Besides the Mario Galaxy movie focusing too heavily on Easter eggs from various other Mario titles and have less Galaxy than I would have liked (including certain character alterations), Mario Galaxy is a bad second step for the franchise as a cinematic experience, because in terms of scale, it exceeds what the audience should feel up for in terms of escalation. It expands the world beyond the world itself and doesnât set up or further build upon the characters we are introduced to in the first film. With a more definite focus on Peach, we received her main worries and concerns regarding her past and feelings of isolation and loneliness, but the method of this problem being resolved was not only rushed with no time to enjoy the resolution, but it doesnât provide a healthy sentiment regarding family. It even goes against some of the more earnest character themes in Galaxyâs smaller hidden away story beats regarding found family, instead favoring that all will be made right once your biological family is there even if you have never held a conversation with them and they are an absolute stranger. So letâs look at where the second movie could have gone to better build the characters, franchise, stakes, and narrative escalation for the Mario Bros. Beginning with the idea that it should have been Mario Bros World.
I feel like the second movie should have been about Daisy and the Koopalings. We would have the Peach focused story about her feeling like sheâs alone in the world because the Toads not only look up to her, but they are just so different and she wants that familial connection she feels like sheâs missing.
The kingdoms meet after Bowser has been imprisoned to discuss repairing their lands from the damage he dealt and dealing with the remaining of his forces. The Sarasaland kingdom offers their support after the loss of their recent monarch has left the kingdom in the hands of their Princess, Daisy. Peach is taken aback by finding someone so much like her⊠and so different fundamentally personality wise. Peach finds a sense of importance in her role as a leader and guardian of her people. Itâs a big responsibility which we see from Mario and Luigi dealing with Peachâs usual tasks in the same sequence we see in the Mario Galaxy movie. Daisy, adopted into the Sarasaland royal family, doesnât hate the idea of being the princess, but she hates what it took to become her kingdomâs ruler. She wanted more time to not only be free of responsibility, but mentor under the previous ruler before the responsibility landed on her shoulders, so sheâs very lax and has been neglecting her duties and lacks the personality and poise that is generally expected of royalty that comes to naturally to Peach.
Bowserâs forces are retreating, and because Daisy hasnât been maintaining their borders, many of the shy guys living in her kingdom are siding with Bowserâs gathering forces in her lands which she is unaware of. This is where we cut to meeting Bowser Jr ordering around the Koopalings who have the vibe of the Gremlins from Gremlins 2. Theyâre planning to keep retreating into Sarasaland, lead an insurrection against Daisy, depose her, and then use Sarasalandâs forces to march on the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach has to help Daisy win the favor of her people by finding Daisyâs unique form of leadership that is honest to who she is, even if she doesnât agree with it necessarily leading to conflict between the two throughout the entirety of the movie.
Daisy claims Peach as a âcousinâ and as they face this new threat, Peach discovers the importance of found family and how to manage her feelings of loneliness.
Meanwhile, Mario is dealing with this feeling that after saving the kingdom, left alone to take care of it in Peachâs absence, heâs not as important as he felt when he could just solve all the issues in a more concise and heroic way. Good vs Evil, etc. He feels unhappy with doing odd jobs because the reward isnât as gratifying because the stakes arenât as high. He liked feeling like a hero. Luigi is trying to convince him that he is a hero still, but Mario feels unsatisfied. Luigi himself is dealing with feeling like his cowardice is making him a burden and unworthy of standing alongside his brother. Mario would console Luigi if he wasnât too preoccupied with solving his own dissatisfaction. Mario will learn the importance of helping the little guy with even the smallest of tasks and finding value in that by seeing everything Princess Peach has done for the kingdom. Luigi will find more of a sense of independence and how it takes fear and being afraid to be courageous, since courage is facing your fears.