Super Mario and Nintendo have been a cornerstone part of my gaming background. Sure, many know me as Lord Sonic, here at Lords of Gaming, for my coverage on all things Blue Blur, but Super Mario Bros has always offered me fantastic platforming adventures that stuck with me.
Seeing plumber boy leap from pixels to the silver screen with The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) was a dream come true. Mario, Luigi, Peach, DK, and Bowser came to life in a way never before seen in the games. Stunning animation, lovingly crafted worlds to explore, and a simple but effective narrative honored Nintendo’s most iconic franchise.
Following that up with an intergalactic adventure in the Super Mario Galaxy Movie is ambitious. Going from grounded worlds to outer space itself is a big leap for a sequel. And honoring the legendary Super Mario Galaxy games is another tall order, specifically in how you take Rosalina
After watching the film, I loved my time with it despite some purple comets being in the way.
Spoilers for aspects of the Movie (Story, Music, etc) will be included in this review, so be forewarned.
Release Date: April 1st, 2026
Studio: Universal Pictures/Nintendo, Illumination
Age Rating: PG
Run Time: 1h 39m
Directors: Michael Jelenic, Aaron Horvath
Once Upon a Time… – Premise
The story begins with Rosalina (Bre Larson) telling stories to her family of Luma children. But it is interrupted by a sudden attack from Bowser Jr., who demands she come with him. She puts up a valiant fight, but things quickly go in Bowser Jr’s favor, and the story then shifts to the Mario Brothers, riding bikes across Super Mario Odyssey’s Sand Kingdom, looking for a broken pipe.
They fix the pipe, but are surprised to find a lone Yoshi (Donald Glover). They take the dino in and return to the Mushroom Kingdom, where the crew celebrates Prince Peach’s big birthday. But during the celebration, a Luma crashlands into the Mushroom Kingdom, asking for help.
A Super Star Saga
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie sets out to adapt more than just the Galaxy games; in many ways, it feels like a huge celebration of Mario’s 40th Anniversary.
And this directly affects character development, as so much is going on. You have the Mario Bros and Yoshi traveling with a miniature Bowser in the Honey Hive Galaxy for a few scenes, Princess Peach and Toad exploring an expanded Gateway Galaxy to find a way to the missing Rosalina, and even the biggest surprise of the film, Fox McCloud helping the crew for the film’s second half.
That’s not even mentioning some of the story arcs that Mario (who is trying to break the ice with Peach on moving things forward), Bowser (making an attempt to be a better person but threatening to relapse into his old angry ways), and Peach (trying to find her real family) go through.
It’s messy and unfocused, and if you aren’t familiar with the characters from The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) or have context for the Mario crew’s personalities from the games, it’s easy to find the lightning-fast pacing of the film a bit much.
As a fan of the series, I really liked some of the narrative decisions made, however.
Showtime for the Royals – Princess Peach’s Character
Out of the entire cast, her role in the movie is by far the most well-defined. She longs for her human family, unsure where they are in the vast galaxy out there. And this was a plot point alluded to in the prior film, so The Galaxy Movie builds on this plot thread for Peach’s adventure.
As someone who enjoyed her more action-heroine approach in The Super Mario Adventures Manga, seeing that version of the character here was fantastic. I loved seeing Peach and Toad fight Wart and his lackies later in the film.
Her relationship with Mario and the duo teaming up in the film’s second half was fantastic as well, showing that she doesn’t always need to be the ‘damsel’.
Ready for Take Off! – Fox McCloud’s Character
Functioning similarly to Donkey Kong’s character in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), Fox McCloud appears in the Galaxy Movie‘s second half and steals the show. Voiced by Glen Powell, the iconic space pilot takes to the skies to assist Mario and friends on their adventures.
His voice and personality feel ripped right from the games, making his banter with the Mario crew feel natural. I also enjoyed how they contextualized Fox’s inclusion in Mario’s world for this adventure, ensuring that when we see the ace pilot again, it’ll be with Team Star Fox.
My favorite part of the movie was a dogfight against one of Bower Jr.’s ships, with Fox targeting weak points like in the games (with the same HUD and everything). Leaving the theater, it left me itching to play Star Fox 64 and Star Fox Assault again.
Sleeping Beauty – Character of Rosalina
As much as I enjoyed the film, I would be remiss not to criticize The Mario Galaxy Movie’s use of Rosalina. She’s one of Nintendo’s most mysterious female characters, as the original Super Mario Galaxy painted her as a somber figure who only wanted to protect her found family of Luma.
In the movie, that role is still faithfully adapted, more so thanks to Bre Larson’s fantastic performance as the space princess. However, she’s only around in the film’s opening and ending, with her role mainly benefiting Peach’s arc.
When everything’s said and done, I enjoyed her being in the movie and her connection to Peach. But I genuinely wished they did more with one of the Mario franchise’s more interesting characters.
A Mario Symphony – Musical Score
Before touching on the film’s drop-dead-gorgeous animation, its masterful soundtrack, composed by Brian Taylor, is the film’s shining superstar.
The original Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) has a wonderful score filled with remixes and homages to past Mario and DK adventures. However, a sizable portion of that score was replaced with licensed 80’s and 90’s music. It fit, but it was distracting compared to the fantastic original score.
Save for one scene in the film’s introduction scenes, the entire score of Super Mario Galaxy Movie is filled to the brim with lovingly crafted remixes of legendary Nintendo music. From the first frame, I had grown-man tears hearing music from Super Mario Galaxy when Rosalina read to her kids. And that was quickly followed up with music from Super Mario Odyssey, as the brothers were exploring the Sand Kingdom.
This even extends to non-Mario franchises that appear in the film, having me audibly go ‘let’s gooo’ when they played during key action sequences.
Powering Up – Audio
The Mario Galaxy Movie‘s soundtrack also features an equally effective soundscape, filled with effects ripped directly from the games. Hearing the ironic fire-flower sound when the brothers threw it, or when Peach launched into space using a series of launch stars, I was smiling like a moron.
Built from Brick to Brick – Animation
When adapting the world of Super Mario to film, balancing realism and fantasy is key. And while the original Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) did so effortlessly. But to see Illumination, known for the Minions and Secret Life of Pets movies, exceed the work seen from Disney and Pixar’s recent efforts is impressive.
Mario and friends are lovingly detailed, while still capturing their iconic looks from the game’s proper. Effective use of squash-and-stretch works beautifully for the well-choreographed action sequences that look ripped right from the games.
This level of detail is also applied to the various galaxies the film explores, with many areas expanded from the games. Locations from Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario Galaxy have so much detail, while still looking similar to their game counterparts.
Closing Thoughts on the Super Mario Galaxy Movie
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a fantastic love letter and celebration of Super Mario. Despite having a lackluster narrative, its strong presentation and great characterization of key characters make up for it.
I cannot recommend this film enough if you are a die-hard Nintendo fan.
Score – 7.5 out of 10
The reviewer purchased a ticket for this film for this review.
Pros:
- Fantastic animation
- An outstanding score that honors 40 years of Nintendo history
- Faithful adaptation of various Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Odyssey locations
- Inclusion of Fox McCloud and Star Fox felt organic to the story
- Characterization of Princess Peach was a standout
Cons:
- The overall narrative was lackluster and had rushed pacing
- With a large cast of characters, not everyone gets the attention needed
- The character of Rosalina felt underutilized
