Album Review: Super Mario Galaxy Movie

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Music composed and conducted by Brian Tyler
Orchestrated by Dana Niu, Robert Elhai, Brad Warnaar, Andrew Kinney, Rossano Galante
Score arranged by John Carey, Josh Zimmerman, Chris Forsgren, Kenny Wood, Max Lombardo, Evan Duffy, Drew Mikuska, Sam Mohart
Score recorded at Eastwood Scoring Stage
Album running time: 87 minutes

Available on Back Lot Music

Mario and friends are back on the big screen! Brian Tyler's score to The Super Mario Bros Movie was a blast, and here he expanded on his material and expanded the classic Mario references. I'll go track-by-track to catch as much iconic Nintendo music and how it is combined with the new themes by Tyler. The new theme for Mario gets reused as Tyler adds new themes for Yoshi, villain Bowser Jr. but the most play comes from his theme for Rosalina. While the first movie included many themes from the NES days, Super Mario Galaxy game music is the star of the show this time. 

The album begins with album suites. Super Mario Brothers Prelude blasts right in with Mario's theme arrangement taken from the first film ending with a snippet of the original Mario theme by Koji Kondo. Super Mario Galaxy (played in the credits) introduces Rosalina's theme with choir and wistful strings, later expanding with a grander orchestration. Yoshi on the Go is Yoshi's cheerful theme suite, expanding his theme ever more than in the film itself. The delightful jazzy theme certainly sounds like it could be from a game score. The last suite (also not in the film) is the expanded The Rise of Bowser Jr. His music combines the comic antics and mischievousness with big choir, just like Bowser's theme did in the first film.

Cool Motorcycle Guys introduces Mario and Luigi on bikes entering the Tostarena Ruins seen in Mario Mario Odyssey. We get a combination of the classic Mario theme and the reintroduction of Tyler's Mario theme. We get a quick deep cut thematic reference to the title screen music from Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally and a hint of Tostarena Ruins (Odyssey. Later in the cue we hear the new upbeat theme for Yoshi. Meanwhile, we get suspense in space in You're Coming With Me - Bowser Jr's foreboding theme meets up with Rosalina's theme. We also get the first reference to the Super Mario Galaxy theme at the end of the cue. Trouble in the Pipes uses the flutes on the Tostarena theme again, adding the Mario theme before adding the Underground motif as they explore the pyramid. Fakeout scares provide some orchestral chaos.

Junior and the Koopas begins with the militaristic airship theme (Super Mario 3 etc), layering in Tyler's Bowser Jr's theme and his theme from the Super Mario Galaxy game. Martial brass combine with choir and theremin for his over-the-top plans. Another Adventure Begins begins with the Toad Brigade from Super Mario Galaxy before utilizing the music from the Galaxy's Enter the Galaxy theme. Female vocals add some lightness with Peach and Rosalina's themes used. Star Shower continues the female vocals, with a shimmering rendition of Peach's Castle (Mario 64) and a lovely version of the Star Festival theme (Mario Galaxy).

Under Siege brings the action during a fight against Wonder Bowser Jr. with stomping version of the Boss Battle (Mario Sunshine), bursts of his Mario and Yoshi themes and bigger statements of Bowser Jr's theme. A Master Artist at Work begins with the overly dramatic organ and piano-led version of Bowser's material (Mario RPG). Choir and flurries of strings later add in the Bowser Jr theme, while the Mario theme appears, brief statements from the Mario Galaxy game (final battle, Peach's Castle Stolen). It's not surprising to see many cuts from the game straight into this film.

As Peach and Toad arrive at the Gateway Galaxy in A New World, we hear some quick cuts from Mario Galaxy and personal favorite, Gusty Garden Galaxy before ending on a burst of Rosalina's theme. Cuteness for Crime brings some frenetic fun action with hints of Underground and Underwater motifs. Punishment by Parasol is standout action cue full of Nintendo themes mixed in - Wart (final boss from Mario 2), and Toad Brigade. Meanwhile, Mario is fighting Bowser Jr's Ruined Dragon (including the dragon's theme from Mario Odyssey), ending in large reprises of Gusty Garden and Tyler's Mario theme.       

The Worst Place to Bee continues a reference to Mario 2's final boss music, Rosalina's theme and the marimba-led Honeyhive music (Mario Galaxy) ending with plodding brass and percussion. Taking Care of the Kingdom Isn't Easy goes back to the breezier side, with Mario's theme taking the heroic lead with short bursts of Nintendo references and sound effects. (Donut Plains from Mario World, Battle theme from Mario 3, Broodals motif from Odyssey, Yoshi's Story theme, Underwater and Overworld). In the latter half, sweet and comic versions of the themes underscore Bowser and Jr's puppet show.

The Flight Deck opens with some sweeping versions of themes from Odyssey (Fossil Falls) and Galaxy (Overture). We hear a brief reference to Pikmin, matching their cameo appearance. Electric guitars mark the exciting big orchestral theme from StarFox 64 as we're introduced to Fox McCloud. Dino Might has some cartoon antics including Yoshi's theme playfully tossed into the mix before expanding into a roaring action cue that includes part of the final battle with Bowser (Mario Galaxy). The choir reprises Rosalina's theme, combining with Mario's theme for a calmer end to the cue until Bowser Jr's theme appears.

His theme continues into Assault of Planet Bowser. We get Galaxy Reactor (Mario Galaxy) before another rousing version of the Mario theme before Super Mario Galaxy jumps in. The Nintendo references come in quick succession, giving more expanded time to StarFox material. The excitement continues with combinations of Galaxy themes and Tyler's original themes. Your King Has Returned contains more Bowser statements including Galaxy Reactor (Mario Galaxy) while Rosalina's theme gets a dire sounding reprise in between all the orchestral tumult. For the battle, we hear the video game stylings of the Overworld, Castle (Super Mario Bros), Main Theme (Mario 64) among Tyler's Mario theme and intense choir. 

Family is Forever continues Bowser's material with more interesting percussion, Overworld (Super Mario World), a shimmering Rosalina theme, Gusty Garden Galaxy (Mario Galaxy) before ending with Mario's theme bounding off of Bowser's theme. The lightness reappears in Rebuilding the Castle, starting with a tender bit of Comet Observatory (Mario Galaxy) before joining the sweeping Tyler theme. This finale section builds with racing strings to a lovely Gusty Garden reprise followed by the StarFox theme, waltz from Comet Observatory (Galaxy) and the Peach's Castle (Mario 64) before ending with a big Mario theme statement.

1up, the credits track is full of the Nintendo references heard earlier, great orchestral renditions of themes primarily from Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario World, StarFox and Super Mario Land. Much like the previous score, we see Tyler and his multiple arrangers cram as many bite sized nuggets of Nintendo nostalgia into just about every corner of the score. Big props to all the various Nintendo composers I haven't credited! 

Mario's theme seems to be put to the backburner, we get lots of the original themes Rosalina, Bowser and Bowser Jr. Yoshi's theme seems to be sadly underutilized. Snippets of the Super Mario Galaxy games have been played orchestrally around the world for years, but it's still great to hear them in the big animated Hollywood setting. Not knowing every reference (and I'm sure I missed plenty) doesn't diminish any part of the listening experience, it just might seem disjointed and frantic - much like the wilder animation style Illumination adds to their films. We'll no doubt get more Mario films, and can't wait to see what comes next!