I went into the Super Mario Galaxy movie hoping it wouldn't feel like a soulless cash grab preying on my nostalgia. Not only was it fun, but it was also beautiful? Unexpected!
Part of this love letter goes to Dolby Cinema. Dual 4K laser projection may not sound exciting but, damn, I saw every animated glitter shimmer across Rosalina's dress just as much as the various green speckles across Yoshi's dome. I loved it.
I didn't see Wicked in Dolby when it was out, so my comparison probably feels cheap, but: the Emerald City stirs up a sense of saturation that the overall film lacks. The upcoming Hunger Games prequel is already getting compliments for pushing color.
Maybe seeing Mario made me realize I already had a fixation on vibrancy with my love of beauties like Excalibur, Legend, Dracula, Crimson Peak... I can go on.... Mad Max, TRON and more recently Wuthering Heights. It doesn't need to be a full, blown-out rainbow the whole time. Accents like yellow and magenta in Project Hail Mary capture my attention and admiration too.
What Mario Got Right
Again, the Dolby Cinema format probably mattered a lot here. The contrast, the brightness, the clarity were all astounding. I'm unfortunately locked in for life now. A few scenes that still stand out:
Glitter across Rosalina's dress. Tiny, individual sparkles catching light like the real thing.
Princess Peach's eyes. That specific shade and opulence of blue and white.
Baby Bowser's iridescent armor. I am a sucker for iridescence. Greens, purples, golds, magentas.
The toad heads and star sprites. So often the animators filled the screen with them for a full spectrum of color.
My Rec
If you haven't seen The Super Mario Galaxy Movie yet, watch it in Dolby Cinema. Check if a local theater has a Dolby screen — the upcharge pays off.
FAQs
Is Dolby Cinema actually worth the upcharge?
For the right movie? Absolutely. For a mid-budget drama, probably skip it and save a few dollars. For anything visually ambitious, pay the extra $5.
What are some of the most colorful films?
The classics: Excalibur (1981, more for its SPARKLES), Legend (1985), Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula (1992), and Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak (2015) all use color as character.
What are the most visually stunning scenes in the Mario Movie?
There is such a creative play on the 8-bit and 24-bit worlds that Mario started in. It's a level of fan service that really gets the old folk (alas, 30+) grinning.
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