The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Officially Breaks An 11-Year Animation Trend

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Illumination surprised and delighted fans of animated movies with The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The film’s cosmic adventure, featuring Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and other beloved Nintendo characters, uses the same 3D animation style that Illumination has been known for since their first film, Despicable Me in 2010. Unlike studios like DreamWorks and Sony who have experimented with different looks, Illumination has consistently maintained this signature visual style.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie had a unique moment that stepped away from the usual Illumination animation look. When Fox McCloud, voiced by Glen Powell, is introduced, he shares his history through a narrated flashback with accompanying images. This section of the film used a different visual style than the rest, even though Fox was created as a 3D character for the movie.

The movie explains Fox’s origins using 2D animation, designed with a style similar to anime. This choice makes introducing the popular Nintendo character even more dynamic and helps him stand out – both within the film and in Illumination’s overall body of work, as the studio doesn’t often deviate from its usual 3D animated style.

Illumination Hasn’t Used 2D Animation Since 2015

Before the introduction of the character Fox, Illumination hadn’t used traditional 2D animation in over ten years. The last time they did was briefly at the start of the movie Minions in 2015.

The beginning of the Despicable Me prequel uses traditional 2D animation to show how the Minions first came to be. However, this style only lasts for the opening credits – less than two minutes – before the movie switches back to the studio’s usual 3D animation for the rest of the film.

The 2D animated sequence in The Super Mario Bros. Movie is brief, appearing around the middle of the film. It’s interesting that Illumination, known for its style, has again stepped outside its usual methods for this origin story segment. This time, the 2D animation draws strong inspiration from anime, making it look even more different from the rest of the movie.

To create the anime-inspired 2D sequence, Illumination brought in Benjamin Faure, who previously worked as a 3D supervising animator on The Super Mario Bros. Movie. His experience made him a perfect fit to lead the intro scene for Fox. Faure is known for his work on popular anime series like Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, and My Hero Academia.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie‘s 2D Animation Scene Could Signal A Change For Illumination

The unique 2D anime-inspired look used for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie could be a preview of future projects from the studio. Although their traditional 3D animation continues to create visually appealing films, audiences are increasingly drawn to animated movies that experiment with new and different styles.

Films like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and KPop Demon Hunters have proven that audiences enjoy animated styles that mix 2D and 3D visuals. Pixar is planning to explore this trend with their upcoming film, Gatto. This success also coincides with the growing popularity of anime movies, such as Demon Slayer, in theaters.

Illumination might have included the 2D anime-style sequence in The Super Mario Bros. Movie as a way to experiment with the style and gauge audience reaction. Given the overwhelmingly positive response to it, Illumination could explore using 2D animation more frequently in future projects, moving beyond their usual 3D look.

Illumination’s films won’t have a drastically different style overnight. However, it would be fantastic to see them incorporate more 2D animation into future projects when it fits. It would be especially exciting if they announced a full movie made in the style of the 2D anime sequence from The Super Mario Bros. Movie – perhaps a Star Fox spin-off, for example.

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2026-04-08 19:28