The Big Picture
The Super Mario Bros. Movie brought some of Nintendo’s most beloved characters to the silver screen. And while that would already be enough for Illumination to score big at the box office, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is stuffed with Easter eggs. It’s a magical experience getting to see Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) get their well-deserved time in the cinematic spotlight, but they are far from being the best character in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. That title goes to Lumalee (voiced by Juliet Jelenic), the most adorably depressing nihilist ever featured in a family-friendly animated movie. Lumalee steals every scene they are in by making us question the value of existence in itself in a hilarious way. However, most importantly, Lumalee’s video game history teases where Illumination and Nintendo might take their successful theatrical franchise in possible sequels and spinoffs.
A plumber named Mario travels through an underground labyrinth with his brother Luigi, trying to save a captured princess.
Release Date April 7, 2023
Director Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
Cast Chris Pratt2, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, Sebastian Maniscalco
Rating PG
Runtime 105 minutes
Genres Adventure, Comedy
The Lumas Were Introduced in ‘Super Mario Galaxy’
Lumalee is a Luma, a star-like species introduced in 2007’s Super Mario Galaxy. First released on the Nintendo Wii, Super Mario Galaxy reveals a blue comet flies over the Mushroom Kingdom every one hundred years, giving the Toads and Princess Peach the perfect excuse to throw a huge festival. Unfortunately, the celebration gets interrupted by Bowser, who uses a spaceship to lift Peach’s castle from the ground, kidnapping the princess and taking her to the middle of the universe. So, it’s up to Mario to cross planets and galaxies while trying to rescue Peach.
In order to reach Bowser, Mario is tasked with collecting Power Stars and powering up the Comet Observatory, a massive space station capable of traveling through the cosmos. The Comet Observatory is actually the blue comet, which was drained of its power by Bowser. The Comet Observatory is the home of Rosalina, who uses the space station to nurse young Lumas and help them find their true purpose. Each Luma is a gestating celestial body, and Lumas can transform into planets, whole galaxies, black holes, and even Power Stars. However, some Lumas take longer than others to achieve their full potential, which is why Rosalina takes care of them as a surrogate mother.
In Super Mario Galaxy, the Lumas are frequently helping Mario by transforming into levels and jump pads that can help the hero reach high places. As for the Lumalees, they are a subspecies of Lumas usually found before a boss battle. Also known as Salesman Lumas, Lumalees trade Star Bits Mario collects in the levels for a power-up to help him turn the tide and prepare for the challenging trials ahead. However, that’s as far as Lumalees’ personality goes. All the Lumas are extremely friendly to Mario, but they were never presented as layered characters. That’s what makes The Super Mario Bros. Movie Lumalee all the more surprising.
Who Is ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s Lumalee?
In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Lumalee is one of the prisoners Bowser keeps locked in a cage over a lava pit. After Bowser’s minions capture Luigi, he gets thrown into the villain’s scary prison, hoping to find a way to escape. However, as Lumalee kindly tells the mustachioed hero, there’s no hope of salvation apart from the sweet release of death. Lumalee is a cute creature with delicate features and a tender voice. So it’s just hilarious to listen to them talking about death, destruction, and the void of existence. And while The Super Mario Bros. Movie bets on nostalgia and familiarity to carry over the story, Lumalee acts as a curveball, taking us by surprise with how gloomy this character can really be.
Lumalee’s presence in The Super Mario Bros. Movie also teases how Nintendo and Illumination probably intend to adapt the Super Mario Galaxy storyline. Bowser’s prison is filled with the surviving penguins of the ice kingdom the villain destroys. And later on, the Kong army is also locked in cages. However, the movie never explains where Lumalee comes from. Still, if Lumalee exists in The Super Mario Bros. Movie universe, we could possibly see Rosalina and the Comet Observatory make their theatrical debut in the future.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is now available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
Watch on Netflix
