Critic Rating: 5/10
*Warning: SPOILERS*
“There’s a huge universe out there, and a lot of different galaxies.” That’s what Princess Peach tells Mario in the original film The Super Mario Brothers Movie, and now we finally get to see what she meant by it. On April 1st, 2026, the movie’s sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, was released, projected to have an even bigger spread than its prequel.
When Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie) captures the cosmic guardian Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson), Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Toad (Keegan Michael-Key) set off to rescue her, while Mario (Chris Pratt), Luigi (Charlie Day), and their new dinosaur friend Yoshi (Donald Glover) protect the Mushroom Kingdom. After a series of wild adventures across galaxies, including a casino standoff, a baby-fication mishap, and meeting multiversally-displaced pilot Fox McCloud (Glen Powell), the group reunites and discovers that Peach and Rosalina are actually sisters, both born from stardust. They storm Planet Bowser, defeat Bowser (Jack Black) and Junior in an epic brawl powered by Lucky Block suits, and Peach frees Rosalina just in time for the two sisters to use their combined cosmic energy to destroy the Doomsday Cannon. With the Bowsers hauled off to galactic prison, the gang rebuilds Peach’s castle, and all is well in the Mushroom Kingdom.
I have to admit, Mario Galaxy was one of the more ambitious films that I’ve seen so far. The original Nintendo Wii game, along with its sequel, was one of the most iconic additions to the franchise in that there are literally worlds upon worlds to explore, a trope that was revolutionary for its time. Mario Galaxy does encapsulate that sort of feeling to an extent, especially from the Lumas’ meteor shower during Peach’s “birthday”. The only main differences from gameplay here include the fact that Bowser serves as a kind of antihero for the first half of the film, Rosalina is the damsel in distress instead of Peach, and, of course, the inclusion of Star Fox’s Fox McCloud, a character from a different game entirely. That said, Mario Galaxy unfortunately doesn’t fully capture this kind of awe, sticking more to the lore than replicating the gameplay. While it’s visually stunning, and many of the worlds are immensely beautiful in their own right, they don’t get as much focus on them as they do in-game.
Despite that, I actually did enjoy the movie. Like its predecessor, Mario Galaxy does have a decent plotline, one that keeps the audience engaged throughout. There are definitely some humorous scenes scattered throughout the film, typical for one from Chris Meledandri, especially when poor Mini-Bowser slams the door on his tail (cue loud screaming and accidental blowtorching of the dollhouse castle he now lives in). While there isn’t as much focus on gameplay as in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it’s an entertaining ride overall.
There are a few more things I’m not too happy about, however. Firstly, Toad. The poor guy pretty much sums up his role in the movie right off the bat: “So some dinosaur just shows up and now he’s part of the group. Cool.” This practically screams the less significant role the walking mushroom man has in this movie, despite his popularity in both the game and movie franchises. Honestly, Toad, being one of my favorite characters in the first film, getting a reduced role in the sequel was one of the more disappointing points I have with the movie, and the fact that he practically vanishes from the movie right after the Lumas rescue the group from Dinosaur Falls just makes him all the more insignificant in the plot, with most of the focus going to newcomer Yoshi instead.
The other major peeve I have is Bowser’s character development. In the trailers and the first half of the movie, Bowser claims that he’s changed—and, in all honesty, he has! He seems to actively try to correct what he calls “the old me” (re. Screaming, dictatorship, the works), even taking up three activities usually associated with rehabilitation, namely painting, bonsai trimming, and cooking, to calm himself down, to some success. However, when he’s abducted by Junior, he’s convinced to return to his old ways much too easily. While I get that he’s humoring his corrupted son, the way that he almost immediately switches allegiances feels much too anticlimactic and unrealistic for my liking.
Overall, this film? Not entirely my favorite. It’s got a decent plotline and a good amount of humor, but there’s some things missing that unfortunately make it fall short of its prequel.
