Image: Nintendo / Universal Pictures / Illumination
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie hits theaters this week, and I'm not going to pretend I'm not excited. The first movie made over a billion dollars for a reason. It was fun romp into the Mushroom Kingdom, letting us view the beginnings of everyone's favorite Mustached Plumber and his battle with the Koopa King. Now they're going to space, and the setup for this sequel might be even better than the original.
What We Know
Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad are heading into outer space, pulling directly from the Super Mario Galaxy games. Brie Larson is voicing Rosalina, the cosmic guardian who's been a fan favorite since the Wii era, with Donald Glover as everyone's favorite Green Dino Yoshi and Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr., the son of Jack Black's Bowser.
The synopsis that has been revealed is as follows: "The Super Mario brothers are back for a cosmic sequel where the fate of the entire galaxy hangs in the balance. Having thwarted Bowser's previous plot to marry Princess Peach, Mario and Luigi now face a fresh threat in Bowser Jr."
Rosalina joins the cast, voiced by Brie Larson. Image: Nintendo / Universal Pictures / Illumination
Glen Powell is STAR FOX
Sadly it seems marketing made a bit of a blunder that could have been an amazing reveal in theaters. But Star Fox is finally showing up on the big screen, being voiced by none other then Glen Powell. Not only does this have me even more excited, but to me it means we're not just getting sequels anymore. We're getting a Nintendo cinematic universe. Characters from completely different franchises crossing over on the big screen. If that doesn't have you thinking about a Super Smash Bros movie down the line, I don't know what will.
Image: Nintendo / Universal Pictures / Illumination
My Take
I was a fan of the first movie. Jack Black's Bowser stole every scene he was in, and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong was one of those casting choices that shouldn't work but absolutely did. Critics gave it a 59% on Rotten Tomatoes while audiences gave it a 95%. It wasn't made for film critics. It was made for the people who grew up with these characters, and they showed up to the tune of $1.36 billion.
What's got me most curious about Galaxy is Rosalina. The BBFC rating mentions "flashbacks to the separation of a girl and her younger sister," and fans are losing it over the possibility that Peach and Rosalina are actually sisters. That theory goes back to the original Galaxy game in 2007. If they pull it off and give this movie some real emotional weight on top of the spectacle, this could be the one that wins over the critics too.
Come by the shop or comment down below and let us know if you're catching it opening week. We love talking movies and games — it's kind of our thing.
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