The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Starring Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black
Directed by Aaron Horvath & Michal Jelenic
As Bowser (Jack Black) remains miniaturized and under the watchful eyes of Mario (Chris Pratt), Luigi (Charlie Day), Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), his son Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie) plans to break him out of his tiny prison by kidnapping Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson), siphoning her powers to wreak havoc in the cosmos. As the team traverses the universe to rescue Rosalina, they run into new friends like Yoshi (Donald Glover), a friendly green dinosaur, along with new enemies.
The Good:
Illumination has been around for awhile, but "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" is its most beautiful. The animation is so vibrant and alive you can't help but have eyegasms during it (that sounded totally wrong but I'm sticking by it). The words are uniquely crafted (especially the casino world that will make you glad you didn't see this movie in 3D...unless you did...then you might've used your popcorn bag as a vomit holder) and the characters are wonderfully rendered to look like their video game counterparts so well it's almost like watching cut scenes of a game.
The movie is jam packed with Easter eggs to Nintendo's past, giving joy to this old fart who grew up with the original NES game. The animation even nods to it in different scenes that had me giddy for joy. This is what you expect when you go into a movie like this, and they deliver big time.
The humor was so funny it had me laughing so hard I was barely breathing in moments, as the shenanigans the gang faces are done with such enjoyment you can't help but love it.
The performances are also great, with Chris Pratt again proving naysayers wrong with his portrayal of Mario, while Anya Taylor-Joy gets a more rich storyline as Princess Peach than she did the first time around. Jack Black is ever endearing as Bowser (despite no "Peaches" song), and Charlie Day and Keegan Michael-Key lend their sidekick roles as Luigi and Toad with delightful aplomb (especially Toad's running gag of his dislike of Yoshi).
The new cast members also get to shine (with the exception of one, listed in "The Bad" section). Donald Glover as Yoshi is akin to Vin Diesel as Groot, where all he does is say his name, but it's funny and sounds just like the game. Benny Safdie's Bowser Jr. is gruff and no-nonsense, setting out to save his father but also prove to him that he can be just as evil as him. There's other actors who play certain characters in the movie but I don't want to spoil them.
While the plot is simple and the story could do with more cohesion, there's an underlying tale of parental connection that permeates the film. We get a taste of it at the beginning with how Rosalina treats her Lumas like her children, and later in flashbacks about how Bowser showed his softer side to Jr. Although it's not front-and-center, that story weaves its narrative throughout.
The Bad:
One of the complaints of the critics is a bit valid, but way over-hyped. The story just isn't there as much as it was the first time around, with the movie instead acting almost like episodes of a series as the group moves from planet to planet. It's a bit jumbled, and the smaller film beats don't really garner excitement (such as Mario's love for Peach, or wondering whether or not Bowser is really reformed) but ultimately you don't go to a movie like this expecting "The Godfather," so any true fan of the games won't really mind.
There is also a twist in the movie that I saw coming a mile away, and many people are upset about - but honestly, it doesn't take away from the experience and somewhat makes sense if you think about it.
I was very excited to see Rosalina in the film, especially since she's voiced by Brie Larson, but her role isn't as big as I wanted it to be, instead serving as the generic MacGuffin that Mario and company need to find.
There's no "Peaches" sequel song. That was disappointing.
The Verdict:
While not as great as the original, "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" does what every sequel does: it amps up the stakes, expands the universe, and brings in new characters both friend and foe that adds to the continuation of the franchise through beautiful animation, humor, and more than enough Easter eggs to fill Easter baskets for every Luma.
The Score: A+
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