With The Super Mario Galaxy Movie finally in theaters we just had to go see what it was all about.
*warning: minor spoilers below for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie*
Three years after The Super Mario Bros. Movie blew our minds, the follow up film, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie arrived in theaters, continuing the story of Mario and Luigi and Princess Peach as they live their lives in the Mushroom Kingdom. Their seemingly perfect lives are (literally) blown up when Bowser Jr. arrives seeking to free his father. Not only that, it turns out Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) is in danger as well.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Directed by: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
Starring: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Benny Safdie, Donald Glover, Brie Larson
Release Date: April 1, 2026
First off, I have to say I completely adored this movie. It contains everything I need to help me feel better after a stressful day: funny jokes, great music, and solid animation. Not only that, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is filled with even more easter eggs and cameos than the first film. While it’s true there is a lot going on in a very short time, it all seems to work. It’s certainly not boring!
In all seriousness, there is a lot happening in this film, especially for a film that runs just over 90 minutes. On the one hand, I can kind of see why some critics are giving the film less than stellar reviews, and if it were any other kind of film I would probably agree with them. However, I’m of the opinion that, when it comes to movies aimed primarily at children, they don’t always have to be particularly deep, so long as they’re entertaining. Sometimes, it’s okay to have a movie that tells a cute story without requiring a lot of thought and that’s exactly what this film is and that’s okay.
One of my favorite parts of the film was the appearance from Fox McCloud, aka the protagonist of the Star Fox video games. I swear, if this isn’t a sign that a Star Fox movie is in the works, then what are we even doing? I was initially nervous at the idea of characters from other video game franchises appearing so soon, but it fits in perfectly. You could tell the animators had done their homework in bringing the character to life while still paying respectful homage to the video games.
If there was one part of the film that did bother me, it was almost everything to do with Bowser. While I’m perfectly happy with how Bowser and Bowser Jr. ultimately end up in the film, Bowser for most of the film was…frustrating to me. In the first film Bowser was presented as this unstoppable villain, albeit a cartoonish one. In this film, Bowser, prior to the final act of the film, feels somewhat de-fanged. It’s like the story writers couldn’t decide if Bowser was actually going to turn good or if he was tricking the heroes and the lack of commitment to one way or the other hurts the final product ever so slightly.
I genuinely like Bowser Jr., and the interactions he has with his dad are great. However, I did find myself wishing a few times that it would’ve been better if Bowser Jr. had been shown at least once in the first film. It would’ve helped their interactions later in the film make slightly more sense given, for us, that Bowser Jr. just appears seemingly from nowhere.
That being said, another thing the film did really well was sneak in multiple shout-outs to past Super Mario games. I definitely recognized some references to Super Mario Odyssey and, of course, the Super Mario Galaxy games. There’s also a hilarious reference (or two) to classic 2D Mario gameplay that are, in my opinion, perfectly executed.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a fun adventure that is clearly setting the stage for bigger things to come. If they continue making them like this, I fully support as many sequels getting made as they want. Hopefully Princess Rosalina can play a larger role in future sequels, as while I loved the character I felt like we didn’t get to see her as much as we could have.
Definitely go check out The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in theaters if you get the chance. It’s a great reminder that movies can just be fun and sometimes that’s all you need.
