Super Mario Galaxy Movie Review
- Jackson Wells
- Apr 15
- 3 min read
BY: JACKSON WELLS / STAFF WRITER
This article contains some spoilers.
Mario is an infinitely immortalized icon with over 200 games to his name, ranging from 2D to 3D, racing to partying, and from 2023’s Super Mario World to the movie that just released, Super Mario Galaxy.
As no stranger to the 2007 game of the same name for the Nintendo Wii, and someone whose first childhood crush was Rosalina, the anticipation for this was real, and after the first installment scored over 1 billion dollars at the box office, there was some real sequel hype to uphold.
To unpack where the title of the article comes from, if you thought the first movie relied heavily on references, get ready for a plethora of even more.
There are new characters, soundtracks from previous media, locations that should seem familiar, and other Nintendo properties that should have no business finding their way into the Mario universe. Even though a lot of these choices make it feel more like a Super Smash Bros. movie, the excitement of “Oh, I remember that!” outweighs all real criticism.
The voice acting is another key component that keeps the hour and forty joyslop chugging along. Chris Pratt is really the only outlier, switching in and out of his worst attempt at a New York Italian, but everybody else hits their mark.
Originals from the first film continue their run, like Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, and Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, although they get way too little screentime. And newcomers like Glen Powell as Fox McCloud, Donald Glover as Yoshi, and Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr. put their all into the role. Brie Larson as Rosalina and Anya-Taylor Joy returning as Peach are other underdeveloped characters that show a glimpse of the lore that could’ve been.
The score is probably my favorite part of both flicks, taking classic Mario music and either revamping or remixing them to sound recognizable yet complementary with the scene. The motifs pull from Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario World, Pikmin, Starfox, and, of course, Super Mario Galaxy.
One of the most enticing parts of the theatrical experience is how many theaters are playing into it with merchandise and limited food and drink options. For AMC, you have your normal branded cup and popcorn, but there’s also Yoshi’s Egg and Luma Star popcorn bucket that you can order rainbow popcorn inside of. At the Alamo Drafthouse, it gets a little fancier with mushroom pies, pasta, and star-shaped boba drinks.
If you’re going into this expecting some sort of mystical, well-thought-out plot or lore accuracy, you’ll be sorely mistaken.
But, I think if you subscribe to the fact that these movies are for a new generation of children experiencing these characters for the first time, you can begin to get behind why some of this feels random and ridiculous.
There’s ADHD levels of whimsy for those that don’t know much about the franchise, and there’s constant easter eggs and talking points for the dedicated fanbase. Even though this isn’t the Mario series on the big screen that either party was exactly expecting before the first movie came out, the satisfaction of knowing that the red plumber in overalls from 1981’s Donkey Kong has maintained this huge of a cultural impact nearly 50 years after his appearance is enough to make me smile in suspense for what those lovable brothers are gonna get up to next.