The Super Mario Galaxy Movie 4K UHD Review

What Universal and Illumination have done with two Super Mario Bros. movies is turn the audience into a crowd of Chris Evans memes, repeating, “I understood that reference,” until the 90-minutes of brain-beating chaos is over. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie doesn’t stop at Mario – it’s a commercial flush with nods to Nintendo franchises like Pikmin, Star Fox, Nintendo’s Game & Watch series, and other games in the Mario series itself.

My generation’s Nintendo movie was The Wizard, a 90-minute commercial for Super Mario Bros. 3 and the Power Glove. As child of the ‘80s, we no doubt would have willingly murdered someone to see something akin to the Super Mario Galaxy Movie. But, many of us watched The Wizard on repeat because it gave us affirmation that Nintendo was cool, we were part of something culturally important enough to have a movie, and we saw the thing(s) we loved on screen. Now we have a generation built on affirmation via social media, where everything we love is reinforced by others without dissent, and movie studios (but mostly their marketing teams) can sell that feeling to us.

“Galaxy” in this instance doesn’t reference the Mario game of the same name so much as another cinematic universe/galaxy/cosmos/world to exploit. Animation used to challenge us with stories of immigrant mice escaping a holocaust, but now in this infinitely corporatized world, the focus is only on being toyetic, with billion dollar companies joined together in capitalistic synchronicity; the only output that matters is whether the plastic toys linked to the entertainment will sell.

There’s nothing wrong with liking this movie or having a good time with it. It would be a lie to say The Super Mario Galaxy Movie didn’t put a smile on my face multiple times, or I didn’t hum along with some of the tiny musical references contained within. Rather, we did this already in 2023. It was cute. It was fun. There didn’t need to be more of it, and the pace is less about keeping the story moving than it is stuffing the screen with familiar images no matter which Nintendo generation you belong to. The only reason this isn’t boring is because the content comes at viewers at a speed equivalent to scrolling through a social app.

With Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it’s clear Universal and Nintendo won’t stop. Why would they? There are certain to be Metroid movies, Zelda movies, then Dr. Mario, Splatoon, and all of it eventually combining for a Super Smash Bros. movie, which will have fandom sharing trailers on social media for days, doing Universal’s marketing for them.

Because it’s not stories that sell anymore, it’s affirmation.

An absolute showcase, Mario Galaxy brings impeccably bright, intense Dolby Vision to every frame. There’s a light show everywhere, as nearly everything in this movie sparkles in some capacity, or at least reflecting light in some way that makes use of the format’s brilliance. Of course, everything is glistening with hyper-saturated color, like neon without actually being neon. There isn’t a single frame of Mario Galaxy that isn’t peak UHD.

Whether rendered at full 4K or not (it likely was), sharpness is just as marvelous. Detail on Mario’s overalls/fabrics, Bowser Jr.’s skin, the cities/towns/whatever else are impeccable in their resolution. The fidelity stuffed into these frames is incredible, and no matter anyone’s feelings toward the movie itself, there’s no question as to its visual acumen.

Black levels look great, the image is nearly entirely free of noise (Rosalina’s hair tends to be a problem spot, albeit a minuscule one), and a non-stop showcase. This is why physical media still matters.

Just as intense as the video, the Dolby Atmos mix is powerful on the low-end with awesome spectacle from explosions, stomping, engines, and whatever else is tossed this track’s way. It’s perfectly balanced, tight, and hearty. Plus, it’s varied, from deep groaning to quick rumbles. Regardless, it’s always satisfying. Dialog is expertly maintained no matter the surrounding calamity facing the characters.

Surrounds and overheads never stop engaging. Stars sweep around, flawless in their movement no matter the direction. Heights are locked in at an equal level, refusing to miss a detail. Crumbling buildings sell the idea through audio alone, with exquisite debris fields. The soundtrack and all of its (many, many) callbacks to the games fill the soundstage. Mario Galaxy sounds exquisite.

Surprising to no one who follows these things, Universal includes generic EPK materials on the usual suspects like the cast, easter eggs, music, etc. Nothing is in depth or even particularity interesting.