The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

This is a forgettable movie. I enjoyed the elaborate soundtrack built around melodies we have heard in the games, and the animation is still stunning, above all in the flying scenes across different planets and the sequences where gravity pulls the characters onto the walls. Sadly, that is about all I can say in its favor.

The movie feels inconsistent, and it is never clear what its message is supposed to be. Is it about family? Mario and Luigi are meant to be the emotional center as brothers, yet that idea surfaces only in an awkward joke that does not land. The film also seems unsure about Bowser: is he the same vain villain as always, or has he been given a more sympathetic side? Bowser Jr. appears as a tantrum-prone villain desperate for his father's approval. Rosalina and Peach's backstory feels like it should carry real depth, but it is presented in a brief, superficial way. Is it a love story? Not really, since Mario and Peach's relationship is never developed either.

The story is overloaded with game references crammed in wherever they fit. Fox McCloud is a wonderful character because of his space adventures, yet here he feels underused and short-lived. Baby Mario and Luigi felt forced, and oddly the baby T-Rex simply disappears later without much explanation.

Maybe one or two jokes actually made me laugh in the theater. References to the more unusual Super Mario Bros. 2 elements, such as Wart and Birdo, feel rushed and unimportant. Yoshi's addition did not work for me either.

I would like to turn the page on this movie. It is just too flat. For me, it lost a life, though this story still has plenty of 1-Ups left.