Film Review – The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

April 2nd, 2026 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

The great thing about video games is the sense of immersion. In several ways, the player gets to dictate the kind of experience they’ll have with any game – whether they complete it over a few weeks or just over a weekend, whether they choose to do every side quest or just barrel through the main story, or setting how difficult or easy the gameplay will be. Every player puts a little of themselves into a game through their choices, skill level, and belief systems. The problem with movie adaptations of video games is that the immersion disappears. The controller gets taken away from us – we are no longer an active participant but rather a mere spectator. 

Case in point: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026). A loose follow up to The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), this latest installment once again reunites us with those lovable Nintendo characters. This time, they get placed in a bland and hyperactive space adventure. There are very few movies that I can recall that are completely defined by their pace and energy. That is all Galaxy has to offer. We get a ton of action, bright vibrant colors, endless references to the games, and a relentless drive. But when we look for something more meaningful, we find just how thin and unsubstantial the narrative really is. I’m not looking for deep insights into the meaning of life or a hard-hitting commentary on modern society, but there must be something to keep us invested in this story. Sadly, there isn’t.

The direction (Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Pierre Leduc, Fabien Polack) and writing (Matthew Fogel) sets up this universe as separate mini-worlds within a larger galaxy. Each world has its own unique characteristics, with the Mushroom Kingdom arguably being the most popular. There we are reunited with the plumber/brother duo of Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day). We also meet up with Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), Bowser (Jack Black) and his son, Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie). There are a handful of new characters introduced, the biggest being Mario and Luigi’s faithful companion, Yoshi (Donald Glover). The narrative throws us right into the fray, conjuring up a premise where Princess Peach’s sister, the Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) gets kidnapped by Bowser Jr., who wishes revenge for his father from the previous film. The central point of tension involves our heroes’ race across space to rescue Rosalina and stop Bowser – both father and son – from enacting chaos and destruction.

Visually, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie looks fantastic. There is eye candy in every corner of the frame. The speed in which the imagery flies by could warrant a rewatch just to take in all the details. The production rendered each of the worlds like levels of the games, from the fireball traps that populate Bowser’s lair to the cotton candy textures of Peach’s castle. One set piece takes place in a room where every wall is treated like a floor unto itself, where characters can jump from one area to the next as if defying gravity. Obviously, the art direction takes massive inspiration from the source material, to the point that some scenes are rendered in that pixelated, throwback look of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Is there any reason why that is included other than nostalgia? No, but for those of us that played the games back then, it’s a nice little flash of recognition.

Which brings me to a larger question: Whom is this movie made for? Millennials will easily recognize several of the Easter Eggs and sly call backs, but will this play to young kids? Will kids born within the last ten years understand why Mario and Luigi can bash a block and suddenly gain magical powers? Will they accept the fact that Yoshi can use his incredibly long tongue to eat other characters and then pop them out as eggs? Where did Bowser Jr. get that magical paintbrush, and who exactly is Fox McCloud (Glen Powell)? Does it matter? Maybe I’m over thinking this. Perhaps kids will adhere more to the sheer excitement and visual fireworks – all the weirdness may just wash over them. I couldn’t help thinking whether any of this would make sense to younger eyes. I’m fully aware that Mario games are still being released today, so it’s not like the property is completely removed from today’s generation. I just wonder how any of this would translate to someone seeing it for the first time.

While there are plenty of memorable set pieces and highlight worthy moments (Bowser Jr.’s attack on Princess Peach’s castle is a high point of action choreography) the story and characters were too undercooked to make an impact. The narrative whisks us along from one world to the next, from one cameo to another, and so on. We are never given a second to take a breath. There’s never a real moment of character building or legitimate emotion. Sure, we get a little bit of heart between Bowser and Bowser Jr., as well as a connection between Mario and Peach and Peach and Rosalina. But all this feels inconsequential. It’s as though the writing and direction were too concerned with getting us from point A to point B without making us care about the journey in the first place. 

Is The Super Mario Galaxy Movie a decent distraction for kids while parents do the laundry and pay the bills? Sure. But don’t we want a little bit more than that? Don’t kids deserve a little bit more than just time-filling escapism? I’m all for family movies that are meant to be fun and entertaining, but that doesn’t mean they must be this empty. Instead of immersing into this universe like the games, I found myself struggling to stay connected to what was happening on screen. This is the cinematic equivalent of bubblegum: it’s good for a short while, but sooner or later you gotta get rid of it.

Aaron Horvath, Anya Taylor-Joy, Benny Safdie, Brie Larson, Charlie Day, Chris Pratt, Fabien Polack, Glen Powell, Jack Black, Keengan-Michael Key, Matthew Fogel, Michael Jelenic, Pierre Leduc, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie