The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Is Not Toddler-Approved
Written by Lara Rosales
As the mother of a 2-year-old boy who is absolutely obsessed with Luigi (one of the first words he started pronouncing correctly), the excitement over The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was big in our household. We hyped ourselves up, reminding ourselves how many days there were left until we could watch the movie on the big screen. It was a big event we had been looking forward to.
In our home, there was a period when The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) was playing on repeat on Peacock several times a week. The name Luigi was screamed around the apartment multiple times a day, and buying Luigi merch was a priority. Needless to say, my toddler forced me to learn every piece of dialogue and action in the film, and I was totally cool with that. I was probably as excited as he was (or even more) to watch the new movie.
Disappointment set in 40-ish minutes into the movie when we had to leave the movie theater because my toddler was bored out of his mind; something that had not happened with the first one any of the times we had watched and rewatched it. And while many may see it’s a lack of concentration from a very young boy, I can tell you when something catches his attention, there’s no pulling him away (ask Lightning McQueen or Buzz Lightyear). And truthfully? I understand why he wasn’t into it.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie doesn’t have the magic, the punch, the excitement that its predecessor brought to the screen. It honestly feels like a big meh in comparison. There are, nevertheless, a few things that must be highlighted as the shining stars of the film.
First and foremost, the introduction of new characters is handled perfectly. It doesn’t feel overwhelming at any point. On the contrary, every character we meet makes sense to the storyline. One can even say it would have been great to spend a bit more time with these new characters, but that’s probably for a future movie.
Yoshi (Donald Glover) and Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie) are the perfect examples of this. Their characters make sense and add a layer of fun and excitement to the storyline. For big Mario Bros. fans, these characters bring a nostalgic feeling of everything they know about this world.
The same nostalgic feeling we all get (whether you played the video game or not) when we see the big defense Bowser Jr. put in place. It is a perfect animation of the game many know and love. On one end, we see the modernized versions of Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Mario (Chris Pratt) navigating obstacles, giving newer fans everything they wanted. On the other hand, we see Bowser Jr. playing a video game, giving the oldtimers the pixelated version they know. This is repeated when we see everyone coming together to rebuild Peach’s castle, an almost perfect balance of the old and the new.
Another thing that stands out is Peach’s backstory. From the very first movie, the storyline introduced this enigma of Peach’s origin: where does she come from? Who is she really? Luckily, this sequel does indeed answer that question, allowing viewers and Peach to discover the truth together. As she goes through the pages of the storybook Rosalina (Brie Larson) used to read to her star-children, we discover the two are sisters. It’s a nice full-circle moment for everyone to discover Peach’s origin and understand everything that happened to her.
While several new characters are introduced, the old ones remain the same, and that’s probably the best part of the film. There is that familiarity and comfort in Luigi’s (Charlie Day) undeniable fear, Toad's (Keegan-Michael Key) strength and jealousy of Yoshi, and Mario’s bravery. They are still the characters we fell in love with during the first movie, and that’s probably the one toddler-approved detail.
This new addition to the Mario Bros. franchise isn’t as perfect as the first movie, but it continues to add layers to a world that will never stop expanding. Mario, Luigi, and every character they bring along for the ride will always represent something different to every person who comes across them. It all depends on the time in your life and who you share it with. For me, the first movie was a particularly fun bonding experience I shared with my toddler, so this one falling short is quite disappointing. But I understand why others may love it.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is now playing in theatres.
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