Every Mario game has levels you love to play and levels you hate. The former are fun, fast-paced and imaginative; the latter are clunky, difficult and irritating.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Review… It’s-A Not So Great…
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is like a level you hate. It’s oddly humorless, deadly dull and sorely lacking in the energetic whimsy that makes Nintendo’s video games fun. Sure, it throws a lot at you. Trips to different galaxies! Yoshi! A parade of villains from the series’ 40-year history, in case you really needed an appearance by 1988 frog-boss Wart!
All that excess, however, simply reduces coherence. It’s an experience that leaves you inclined to put down the controller and give up.
More Princesses, More Castles
The previous film in this series, 2023’s Super Mario Bros. Movie, was unambitious but slightly more pleasing; it made room for jokes and cleverly played with video-game mechanics. Fundamentally, though, the studio Illumination (also responsible for the Minions empire) doesn’t seek to craft particularly thoughtful films; it churns out 90-minute features that will entrance kids and sneak in enough easter eggs to keep parents occasionally amused.
The low bar set by the 2023 film was apparently too high this time around. The focus here is on visual flourishes, action sequences and — horror of horrors — plot development. We could’ve been having fun; instead, we’re (slowly) exploring Princess Peach’s backstory and seeing if Bowser can complete a redemption arc. (And no — we do not get a proper follow-up to Peaches, the surprise hit ballad from the last movie.)
That’s Not What Mario Sounds Like
Add a clunky story (a different princess, Rosalina, has been kidnapped, sending a plea for help across the stars to the Mario brothers), and the cracks in the franchise have plenty of room to show. The leading plumbers do the film no favors with their poor performances; Chris Pratt remains disinterested and lazy in his take on Mario, while Charlie Day overcorrects and gets irritating as Luigi. (Keegan-Michael Key, as Toad, is better; his appearances are refreshing.)
The film has been relentlessly marketed, so parents are likely already stuck taking the kids this weekend. (The film is expected to do huge business; it’s a win for cinemas, at least.) If you’re a grown-up fan hoping for a worthwhile journey, though, adjust your expectations; the slog isn’t worth the nostalgia hit.
Unfortunately, this isn’t one rough level in a good game — it’s a completely disappointing experience. Save the trip and play Nintendo instead.
Maybe Drop Your Kids at Mario and Try The Drama
At least there’s counter-programming: A24 this Friday releases The Drama, a comedy of errors starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya. The film is directed by Kristoffer Borgli, last seen leading Nicolas Cage through the beguiling Dream Scenario. Mamoudou Athie and Alana Haim co-star.
The horror-comedy Dead Lover is also making its way to arthouses. The film, by Canadian director Grace Glowicki, has been well-received; it’s a deep riff on Frankenstein, one of many to hit theaters and streamers as of late.
If you’re reading this on Thursday, you can still catch Ben-Hur in theaters, as the epic was revived to kick off this year’s Fathom Big Screen Classics Series. It’s the first of 12 films on tap, including favorites such as The Silence of the Lambs, The Birdcage, Citizen Kane, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and It’s a Wonderful Life. Check their website for showings — the series appears at many multiplexes.
Story by Sean Collier
Photos Courtesy of Nintendo and Illumination
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