Mario ventures into space, exploring cosmic worlds and tackling galactic challenges far from the familiar Mushroom Kingdom.
Chuck says:
I have yet to be blessed with grandchildren. Still, that doesn’t prevent me from casting my thoughts towards future events I hope to share with them. I look forward to birthday parties in which my wife and I will spend far too much money celebrating their arrival; I see Christmases when I’ll gleefully witness their surprise upon opening presents; I envision taking them on vacations and living vicariously through them as they see for the first time wonders I’ve come to take for granted. And, of course, sharing films I love with them, hoping they’ll appreciate them as much as I do.
However, one thing I don’t look forward to and fear I will be roped into doing anyway, is going to see things like “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.” To be sure, they’ll likely be enraptured with whatever seizure-inducing cacophony passes for entertainment in 2036. The Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton shorts I’ll be showing them will hold no sway over the seductive power of the visual entertainment they’ll be bludgeoned with.
I sympathize with any grandparents who, wanting to give their kids a break by suggesting they spend some time with their grandkids, wind up at the local multiplex and stumble into “Galaxy.” Don’t fall victim to your grandson’s pleas to see it or your granddaughter’s sad doe-like eyes. Remember, telling them “No” is not the end of the world, and while I never bought into the notion that experiencing disappointment builds character, I’m sure some good must come from it. However, if you’ve already foolishly agreed to take them, let me prepare you.
Despite having no knowledge of the Mario universe, my editor requested I review the first movie in the series and, if memory serves, it wasn’t a completely unpleasant experience. I wish I could say the same regarding the sequel.
The plot, the most inconsequential aspect of the movie, is the basically the same. Yet another princess is kidnapped, this time it’s Rosalina (voice by Brie Larson). He’s been abducted by Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie) who needs her power to run his Boomsday cannon, which he intends to use to control the universe. This is all done in an effort to impress his father, Bowser Sr. (Jack Black), who’s been imprisoned by Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day).
These two siblings saved the day in the previous film, having come to the aid of Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), who happens to be Rosalina’s sister. Hearing her sister has been taken, she sets out to save her, the brothers soon coming to her aid.
What ensues are a series of fights, traps and rescues rendered in the manic fashion that’s become the norm. I’ll say one thing for the film – it’s bright! While I don’t often recommend seeing movies in 3-D, the screening I attended was in that format and the dark glasses came in handy. In dulling the Technicolor nightmare I was being subjected too, I’m sure I escaped a case of retinal scarring.
Obviously, I am not the audience this film is pitched to and anything I or any critic says will not prevent it from grossing $1 billion. This is not so much a movie as it is a big screen example of gameplay fans of the franchise will recognize and nothing more. Familiar dopamine centers will be stimulated and all will go home happy.
And while “Galaxy” was made by the same directors, Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, as the franchise’s first entry, the tone of the sequel is decidedly different. There was a sense of joy and fun in the previous movie that was infectious. Even I found myself somewhat engaged and charmed by that effort, feelings that were absent this go around. There’s a sense here all involved are simply going through the motions, something that does not bode well for the many sequels to come or the non-fans who will have to endure them.
2 Stars
