Take another ride on the nostalgia shuttle, the only vessel to fly you through this sequel to 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The film quickly establishes the theme of parenthood. Our new princess, Rosalina (Brie Larson), gets captured by Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie) to free his father and return the Koopas to their former world-conquering glory after a riveting action sequence where Rosalina protects her children, the Lumas. However, after that strong start, it becomes abundantly clear that, like its predecessor, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie primarily focuses on overstimulating the audience with a barrage of random references.
I’ll admit, I chuckled and gushed over the cameos and allusions to the Nintendo-verse interspersed throughout. That said, I was hoping that the success of the first film would allow this sequel room to breathe, to really center on worldbuilding and character growth. I wanted an elevation of the series from the vertical format-style dopamine hits to genuinely good film. Disney, various anime studios, and Chinese cinema all have managed to be successful in marrying commercial IP with narrative depth (just look at the top 10 grossing movies of last year), so why not Illumination? As I write this bearing the Minions franchise in mind, I already know the answer: they don’t have to.
Every plot point feels contrived, relationships are disjointed, and the fictioneering is shallow. The most basic of questions go unanswered. I felt the urge to double-tap the screen to “like” the movie and swipe up after every 20 seconds for a fresh Nintendo clip. But damn it, I also felt like going back and playing the original games. Congrats, team: you’ve successfully created an extremely long advertisement with a rudimentary, often questionable story about family.
The “family” messaging is particularly muddled. Parents fail to protect or properly raise their children. Family members abandon each other in the name of protection, without ever truly reconnecting. Rehabilitation and redemption fails because family is seen as holding you back. It leads one to wonder what message the film is sending. But oh, look at how cute Yoshi (Donald Glover) is!
I actually quite enjoyed the performances, Glen Powell as Fox McCloud from Star Fox in particular being my favorite addition. A well-rounded cast provides a similar experience to the first film, though Mario doesn’t feel like the main character anymore. And one of my favorites from the first film is missing.
The music, animation, sound design, and action sequences remain the driving forces. Brian Tyler once again creates exemplary remixes of some of the original Koji Kondo themes within his invigorating score. The sound effects are evocative. I loved hearing the Yoshi tongue grabs and egg popping in so many entertaining ways. The animation and action sequences give many action flicks a run for their money, which almost makes me hopeful for a Super Smash Bros. cinematic universe.
Ultimately, if you enjoyed the first movie, you’ll enjoy the second. They are, essentially, the same film. The kids will laugh and marvel; the adults will reminisce. That’s enough for some, but not for me. But hey, if it makes another billion dollars, they’re doing something right. Right?
