“From the simplicity of sidescrolling and jumping to race karts and nearly every imaginable sport to galaxies and odysseys, Mario knows no bounds.”
This I said back in my review of the first film in 2023, and it still rings true today. One could say that the first film was a setup for this second film to be the payoff (T2: Judgment Day, The Dark Knight, etc.), but only in following the same formula as before: more fan service, less story structure.
There is still a story, but instead of Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) being the one in peril (although it may have been Luigi more so in the last film, but I can’t completely remember), this time it is Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson). The film starts off with her capture by Bowser Jr (Benny Safdie), on his own quest to rescue (and impress) his dad (Jack Black). Peach and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) venture off in search of Rosalina, followed closely by Mario (Chris Pratt), Luigi (Charlie Day), and their new (and truly charming) buddy Yoshi (Donald Glover).
As with the first film, this one was made with Nintendo fans in mind. Notice how I did not just say Mario fans. Supporting this is the introduction of Fox McCloud from the Starfox series (the voice casting of Glen Powell here is somewhere between perfect and ideal). Obviously, this is taken from the original Star Wars, having Han Solo offering Luke and Obi-Wan a trip on the Millennium Falcon. It would make sense in the writing room to have this as a way to introduce the captain from the Lylatt system, but it still comes across as trite (the marketing team should have known better than to have mentioned Fox in the promos: this would have been a pleasant surprise to fans.)
That is not to say other surprises didn’t catch my eye. There are two characters from the Nintendoverse (if that is a word) that got me to grin a little. Minor spoilers: We get a moment with ROB that had my audience roaring with laughter. Then there is Mr. Game and Watch (one of my better characters in Smash Brothers, FYI), showing his skills.
The animation from Illumination is the right call for a film like this. The action sequences are not the best in the biz, but they are the correct fit in scenes that do remind you of playing a video game.
One of the best things about the first film was that it allowed Jack Black as Bowser to do his thing (most notably with his song “Peaches”, a personal favorite of mine) Here, he seems to be on a leash, even when he finally gets to his normal size (which is never really explained how that could happen).
Parents, I can’t see any parent not taking their kids to this, unless they have a strong hatred towards their kids playing video games.
As with the first film, I went to this one with my gregarious, knowledgeable, kooky, and downright jovial nephews, Link and Lenny. If they are reading this (or your parents are reading it aloud to you), first know it is always a blast going to the movies with you guys. That said, you are getting close to being old enough that I can be honest with you, I think a movie is good or not. I’m glad you had fun, and you should know I am still a fan of video games.
But you know what Uncle Mark is a bigger fan of? Movies, and movies with enjoyable plots.
Mamma mia, indeed.
Overall:
Nothing else to say 