This is the first time I’ve left a movie theater feeling exhausted—not because I found the film boring, but because its pace is relentless, especially in the final stretch. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie builds on the foundation of the successful first installment and ups the ante, resulting in a highly enjoyable film, though one where more effort has been put into bombarding Nintendo video game fans with references than into crafting a solid story. The result? Highly entertaining, surely designed to keep the youngest members of the family from getting bored, but with a relentless pace.
Every Mario (and Nintendo) fan’s fantasy
Just like in the first installment, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie goes all out to deliver a spectacle where every inch of every frame features a reference to Mario video games or, in this case, various Nintendo franchises. Although some notable appearances by characters from the Japanese company have already been revealed, I won’t name any names so it’ll still be a surprise—don’t worry. It’s impossible not to spot references in every scene of the movie, and there are probably many more than I’ve even managed to catch myself.
As a result, we have not only an extraordinary tribute to the 40-year history of the plumber and his companions, but many of these elements are also used to ground the story and the scenes. Obviously, there’s a lot from the Super Mario Galaxy video games in the movie, but also from a multitude of the plumber’s other 2D and 3D works. Whether it’s an enemy, a power-up, a level, or a character, it always takes us back to some point in the past.
This is fantastic, especially for the character’s most die-hard fans, but it also gets a bit exhausting. If references are thrown in constantly, everything ends up feeling like a generalized reference; it feels a bit less special (and a bit forced) compared to the first movie, which also bombarded us. If you ask me, I prefer the slightly more restrained pace of the first film, because here you stop wondering if this or that is a reference to the video games: yes, everything is.
An Overdose of Pacing
This also applies to the film’s pacing itself. While I found the first third to be fairly balanced (and I prefer it to the opening of its predecessor), little by little the film gets us used to a truly exhausting pace. No two lines of dialogue go by without “something” happening: an explosion, a transformation, an interstellar journey, a blow, a surprise… there’s a genuine effort to make the film entertaining every single second, and that ends up working against its structure.
I think The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has enough characters and tools to create more than one emotional scene—including ones that could serve as an anchor amid all that pace—but they only end up peeking through subtly. Everything ends up being a constant effort to maintain the pace. I’ve come to wonder if this was done with today’s youth in mind—who are more accustomed to constant stimulation—to keep them from getting bored during the screening... which would sadden me on many levels, to be honest, because the film would benefit greatly from more moments of respite.
The final stretch, in fact, leaves you no time to catch your breath. Even the end credits roll almost out of the blue, without giving you a chance to savor everything that has happened in the last few minutes. There’s no room for more polished dialogue or introspection; everything works in favor of a frantic pace. Viewers looking for something like this will be delighted, but for everyone else—especially if they can’t catch the references—I’m afraid The Super Mario Galaxy Movie might not live up to their expectations.
A Dinosaur as the New Star
Although there are plenty of new characters in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, my favorite above all others is Yoshi, who appears in this story as a goofy, incredibly funny dinosaur. His appearances and comedic antics alongside Luigi provide some of the film’s best moments, especially since Bowser is somewhat less developed in this installment than in the previous one. There’s plenty of humor in 'Super Mario Galaxy Movie', of course, and jokes and comedic moments are used to keep that fast-paced energy going. Yoshi seems here to stay, because the other new characters strike me as somewhat less inspired.
Bowsy appears as the new main villain and has his moments, but he doesn’t quite match Bowser’s charisma or screen presence, either in this film or the previous one. Other characters like Estela don’t add much either. As for the performances, in the original version (which is the one I was able to enjoy), we once again have a tremendous star-studded cast, who are more notable for their names than for their work in the film. Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Charlie Day, and new voices like Brie Larson as Estela do a good job, but without standing out too much in any case.
Is more better?
'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' chooses to build on the foundation of the first film and amplify it, multiplying its strengths. There are more references, more characters, more settings, more action, a faster pace... and I’m not sure to what extent that actually makes the movie better. I think the opening—with the main characters already introduced and Yoshi’s fantastic debut—is better than the first film, but the middle section and the ending feel a bit less polished to me.
The need for every scene to have multiple video game references and a relentless pace ends up working against it. Paradoxically, it’s what gives The Super Mario Galaxy Movie the most personality and sets it apart from other video game adaptations, but it’s also what makes it a worse movie. It’s a lot of fun, incredibly entertaining, and a constant love letter to fans of the video games… but not everyone will appreciate that overdose of references and pace. These characters could (and deserve) to tell a more polished story, one that isn’t based solely on constant sensory stimulation… but it’s worth it, especially if there are kids at home.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a lot of fun, incredibly entertaining, and a constant love letter to fans of the video games... but not everyone will appreciate the overload of references and the fast pace, which can become exhausting, especially toward the end.