|
|
|
|
|
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Composed, Co-Conducted, and Produced by:
Co-Conducted by:
Jasper Randall
Orchestrated by:
Dana Niu
Robert Elhai
Brad Warnaar
Rossano Galante
Andrew Kinney
Additional Music and Arrangements by:
John Carey
Josh Zimmerman
Chris Forsgren
Kenny Wood
Max Lombardo
Evan Duffy
Drew Mikuska
Sam Mohart
Score Consultation by:
Koji Kondo
|
|
LABEL & RELEASE DATE
| |
|
Back Lot Music / Iam8Bit
(April 1st, 2026)
|
|
ALBUM AVAILABILITY
| |
|
Regular U.S. release. The digital album from Back Lot
Music was scheduled to be followed three months later by 2-CD, vinyl,
and cassette options from Iam8Bit.
|
|
AWARDS
| |
|
None.
|
|
ALSO SEE
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Buy it... for another rousing treat for fans of the music in the
"Mario" video game franchise, Brian Tyler adding a few attractive new
themes alongside his continued reverence to the concept's legacy.
Avoid it... if you demand a coherent album experience for this
score, key music missing and the presentation out of order to frontload
the thematic suite arrangements.
BUY IT
 | | Tyler |
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: (Brian Tyler/Various)
If there's anything truly certain about the cinematic adaptations of the
Nintendo "Mario" franchise, it's that critics will dislike if not
outright pummel the picture but it will make massive grosses at the
theatres anyway. Is it because critics never played the game? Or maybe
because these movies are truly asinine but viewers don't care? Perhaps
asininity is the whole point? No matter, because Nintendo will milk this
cow as long as possible, and the original 2023 hit, The Super Mario
Bros. Movie, is followed in 2026 by The Super Mario Galaxy
Movie, which takes inspiration in its story from the 2007 "Super
Mario Galaxy" concept and spin-offs. The plot follows those new avenues,
the pair of gameplay heroes Mario and Luigi joined by a range of quirky
friends to venture into space to fight off the shrunken but still evil
Bowser and his son, Bowser Jr. On their way to conquering the threat of
Planet Bowser, these misfits from Brooklyn and beyond are joined by a
pair of princesses, Princess Rosalina and Princess Peach, as well as
Yoshi the dinosaur, clearly not all of these characters Italian by
descent. The specifics of the journey and battles are not important;
what matters is that you end up with game-inspired episodes of adventure
and conflict that must, by the rules of such movie franchises, throw in
as many references and cameos to the concept as possible to keep
money-paying fans satiated. Regardless of how stupid you find these
games and their movies to be, the plus side is that the soundtracks
offer a trove of new and old music from the franchise. Thankfully, the
music direction in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie takes a
fortuitous turn by dropping the annoyingly persistent presence of
licensed songs in favor of allowing Brian Tyler's original score to do
more of the heavy lifting. The project is significant for the composer,
as not only did he provide exuberant music for the preceding film but he
also experienced a major stroke in August 2025 (at an alarmingly young
age) just before beginning substantial work on this sequel.
As not to let the production team and his own scoring
colleagues down, Tyler commenced writing his themes for The Super
Mario Galaxy Movie from his hospital bed while recovering from that
stroke. He managed to keep many on his own team in the dark about his
condition, but the resulting music and cue credits make it likely that
his associates ultimately handled a significant amount of the later
arrangements and assembly of the score. Franchise music legend Koji
Kondo continues as a music consultant from the prior entry, and his
music, alongside that of Mahito Yokota, is the most prevalent in the
references, though other Nintendo composers' music is everywhere amongst
the original material. As expected, there is an excess of major-key
enthusiasm in the entire recording, though not all of it truly sounds
like Tyler's own voice due to all the factors mentioned above. He only
receives solo credit on the first four album tracks that comprise the
movie's main new themes, and his army of arrangers is credited with the
coordination of these and old ideas into the final recording. If the
score sounds a bit haphazard in its thematic narrative to you, this
circumstance is likely why. The resulting whole is effective but
experiences the same benefits and drawbacks of the previous score. With
each franchise entry, the effort to squeeze in references gets more
challenging, and with the absence of so many songs this time, that task
is outright overwhelming and potentially distracting. The
instrumentation is extremely colorful as one would hope, though the
vintage 1980's analog sound is dialed back in favor of a more
straightforward balance of 70-member orchestra with a variety of
soloists, hyperactive percussion, and a mixed choir on top. The vocals
really do shine in the score, highlighted by female tones akin to Andrew
Lockington's style in "Another Adventure Begins" and "Star Shower," the
latter a gorgeous version of the Yokota "Star Festival" theme. (The
synth presence in a later performance of this idea in the cue is eerily
appropriate.) Generally, the vocals are well handled throughout,
especially in "Rebuilding the Castle," providing the sense of awe and
familial sentimentality as needed.
As necessary to orchestrally convey the individual
references to Nintendo composer themes in The Super Mario Galaxy
Movie, Tyler and his crew employ a wide spread of unique
instrumentation for specific moments. An organ and theremin offer
other-worldly presence, especially for the villains. A solo piano, as in
the Yokota "Luma" theme interlude during "Star Shower," is a nice touch.
Accents like the marimba for the game's Honeyhive theme in "The Worst
Place to Bee" are followed by whistling, kazoos, humorous percussive
effects, and 1950's female choir for other moments. Casual listeners
will most recognize the distinct electric guitar blasting away for the
"Star Fox" character insertions. The old 8-bit, analog musical tones do
return in "Your King Has Returned" and elsewhere for brief snippets,
almost always in conjunction with the insertion of a legacy game theme.
The thematic situation in the score is dominated by Tyler's combination
of original ideas from the prior work and this one. The original main
franchise theme by Kondo is present as a recurring reminder, of course,
known as the ground or overworld theme. It's performed by choir and
ensemble at the end of "Super Mario Brothers Prelude" and opens "Cool
Motorcycle Guys" before segueing into Tyler's original theme. It's not
present as much later in the sequel score, only slight in "Under Siege,"
"Assault on Planet Bowser," and "Family is Forever." Instead, Tyler
concentrates more here on his own identities. Foremost are his main
theme from the first film and his identity for Peaches. The former is
summarized with full ensemble spirit in "Super Mario Brothers Prelude"
with choir and rock percussion for a nice fanfare moment, and this cue
is heard over the second half of the end credits. It guides the early
portions of "Cool Motorcycle Guys," slows for cool impact early on organ
in "Trouble in the Pipes," and becomes nicely anthemic in part during
the middle of "Another Adventure Begins." After informing the action in
"Under Siege," the primary theme punctuates the bevy of game themes at
the end of "Punishment by Parasol," its underlying rhythms guiding the
many game themes in "Taking Care of the Kingdom Isn't Easy" before a
full choral rendition. It's playful in bits during "Dino Might,"
mingling with the new Rosalina theme, propels the journey alongside game
melodies in "Assault on Planet Bowser," and reminds at the end of
"Rebuilding the Castle."
A bright spot of the prior score is Tyler's theme for
Princess Peach, its descending trios enjoying pronounced harmony shifts
of satisfaction but its renditions never seemingly frequent or elongated
enough to really satisfy on album. This malleable idea tickles
throughout "Another Adventure Begins" before finally expressing itself
in full, agonizes in the latter of "Under Siege," and adapts into the
silly action of "Cuteness for Crime" and "Punishment by Parasol" before
finalizing a statement in "The Flight Deck." It contributes to the
action in "Assault on Planet Bowser" and "Your King Has Returned," earns
its full resolve as a hero identity in the middle of "Family is
Forever," and develops out of the Rosalina theme with resounding power
in "Rebuilding the Castle," where it leads into the crescendo of main
identities at the end of the cue. Among Tyler's new themes for The
Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Rosalina's identity is arguably the main
one of the sequel, a notable fantasy and drama presence for family. It's
very familiar to the style of James Newton Howard in the fantasy realm
of the 2010's, and Tyler explores it magnificently at length in "Super
Mario Galaxy" for beefy, bass-heavy orchestra and choir, an immensely
lovely highlight of this score. The idea's adaptations are widespread in
the narrative, straining against the tension and game theme references
in "You're Coming With Me" while slight opposite the Bowser Jr. material
in the second half of "Junior and the Koopas." This Galaxy-oriented
theme is tender for a moment in the wonder at the end of "Another
Adventure Begins," redemptively ascendant in the first minute of "The
Worst Place to Bee," and bare near the end of "Taking Care of the
Kingdom Isn't Easy." The theme rediscovers some of its majesty for a
moment in the latter half of "Dino Might," ominously dramatic in the
middle of "Assault on Planet Bowser," resilient on choir and strings
against slamming anvil in "Your King Has Returned," and fighting the
Bowser Jr. material in "Family is Forever." At the story's end,
Rosalina's theme is highly redemptive in "Rebuilding the Castle" amongst
related game references, shifting to a little more adversity in the
minor mode for a moment, which is a nice change. Its presence in this
cue makes it a powerhouse conclusion for the film. More overt
interaction between the two princess themes would have been a nice
strategy never truly realized.
Extending out of Tyler's decent but not particularly
memorable villain-oriented material for Bowser in the first film is his
new theme for that character's son, Bowser Jr., in The Super Mario
Galaxy Movie, a good creep representation when needed but also
espousing some comedic deviations. Expressed in the suite of "The Rise
of Bowser Jr.," which did not appear in the movie, the theme's primary
melody consolidates in ominous form about a minute into the cue and
defines itself as very functional and easily recallable identity. It
features in the latter half of "You're Coming With Me" for a few doses
of menace before theremin and strings join choir for a major rendition
early in "Junior and the Koopas." That latter cue turns into the most
major exploration of the idea in the movie itself. Stomping in
appropriately different, bloated formations in "Under Siege," this theme
melds with vintage material well in the grandiose classicism of "A
Master Artist at Work" and briefly opens "Assault on Planet Bowser" with
mystery before returning from choral force later. It stomps with tumult
at the outset of "Your King Has Returned" and postures quite a bit,
gaining even more warlike footing in "Family is Forever." The final
major new theme in the score belongs to the dinosaur Yoshi, a carefree
retro identity of swinging spirit with pronounced xylophone and
percussion presence. Affable but rather anonymous despite its highly
positive personality, this theme's pair of primary phrases is highly
amusing, especially on lively brass. Although not used in the final
picture, this material is summarized extensively in "Yoshi On the Go"
with a really funny ending for piano and vocal hooting in the recording
studio. It guides a nice moment in the middle and end of "Cool
Motorcycle Guys" and becomes well dramatized in the center portion of
"Taking Care of the Kingdom Isn't Easy," continuing that versatility in
"Dino Might." Fragmented in "Assault on Planet Bowser," this theme blows
up with great enthusiasm in the last minute of "Family is Forever."
These ideas don't have the opportunity to really flourish in the score
because of Tyler's decision to have his crew weave so many snapshots of
concept identities from the past into the fabric of so much of it.
Several major cues are little more than expositions of the various game
themes with a few snippets of Tyler's themes in between, and reports
have suggested that 300 Easter eggs exist in the work.
Interestingly, while 2007 "Super Mario Galaxy" game
music is present in small doses for singular characters or situation in
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it's not a major contributor in how
it defines the overall narrative against Tyler's original ideas. Also
factoring is music from a wide variety of composers for "Super Mario
Galaxy 2," "Super Mario Bros. 2," "Super Mario Bros. 3," "Super Mario
Odyssey," "Super Mario World," "Super Mario Sunshine," "Super Mario 64,"
"Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars," "Super Mario Land," "New
Super Mario Bros. Wii," "Paper Mario: Sticker Star," "Star Fox," "Star
Fox 64," "Pikmin," "Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally," "Yoshi's New
Island," and "Yoshi's Story." Some of these applications are more
substantial than others, the aforementioned cue "Star Shower" a
remarkable adaptation. Also making the heaviest use of legacy Nintendo
themes are "A Master Artist at Work" (against the new Bowser Jr. theme),
"A New World," "Punishment by Parasol," and "Taking Care of the Kingdom
Isn't Easy" (against the Tyler's main theme). These references proceed
with gusto in "The Flight Deck," including the Hajime Wakai "Pikmin"
material, though the Kondo "Star Fox" infusion in the last minute is a
bit distracting in its guitar weight. Fans will really appreciate the
most extensive references in "Assault on Planet Bowser" and "1up," the
latter especially summarizing the Yokota and Kondo music during the end
credits. In the end, these adaptations will only really serve hardcore
enthusiasts of the games, and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie may
seem haphazardly frantic to others. The score-only album is a major
problem in and of itself, Tyler choosing his four suite-like
presentations of his major themes, two unused in the movie, to open the
product. Further throwing the experience off is the lack of the score's
quality opening cue, "A New Realm," at all. No doubt, the album should
have started with this anticipation-building Now You See Me-like
rendition of the new Rosalina theme. It's a very strong opening for the
film, and for the album to neglect its presence and then follow Tyler's
tiring habit of frontloading the best music up front on his products is
a persisting shame. Regardless, given the circumstances by which he
wrote his themes for this score, the enthusiasm for life is boundless in
this recording, and there are more than enough highlights to recommend
for listeners ready to conduct some rearrangement of their own.
@Amazon.com: CD or
Download
- Music as Written for the Film: ****
- Music as Heard on Album: ***
- Overall: ****
| Bias Check: |
For Brian Tyler reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.24
(in 43 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.12
(in 21,354 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
|
Total Time: 87:21
• 1. Super Mario Brothers Prelude (1:24)
• 2. Super Mario Galaxy (4:38)
• 3. Yoshi On the Go (3:33)
• 4. The Rise of Bowser Jr. (2:58)
• 5. Cool Motorcycle Guys (2:16)
• 6. You're Coming With Me (3:01)
• 7. Trouble in the Pipes (2:18)
• 8. Junior and the Koopas (3:16)
• 9. Another Adventure Begins (3:18)
• 10. Star Shower (2:45)
• 11. Under Siege (3:18)
• 12. A Master Artist at Work (3:23)
|
• 13. A New World (2:16)
• 14. Cuteness for Crime (2:27)
• 15. Punishment by Parasol (3:41)
• 16. The Worst Place to Bee (4:14)
• 17. Taking Care of the Kingdom Isn't Easy (4:41)
• 18. The Flight Deck (2:51)
• 19. Dino Might (5:44)
• 20. Assault on Planet Bowser (6:16)
• 21. Your King Has Returned (5:47)
• 22. Family is Forever (3:47)
• 23. Rebuilding the Castle (5:47)
• 24. 1up (3:58)
|
There exists no official packaging for the digital version of this album.
|
