large and small. As with the first movie, this is an eye-popping roller coaster for kids while some adults might venture alone to watch it on certain substances, like audiences who cheerfully took LSD for “2001: A Space Odyssey” in the 1960s. Other video game adaptations have tried too hard to transfer their material to a live action setting, by keeping everything animated, the “Super Mario” movies can do anything. Peach and Toad fly through the cosmos over liquid worlds full of underwater inhabitants before landing on a transit planet deliriously packed with various creations. They seek information on Rosalinda from a Wart (Luis Guzmán), a toad mobster sitting in a grandiose casino where the games curve around on the walls. Neon lighting looks inspired by “Blade Runner.” Mario and Luigi zoom through a desert on motorcycles with shots that seem to wink at “Star Wars.” On a big screen the images truly pop as massive ships with quirky details and planets fill the frame.

The previous movie inspired much eye rolling from critics who felt there wasn’t much to the story, as if 7-year-olds want a remake of the 1993 live action “Super Mario Bros.,” which adapted the premise into a gritty dystopia. Their critique is more valid for this sequel, which does briskly set up plot lines that get easily lost in the razzle dazzle. In “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” the story basically centered on Bowser as a crazy conqueror demanding Peach marry him, then losing his temper when she understandably refuses. Not the worst lesson for younger viewers to develop social skills and an understanding of boundaries. Here the script by Matthew Fogel attempts to juggle a few more angles. We learn Rosalina is related to Peach from her origin world, which she left as a child when dumped in the Mushroom Kingdom. Then there’s Bowser insisting he has rehabilitated from being evil to trying to be a friend to Mario and Luigi. On top of that Bowser Jr, who has the stronger storyline, seeks his estranged father, who must also face that his son has taken the wrong, world-dominating lessons from him as a role model. 

There are some moments of genuinely touching comedy from these ideas, the best being Bowser Jr remembering dad telling him a bedtime story about the glories of conquering the galaxy. Too many detours into the nonstop action do leave the threads unfinished. Peach and Rosalinda’s relationship never amounts to anything, even after they reunite and are apparently not surprised, shocked or emotionally overwhelmed. Mario and Luigi’s own storylines barely go anywhere, including a running theme of Mario clearly being in love with Peach. Maybe the filmmakers are leaving that to be resolved in the inevitable third movie. The dialogue is so sparse the only real performances belong to Jack Black (as in the first movie) and Benny Safdie. Everyone else could have been played by unknown professionals. Donald Glover is reduced to just saying “Yoshi” with a cute baby voice, similar to Vin Diesel as Groot in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” with even less effort. The green dinosaur companion is undeniably lovable however.

No, this one does not feature another song in the vein of “Peaches” from “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which became a minor hit in 2023. Yet, to be fair, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” will most likely delight its actual intended audience. Adults can argue over its merit, but as a colorful entertainment it still delivers for viewers currently learning how to tie their shoes. Recall this is a production from Illumination, the same studio that gives us the Minions movies. Their brand of jokes belongs in a kindergarten storybook. Indeed, there are richer animated options out there, but simply having a fun time is no sin at the local multiplex. 

“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” releases April 1 in theaters nationwide.