There’s something kind of wild about watching your kid get hyped for a character that’s been around longer than you’ve been paying taxes. My daughter wasn’t even a thought when Mario first started stomping on Goombas and rescuing Princess Peach, but you’d never know it based on how she reacts anytime anything Nintendo pops up on screen.
Between the Switch, Mario Kart battles that get more competitive than they should and the occasional deep dive into old-school live-action Mario clips on YouTube, she’s grown up surrounded by this little mustached legend like he’s always just been part of the family.
So, when The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was announced, there wasn’t any debate about whether we were going to see it. This was a clear-the-schedule, opening night kind of event, fueled entirely by my daughter’s contagious excitement that went from bouncing around the living room to asking me every five minutes if it was time to go. And honestly, that energy pulled me right in.
I was not a huge fan of The Super Mario Bros. Movie at first, but have softened on it even more since, so I wasn’t just there as the responsible adult. I was genuinely curious to see how it was going to take things to the next level, especially when that next level involves launching Mario into space.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie takes place sometime after the events of the first film, with the Mushroom Kingdom enjoying a rare moment of peace. Bowser (Jack Black) has been reduced to more of a royal nuisance than a full-blown threat, living out his days in a miniature setup inside Princess Peach’s (Anya Taylor-Joy) castle.
It’s a funny little status quo that, of course, doesn’t last long.
Out in the far reaches of space, Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) is suddenly abducted by Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie), setting off a chain reaction that pulls Mario (Chris Pratt), Luigi (Charlie Day) and Peach into a much bigger adventure than they expected. Just as they begin planning a rescue mission, Bowser Jr. launches a full-on attack onto the Mushroom Kingdom, freeing his father in the chaos.
Reunited, Bowser Jr. finally reveals what he’s really after: turning his dad’s long-rumored Boomsday cannon (think Death Star) into a reality.
As a fan of the games, I really appreciate how much of that classic Nintendo DNA made its way into the movie. The iconic music is there, the familiar sound effects hit at just the right moments and the creatures we all know and love feel pulled straight from the games. It all blends together in a way that feels authentic without being overdone. And I won’t lie; the appearance of Fox McCloud (Glen Powell) got a genuine reaction out of me.
As someone who spent plenty of time flying through space in Star Fox, that was one of those unexpected moments that hit just right.
Where the movie starts to stumble is in how layered those issues become. I enjoy a good bit of fan service as much as anyone, but this one cranks it up to the point where it starts to feel like overload instead of enhancement. There are cameos from so many creatures and characters in the film, it feels like they’re there just for the sake of cramming them in. It stops being a fun nod and starts feeling like the movie is constantly winking at you instead of telling its story.
My biggest issue, though, is how inconsistent the character dynamics are, especially between Mario, Luigi and Bowser. Luigi and Bowser oddly fall into this almost buddy-like rhythm, while Mario still carries a deep resentment toward him. As the story unfolds, Mario and Bowser even begin to find some common ground, leading to a moment where Bowser tells his son not to kill them when he has the chance.
It feels like the setup for a genuine shift in his character. But then Bowser Jr. flips a switch, convincing him to go right back to full-villain mode, and suddenly Bowser has no issue trying to wipe them out like none of that growth ever happened. It is a jarring turn that feels unearned, especially since there is never a real moment where Bowser wrestles with that internal conflict. It just happens, and the emotional thread the movie was building kind of collapses because of it.
At the same time, I have to remind myself who this movie is really made for. It’s clearly geared toward kids, and while that doesn’t excuse some of the weaker writing and uneven storytelling, it does take a little of the edge off my criticism. Not everything here is meant to be picked apart, and for a younger audience, a lot of these issues probably don’t even register the same way.
I give The Super Mario Galaxy Movie two out of five stars. In the end, it is a bit of a mixed bag. There’s a lot here that works on a surface level, especially if you’re already invested in these characters or just looking for something colorful and energetic to throw on for family movie night. But the overloaded fan service and inconsistent character arcs hold it back from really reaching the heights it feels like it’s aiming for.
That said, if my experience with The Super Mario Bros. Movie is any indication, there’s a good chance my opinion could soften over time. Once this hits streaming, I have a feeling it’s going to be in regular rotation in my house, and sometimes these kinds of movies grow on you with repeat viewings… whether you plan on that or not.