The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Review: Chaotic Fun, Gorgeous Animation & All The First Movie’s Problems

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Nintendo has a winning formula for its Mario movies and is using it again. Like the 2023 film, this sequel prioritizes quick-paced action, silly jokes, and a flood of references to the past 40 years of Mario games—all at the expense of a strong story or well-developed characters. But if you’re looking for a fun, visually impressive experience and don’t mind a simple plot, this movie delivers a sweet, energetic ride.

The new Super Mario Galaxy Movie has the same strengths and weaknesses as the first film. It includes a huge number of beloved characters from the Mario universe and Nintendo games, but often feels overcrowded and doesn’t develop them very deeply. The movie moves quickly through important story details and interesting relationships to make room for jokes and introduce more characters. However, fans who liked the original movie and simply want to see more of the Mario world will likely enjoy it and hope for another sequel.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Is Fast-Paced, Overstuffed & Thin Where It Matters

Just as expected, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie features a wide range of beloved characters from the Mario universe, really opening up Nintendo’s world for viewers. The movie’s main story begins with Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) telling a story to her Luma children about Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Mario (Chris Pratt). However, Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie) interrupts and kidnaps Rosalina, hoping to steal her powerful cosmic abilities.

Peach joins forces with Mario, Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day), Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), and their friend Yoshi (Donald Glover) to save her. Meanwhile, Bowser (Jack Black), who’s trying to change his ways, has to decide whether to help the heroes or side with his son. This sets the stage for lots of familiar characters from the Mario universe to appear. The main characters get split up and face a series of challenges as they try to rescue Rosalina, and Glen Powell delivers a standout performance as Fox McCloud, playing a key role in the story.

While the movie adds a lot of new characters, creating opportunities for interesting interactions, it doesn’t spend enough time developing those relationships. For example, when Yoshi joins the group, it briefly sets up a funny rivalry with Toad, but that idea is quickly abandoned. Similarly, a potentially sweet friendship starts between Luigi and Bowser, but it doesn’t feel important to the main story as other plot points are introduced.

The movie shows the strongest connection between Bowser and Bowser Jr. It portrays Bowser as a harmful parent who taught his son to want to take over the world, but then left him feeling like he needed to achieve that goal to earn Bowser’s acceptance.

Although exploring Bowser’s feelings more deeply could have added complexity to his character, the movie mostly keeps him as a source of humor. Jack Black’s voice work continues to be a highlight – just as it was in the 2023 film – and he delivers most of the laughs, though you shouldn’t expect another song like “Peaches.”

Honestly, Mario and Luigi felt a bit sidelined in this one. Luigi definitely gets a bit more to do than he did in the last movie, and it’s nice to see their brotherly dynamic explored a little more. But Mario’s story, while it continues his sweet romance with Peach, doesn’t really take center stage. In fact, Peach’s own journey of self-discovery ended up being the real emotional heart of the film, making her the true hero amongst the good guys. It felt like her story carried the weight of the film more than Mario’s did.

Brie Larson delivers a strong performance as Rosalina, who is central to the plot of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. However, the film doesn’t fully explore her rich backstory and potential. While she has a great introduction, the movie only touches the surface of her lore. The film does introduce a significant change to her origin story, which could be a compelling starting point for a third movie to delve into her character more thoroughly.

Nintendo Fans Will Love The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’s Easter Eggs & Cameos Galore

The latest Galaxy film ditches a steady pace for a fast-paced, action-packed adventure, and references to past films and character appearances fly by just as quickly. For dedicated fans, it’s like watching a constant stream of familiar faces, places, and details – anything that wasn’t included in The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s many Easter eggs is likely to pop up here.

Just like the first film, the beautiful animation is a standout feature of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The bright, colorful visuals, and the clever way the movie mixes Illumination’s style with classic 8-bit Nintendo graphics, keep you engaged throughout the exciting adventure.

Don’t go into The Super Mario Bros. Movie expecting a deeply emotional story like you’d find in a Pixar film. Nintendo isn’t aiming for that with these movies. Instead, it delivers exactly what it sets out to be: a fun, funny, and visually impressive adventure packed with references to Mario games from across the years. The post-credits scene strongly hints at a third movie, and it will likely follow the same formula – which is both a good and a bad thing.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie releases in theaters on Wednesday, April 1.

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2026-03-31 22:39