The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Have you ever watched a bad movie but loved every second of it? Super Mario Galaxy is the first movie that I’ve ever reviewed that has put me in such a predicament. When leaving the theater, I was so high on life, ready to crown this movie of the year based on vibes alone. And when I say vibes, I mean Illumination is a cheat code. Best thing since sliced bread, aka Pixar. Everything they produce, whether big or small, looks immaculate. So you already have me hooked on the eye candy alone. But then you combine it with a mega-legacy IP like Super Mario Bros., and it’s game over. Personally, I don’t have the same level of nostalgia for the IP. As others, but this sequel was an instant must-watch for me after they announced it was coming out. So, needless to say, I was excited to see the Super Mario Galaxy movie. And I was just as excited fresh out of the theater. 

So the question is what changed. What was the big catalyst that changed my opinion so abruptly? The simple answer is time. How much time, you might ask. Well, once the popcorn was done popping and the snacks were done snacking. It took me to the end of my voice note. After trying to give a breakdown of what happened and my initial thoughts about the movie. And I concluded that Super Mario Bros was not as good a movie as I hoped it would be. But it looked so freaking good. So at the same time, I didn’t necessarily care that it wasn’t as robust a story as it could have been. That's with all the characters they introduced this go around. At least while I was actively watching, but it sure was fun to watch, and I want to see two or three more just like it. Call me what you want, but Super Mario Galaxy is the best cash grab I’ve ever seen, and I'm sticking to it.

The problem with Super Mario Galaxy is that it is all flash and no fire. I was looking forward to seeing a more succinct storyline from the first movie to the second. Now that the foundation was built in movie one. But instead, they went more of a spin-off route. We still get to see all our favorite characters, old and new. But this movie focuses more on the growth of a single character. And the one character was none other than Princess Peach. Based on what I saw in the trailer and the movie’s title, I was expecting more from Princess Rosalina. But once she got her in the opening, we don’t really get much else. In my opinion, they went backwards. Going from Princess Peach getting to play more of a mentor role to Mario in the first movie. Just for Rosalina to get reduced back to being the damsel in distress. Regardless of how powerful she seemed in the beginning.

Then, on top of that, the pacing in this movie left me wanting more. It felt like it was a bunch of side quests rather than another epic journey that I could come back to time and time again. What could have been the bridge for an epic trilogy got nerfed into the misadventures of Yoshi and Toad. Reason being Super Mario Galaxy has a very strong beginning and a very strong end. But it’s everything in between that feels… misplaced or hodgepodge together. Sure, the montages were great. They mastered how to incorporate the cool, nostalgic 2-D elements with flawless execution. But at what cost? Reducing your original big bad into a bag of bones. Pun intended. I was expecting a little bit more from the world of Super Mario, and all we really got were more cameos. 

Outside looking in, Super Mario Galaxy looks great. But when you take a real look at the story, there is more to be desired. The Super Mario Galaxy movie was only an hour and forty minutes. Which, surprisingly enough, is longer than the first movie. I say that surprisingly because it felt like they accomplished way more in the first movie. When the sequel is actually ten whole minutes longer. Funny how that works, huh. Super Mario Galaxy is like a sugar rush. Dopamine is hitting you left and right, but no real substance to satisfy your actual hunger. So when you leave the theater on high cause what you saw looked and felt amazing. But then, when somebody asks you how it was, all you can really think of is who you saw in it. Versus being able to express what actually happened, which made it so fire. By now you can see why the Super Mario Galaxy movie has me so conflicted. 

This is a weird conundrum they have created. And I think it has something to do with who the core audience is for this movie. Obviously, they have cracked the code for how to make the best kid-friendly movies in the market, but at what cost? Cause if they keep going at this rate, they will be able to run this movie format or formula into the ground. Cause these kinds of movies will just print money. Even when you look at who gets cast in the Super Mario movies. It's all big-name actors and performers versus using traditional voice actors. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, casting big-name stars isn’t inherently problematic. As long as you know they are actually good. But you can’t tell me that being able to put these mega superstars on a call sheet won’t factor into the box office numbers. Even if they don’t announce that said character or actor is in the movie until it actually releases. Adding Donald Glover, Issa Rae, and Glen Powell to the mix is gonna move the needle. Not for the kids, obviously cause they probably don’t even care. But to the parents who are the ones buying the tickets and movie buffs like me. It will definitely pique their interest if it wasn’t already piqued by nostalgia alone.

So the next question we should ask ourselves is what they could have done better? I know I’ve spent the better part of this review hyping up how fun this movie was to watch and how good the animation looks. While simultaneously also telling you that those things don’t matter. If we are keeping it a thousand, the story is just not as moving as the visuals. First things first, the Super Mario Galaxy movie needed more stakes. Kidnapping Princess Rosalina was never going to be enough. We’ve seen how that movie plays out too many times. I’m not even going to go into the nature of how they did that in the first place cause if I do, it could ruin the entire thing. But just know that we saw Rosalina go crazy even in the trailer, so she is no scrub. And they also rewrote the whole damsel-in-distress thing with both Peach and Rosalina. But even so, for the sake of the plot, they needed to capture somebody. Which means that at one point, somebody has got to fold. And Rosalina, regardless of how cool her title of mother to the stars is, drew the short end of the stick. Bowser Jr. had to snatch her up. 

If they really wanted to raise the stakes, they would have created more tension. Like if the heroes of this story had more of a chance of losing, I would have felt different. But the plot devices they used just were not strong enough. I think both of the princesses needed to be captured at some point. Or they needed to change the win condition. I’m not so sure what, but it needed to be something more substantive than a bunch of family dynamics. Notice how I didn’t say drama. Also, that would have kind of reset all the progress they made in the first on redefining what a princess is. I know some of you might say that I’m making too big a deal of it, but it is what it is. I’m just tryna keep it a buck with you. And if Bowser Jr. or even Princess Peach had actually addressed that they were upset. For being abandoned, rather than just completely ignoring that side of the story. Or tried to fabricate some artificial father-son bonding that I’m not gonna lie was funny in the moment. But led to a lot of backtracking in this movie in an effort to hopefully make you care more about the characters. Instead of telling a story that allows me to come to possibly that same conclusion on my own. 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not so much that I hate flashbacks. Or I hated the quick montages that provided more context for each character’s development. I just don’t like it when movies, or honestly any medium, try to hold my hand throughout the story. I understand the purpose of these moments, but I just wish they led to something bigger than what we got. That also doesn’t mean what we got is outright bad. Cause I mean, if you could have listened to my voice note fresh off the first watch. You might have thought Super Mario Galaxy was gonna win most geeked picture, the way I was talking. And this is coming from someone who doesn’t have super deep nostalgia for Mario. So I can’t even imagine what people think of this movie if you played all the games and know all the lore. It was only after having time to reflect. And having a couple of conversations about the movie, my opinion started to shift. Not too much, but some. 

Which, honestly, is why I love reviewing movies so much. Cause I love giving my perspective on things and then seeing if my point of view may change over time. Based on something as simple as a conversation or even a comment. It's wild what a little bit of perspective can do for your mental. But all in all, I believe that the Super Mario Galaxy movie will continue to do numbers. Cause they have perfected the formula. And as long as they can keep the big movie stars happy and paid. They can keep adding more and more beloved characters to the mix. Honestly, they could keep running this play until the end of time if they really wanted to. Or at least until Chris Pratt and Anya Taylor-Joy get bored. Cause with the star-studded cast and the power of Illumination’s crispy animations. There’s no reason why they can’t make at least five more of these. Shoot, and if you want to take it a step further, if they ever make a Super Smash Bros. movie, it’s over. Box office records out the wazoo. I’m telling you.

Especially now that we have fighting game movies back in theaters. With Mortal Kombat 2 releasing and the first Street Fighter movie in I don’t know how long. Who knows what’s coming next? But that is going to be a story for another time. To get back to the topic at hand, I really enjoyed watching this movie regardless of how I felt after. In the moment, I was locked in. But when I factor in everything I stated before, I still feel like it’s a solid movie in and of itself. So, the Super Mario Galaxy movie won’t end up getting the 10/10 G-Files Score I was expecting. But it will ultimately land as an 8/10 G-Files Score. Cause at the end of the day, my enjoyment level still outweighs the things I wish were better. So it’s not gonna tank its G-Files score but just get a small but thoughtful correction. And I will leave it at that. In closing, if you have not gone to see it yet, I would definitely recommend it. But just temper your expectations just a little bit cause at the end of the day, it’s still a fun watch.