Super Mario Galaxy 4K - The Galaxy Expands

Super Mario Galaxy doesn't try to rewrite the rules of the first film but instead opts to relaunch by shifting the action to the stars and multiplying opportunities for surprise. The Nintendo universe lends itself perfectly to this change of perspective, and the result is a spectacle rich in inventiveness, capable of captivating from the very first sequences. When it's time to give more weight to the story, enthusiasm gives way to some familiar limitations.

The growth primarily concerns the scale of the spectacle. The film increases the number of characters, antagonists, and situations, without finding an equally solid narrative structure. The impression is that the enthusiasm for celebrating Nintendo's heritage often overshadows the story, which progresses by accumulating events instead of building a more engaging journey.

A Leap into the Cosmos That Doesn't Change the Rules

Illumination continues to leverage a high pace and humor that works. In just over an hour and a half, there's always something in motion, and boredom finds no space, while Yoshi emerges as one of the most successful additions thanks to his unpredictability.

Ultimately, Super Mario Galaxy confirms the strengths of its predecessor without making the leap many expected. It's a film that entertains easily and enhances the charm of the Nintendo universe, but it prefers to rely on a tried-and-tested formula instead of truly exploiting the possibilities offered by the galactic setting.

Fully digital production, native 4K, original format 2.39:1 (3840 x 2160/23.97p), HEVC encoding on BD-100 triple layer. The creators confirm their visual excellence; the UHD rendition accompanied by Dolby Vision offers a further improvement compared to the already excellent 2K version on BD-50, included here. In this sense, a greater refinement of even the most distant details is achieved, along with a higher sense of dimensionality.

Instead of being a simple dark background, space becomes an explosion of vibrant nuances that helps give personality to the entire adventure. Even foreground elements benefit from HDR: the fabrics of costumes, Bowser's scales, the characters' fur, and scenic elements show convincing textures rich in shades. Deep blacks, brilliant whites, and a level of contrast that enhances a reference-level technical department.

Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 channels (754 kbps) for Italian, which, despite the encoding, provides decent entertainment, between music and effects, supporting a rich soundtrack with a certain dynamic range. Dialogue from the center channel is good, as are the numerous moments filled with discrete elements, resulting in an outcome that would merit a system beyond a soundbar+subwoofer.

Excellence for the original Dolby TrueHD with ATMOS objects, which, despite 16 bits, increases the level of immersion while remaining below reference peaks. The strength of this track lies not only in a good technical foundation but adds charisma by virtue of the presence of the original actors' voices with easily recognizable tones, such as those of Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Chris Pratt, and Luis Guzmán.

The extras open with a Making of (15'), which traces the film's production through interviews with Shigeru Miyamoto and other production members. This is followed by Cast of Characters (22') with a collection of featurettes dedicated to the protagonists, while Exploring the Galaxy (10') delves into the creation of the environments.

The contents are completed by Galactic Matters (5') dedicated to the film's themes, a focus on Brian Tyler's soundtrack (3'), Power-Ups (2') on the saga's famous power-ups, and Secrets of the Galaxy (3') with a brief overview of the easter eggs scattered throughout the film.