The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a major moment in pop culture in more ways than one. Not only did it easily become the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time, but it also sparked a ton of discussion due to the disparity between critics’ and audiences’ ratings. Critics pointed to the overly fast pace and lack of emotion as reasons for the film’s failure, while audiences fell in love with how faithful the adaptation was, as well as its plethora of easter eggs for fans. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie looks set to spark even more discussion than its predecessor, as it doubles down on what fans loved and what critics hated.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie once again follows Mario and Luigi, voiced by Chris Pratt and Charlie Day, as they face the threat of Bowser’s son, Bowser Jr.(Benny Safdie), who is attempting to build a super weapon to destroy the universe. Along on their adventure this time around are Yoshi (Donald Glover), a green, nonverbal dinosaur, and Rosalina (Brie Larson), Princess Peach’s long-lost sister.

One aspect of The Super Mario Bros. Movie that most people agreed on is the animation style. The 3D style beautifully recreates the characters from the original game, using vibrancy to the fullest extent. The animation gets a major upgrade in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, with its mostly galactic setting allowing the colors to pop even more than in its predecessor. The film also experiments with 2D animation in certain sequences, harkening back to the style of the original games to a satisfying degree. Illumination may not be known for its groundbreaking animation style, but its work on the Mario movies has easily been the best.

Like its predecessor, the film has an extremely fast pace. While this is detrimental in some aspects, it is far more fulfilling in the action sequences. The fights are extremely fluid, shot at wide angles and with minimal cuts, making every punch and kick visible to the viewer. Although the choreography isn’t anything standout, the way it’s put together makes for an extremely pleasurable experience. They also utilize moves and methods from the games to defeat the villains, making the action even more dynamic.

Casting major A-list actors for voice roles seems more like a ticket-selling gimmick than a service to the role, but the cast in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie does a solid enough job overall. Jack Black once again brings his charm as the beloved antagonist, and Keegan-Michael Key is excellent as Princess Peach’s trusted sidekick, but it’s Donald Glover’s work as Yoshi that truly shines the most. Despite speaking zero words of English other than “Yoshi,” Glover impressively transforms his voice to match the character’s high pitch from the game, without altering his real voice. Whether it’s in music or the television industry, Donald Glover proves once again that he can excel in anything he puts his mind to with his work as Yoshi. Brie Larson, Glenn Powell, and Benny Safdie work fine as new additions to the franchise, but their characters are given less to work with than Glover’s Yoshi.

With all the criticism the previous film received, the directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic had the opportunity to rework the sequel in a way that appeases all the masses. Sadly, they focused too much on box-office numbers rather than reviews, as almost all the issues raised in the previous film recur in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. While the fast pacing works well in the action scenes, it should not have been the driving force for the film. The movie introduces a multitude of subplots, including the estranged relationship between Bowser and Bowser Jr. and the awkward romantic chemistry between Mario and Peach, but instead of fleshing them out, it rushes straight to action and fan-service moments and ditches them entirely. Being a straight action/fan-service film isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it becomes an issue when the script sets up unresolved emotional conflict, and that’s exactly what happens in this film.

The fast pacing also leaves little room for the world to develop. The Super Mario Galaxy games are known for their lush planets and quirky characters, but instead of fleshing them out, the film brushes past them to move the plot forward. Although there isn’t a moment when the frame isn’t showing something beautiful, it would’ve been highly beneficial for the movie to spend more time fleshing out each new planet and character to create a cohesive world, which would’ve made the easter eggs all the more satisfying.

The ending fight sequence easily stands as one of the film’s highlights, but the overall resolution of the conflict is extremely unsatisfying. Not only does the main conflict hold no weight or stakes for the characters, but the film simply ends abruptly. Most movies would take a couple of moments to tie together plot threads and character arcs, but this film ends as quickly as when you make it to the flag at the end of a Super Mario Bros. level, leaving many questions about the characters’ state. Although one of the film’s post-credit scenes displays where some of the characters ended up, it wasn’t enough to make for a fulfilling ending.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is bound to be yet another polarizing entry in the Mario cinematic universe. Although the film once again flourishes in its animation, the script is in desperate need of reworking. That being said, in terms of video game adaptations, the film has more than enough references and is faithful enough to be worth a trip to the theater. If the first film didn’t move the needle for you, this movie will likely do nothing for you, but if the first film elicited some form of entertainment, this is bound to appease.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will be released in theaters nationwide on April 1.

Rating: 6/10

Oscar Prospects:

None