It was just three years ago that the world was introduced to the magical world of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. That film was a runaway success at the box office and was surprisingly great, considering some of the gripes coming into it. Now, we’re getting a sequel that is adapting one of the most beloved modern Mario games in Super Mario Galaxy. That game came out in 2007 for the Nintendo Wii and saw the debut of Princess Rosalina and opened up the stars for players. People who have played that game highlight the stunning visuals and whimsical gameplay. That’s something that transfers over to the film that loosely adapts that game.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie brings back Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, and Keegan-Michael Key as Toad. Adding to the mix are Brie Larson as Rosalina, Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr., Donald Glover as Yoshi, Issa Rae as Honey Queen, Luis Guzman as Wart, and Glen Powell as Fox McCloud. This time around, Mario and Luigi are in full swing of keeping the Mushroom Kingdom safe as they venture around fixing plumbing issues. One that leads them to finding Yoshi, and it goes right into their relationship, even though Toad doesn’t like him.

Rosalina is the adoptive mother to a group of Lumas, star-children, basically. She lives with them, and out of nowhere, there’s a flying saucer and a robot monster led by Bowser Jr. and Kamek. They kidnap Rosalina, who sends a distress message to Princess Peach just before she’s taken. Eventually, this leads to Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Yoshi chasing after everyone to stop Bowser Jr. and his plot.

So what does this all mean for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie? Well, the film is exceptionally beautiful. It carries over the visuals from the previous film but then adds a dose of space and cosmic aspects as well. Those visuals absolutely pop off the screen, and it’s a shame that the press screening that I had wasn’t in IMAX or IMAX 3D, because I can only imagine that they look even better in those formats. For those that played the game, the visuals match and then some. Illumination and the animation teams really put all their hard work to good use in this movie.

If you’re a parent and your kids are yelling about going to this movie, like the first one, it bridges the gap between being fun for kids to laugh at Jack Black being a goof as Bowser, but its also entertaining and funny enough for adults. This movie is made for kids, obviously. But for people who have been playing Mario from the beginning in 1986, or my own generation that started with Super Mario 64, or generations ahead with other games, they’ll love the visuals, the cameos, and other characters.

So, where does The Super Mario Galaxy Movie falter? Well, it definitely feels like a sequel in the worst ways. It kicks right off into the plot, but there are certainly some characters that get lost in the shuffle. The movie is only 98 minutes long, which means with a film that’s stuffed with this many characters, some of them won’t shine as much as others, but here Luigi REALLY gets sidelined. His character in the first film was a nice foil to Mario, but here he’s just more of a supportive buddy and nothing more. The plotline also has more galaxy-spanning action, but it doesn’t feel like a main quest, more like a side quest. They don’t set up the stakes really well for how Bowser Jr. and Kamek are going to destroy the universe, which might have made this feel a bit more pressing.

Realistically, this is more of Princess Peach’s movie than Mario’s. It’s her story, she drives the action, she gets the distress call, and she gets one of the bigger action setpieces. After decades of getting kidnapped, it was nice to see Peach kick some ass for once. Most of the voice acting verges on great territory, but Glen Powell as Fox McCloud and his section of the film is just perfection. It brings in the humor that most adults or people who have played StarFox 64 will get. I was wary about them including Fox in the film in the first place, but how they weave it in makes sense, and it’s a fun bit of buildup to the eventual Super Smash Bros. movie.

Overall, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie doesn’t reinvent the wheel and it really doesn’t feel like a bigger, badder film. That however doesn’t take away from the fact that it is one of the most vibrant and beautiful animated films in recent memory. Adapting Super Mario Galaxy (loosely) was a strange choice, but its one that paid off with the visuals and introducing certain characters.

It might not be as good as the previous film, but The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is striking visually and will definitely leave you and your kids entertained for a time at the movies.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie releases in theaters on April 1st, 2026.

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