BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic have paid tribute to the 40th anniversary of the “Super Mario Bros.” video game with their new animated film “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.” The problem is their salute is not a good one.
What the pair created is the equivalent of sitting on a couch watching someone play a video game for 98 minutes. There is an endless stream of running, jumping and crashing into things with only a whisper of story. That is not a problem if all you want to do is get a high score but as a film format the approach is far from ideal.
What serves as the thinnest hint of a plot is that Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie) is desperately looking to earn some recognition from his incarcerated father, Bowser (Jack Black). The previous film established that Bowser was imprisoned and miniaturized after trying to kidnap Princess Peach. The plan by the validation-starved son includes kidnapping Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) – who is the mother to the stars – to use her powers for evil.
Princess Peach (Anja Taylor-Joy) learns about the kidnapping and rushes to save her fellow princess. Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) eventually join the quest and that is the entire plot of the film. It is the kind of storyline that a person would find printed on the back of the box for a video game.
Before suggesting that video games are not known for being literary masterpieces, that philosophy doesn’t work with a movie. A solid story will always win the day and it’s not like there wasn’t plenty of room to create some interesting storylines in “Galaxy.” The history of Princess Peach is wrapped up in a few scenes while the introduction of the character of Yoshi (Donald Glover) is accomplished in record time.
Returning screenwriter Matthew Fogel ends up being more interested in adding new characters to this animated galaxy than cultivating a more appealing tale. His tactic is to have the heroes encounter an amphibian mobster (Luis Guzmán and a space pilot (Glen Powell) on their journey.
He should have focused more on what could have been the heart of the entire film. Rosalina – who is the mother to the stars – sends one of her children to find Peach. Her knowledge of Princess Peach establishes a link between the two that only gets a brief narration despite there being a massive reason for the two to get together long before the kidnapping.
Missing the opportunity to elaborate on this element is like only using the right joystick to play a video game. The potential is there but never gets used.
The other missed opportunity comes with Bowser J. and his father. The film waffles between the reformed Bowser being the tough villain of old and one who is caught between two worlds. This situation is established but then gets lost in the dust of the endless running and jumping.
Some may argue that there is a reason for the lack of story as the film is based on a video game and not the writings of Shakespeare. There is a place in the middle and directors Horvath and Jelenic have found it before. They were the team behind the vastly entertaining “Teen Titans Go to the Movies!” With that film they managed to take a group of heroes and put them through action-filled paces while also allowing time to tell full stories in terms of the characters.
They forgot all of that and opted for the approach that all they need to entertain an audience are bright colors, fast action, familiar sound effects and loud noises. That formula works for an audience up to a certain age but eventually that ploy begins to fall short.
If you can find satisfaction in watching an endless string of video game action, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” will be entertaining. Those looking for even a shimmer of a smart story will find it is game over very quickly.
Movie review
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Grade: C+
Cast: Chris Pratt, Anja Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan Michael-Key, Benny Safdie, Donald Glover, Issa Rae, Luis Guzmán, Kevin Michael Richardson, Glen Powell, Brie Larson.
Directors: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
Rated: PG for mild violence, rude humor, action
Running time: 98 minutes.
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