Growing up, I absolutely adored the Super Mario franchise. The video games were so much fun, and even as an adult, I still enjoy playing games like Super Mario Sunshine and Luigi’s Mansion from time to time. When the first Mario Movie was released back in 2023, I enjoyed it. Yes, the movie was flawed, but it was a decent film adaptation. This year, I was really looking forward to the sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. As you can see in this embarrassing picture, I went to the theater in style. Going into this movie, I was hoping the filmmakers would learn from the mistakes of the first film and deliver fans an even better Mario adaptation. After leaving the theater, I had mixed opinions. The animation was amazing, and I really appreciate the filmmakers for staying true to the source material. However, the film relied on cameos and references to previous games way too much. It got so bad that it felt like I was watching an hour-long Nintendo commercial. The story was an absolute mess, and major plot points were resolved too quickly. Certain characters that were important to the story didn’t receive much screen time. It seems the writer of this film just made things up as he went along. I know some people may find it strange that I’m being critical over a children’s movie. However, there are so many better family films out there that people of all ages can enjoy, such as Shrek and The Lego Movie. Kids flick or not, this sequel should have lived up to the standards of telling a proper story. Instead of just adding in a bunch of game references to make people point at the screen. Despite my complaints, I still had a lot of fun watching it. Yeah, it’s not that great of a movie, but it’s entertaining. As a Mario fan, I can’t deny I have a soft spot for this film. In conclusion, if you’re a big Nintendo fan, you’ll probably get a kick out of this movie. Otherwise, skip it. Score 2/5
