The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

This weekend, the Super Mario Galaxy Movie releases in theaters. The Super Mario Galaxy movie continues to expand the world of Mario as Mario, Peach, and their friends venture outside of the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Rosaline after she has been captured by Bowser Jr. I am a big fan of the Mario games and had a lot of fun with the first movie, so I was excited for this one too. This movie was also one of my most anticipated movies of the year.

I had a lot of fun with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. If you enjoyed the first film, this movie provides more of the same. I like how this movie expands the world beyond just the Mushroom Kingdom. It incorporates numerous aspects from the Super Mario Galaxy games, while also incorporating fun nods to other Mario games and Nintendo games in general. Just like the first film, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie feels like a proper adaptation of the games, with everything feeling like you are in the world of Mario. I also liked the new additions to the cast, including Yoshi, Bowser Jr., and Rosalina. Yoshi is the standout in this group, as he adds a lot of fun animal moments, while also providing heroic moments for him to shine. I also thought it was really cool to include Fox in the mix (this isn't a spoiler, as the studio already spoiled it with a poster). He feels like a perfect embodiment of his character from the game, rather than just a modern character tailored to fit today's culture. I'm hoping that the inclusion of Fox is a lead-in to a Super Smash Bros crossover movie. Just like in the first movie, this movie also features several fun Mario game moments, where characters jump over obstacles and stomp on enemies, just like in the games. There were just so many moments that put a big grin on my face.

As with the first film, the plot here is pretty thin. The movie relies more on nostalgia and easter eggs to please the fans instead of a more thought-out story. The movie feels like it is jumping from sequence to sequence to cram as much Mario content as possible, instead of telling a cohesive narrative. I also wish it could have been longer, just like the first movie, so that we could spend more time in this world. As a general rule of thumb, if you didn't like the first film due to its lack of story and writing, this one is not going to win you over, as it is more of the same.

Overall, while this movie isn't great on a story level, it is a lot of fun for the kids with all of the jokes and energy, while also satisfying adult fans with all of the easter eggs and joy of seeing the Mario world come to life. I could pick apart this movie with all of the plot and character issues, but in the end, I only remember the good stuff.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B Recommendation: This is a must see film for the whole family