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The Italian plumber Mario, a character once dubbed more recognizable than Mickey Mouse<\/a> with roughly 300<\/a> video game appearances to date, has returned to the big screen in \u201cThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie.\u201d Its precursor, 2023\u2019s \u201cThe Super Mario Bros. Movie<\/a>,\u201d offered a mostly charming adventure through the Mushroom Kingdom, but it felt a little soulless. From generic needle drops<\/a> to absurdly fast pacing and more video game references than true storytelling, the film felt like it was made in a boardroom.<\/p>\n The new film looks beyond the Mushroom Kingdom to a vast universe that ironically ends up feeling even more confined than its predecessor. Deprived of any true charm, the film is a cardboard cutout of a movie: From the front, it seems real, but the second you look past the image, you realize it\u2019s just a floppy piece of paper lacking any heart.<\/p>\n Loosely based on the 2007 Wii classic Super Mario Galaxy, the film sprawls across a multitude of planets and species. It\u2019s filled to the brim with Easter eggs spanning the Mario franchise\u2019s 45-year history, launching the viewer into a whirlwind of references right from the opening Illumination logo. In it, the filmmakers rapidly throw things at the wall and hope they stick. A wide majority of the film\u2019s jokes rely on knowledge of the Mario games, whether it\u2019s cameos from infamous side characters, 8-bit graphics<\/a> or past logos in the background.\u00a0<\/p>\n The goal of this formula is to appease two sides of the audience. On one end, you have a fast-paced, shallow adventure film that kids can enjoy. On the other hand, the film is chock-full of references for adults who grew up playing these games and will feel both nostalgic and validated in their knowledge. By including something for everybody, the studio looked to double its potential audience as well as its profit. Creating the cinematic equivalent of fast food, \u201cThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie\u201d is a quick-hitting, easily processed thing that does not give you any true nourishment.\u00a0<\/p>\n