The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (dirs. Aaron Hovarth and Michael Jelenic)
Certificate: PG
Running Time: 98 mins
UK Distributor: Universal Pictures
UK Release Date: 1 April 2026
WHO’S IN THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE?
Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Benny Safdie, Brie Larson, Donald Glover, Glen Powell, Kevin Michael Richardson, Luis Guzmán, Issa Rae, Juliet Jelenic, Ed Skudder
WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?
Aaron Hovarth and Michael Jelenic (directors), Matthew Fogel (writer), Christopher Meledandri and Shigeru Miyamoto (producers), Brian Tyler (composer), TBA (editor)
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Mario (Pratt) travels beyond the Mushroom Kingdom for an intergalactic adventure…
WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE?
Just over forty years ago, a moustachioed Italian plumber changed the video game landscape forever. Since then, Mario and his many adventures throughout and beyond the Mushroom Kingdom have inspired generations of gamers with its simple structure, playful environment, and overall sense of fun. These are, in my opinion, the three pillars of the entire franchise, and if any game, movie, cartoon show etc with Mario’s name on it has at least one of these, then it’s strong enough to pass as a worthy addition to the series.
Mario’s first true big-screen adventure, in Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie – and no, the live-action 1993 flop doesn’t and shouldn’t count as his film debut – easily cleared all three hurdles. However, its follow-up isn’t quite as nimble, with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie only failing to establish the simplicity pillar for a movie that is rather overstuffed and even quite convoluted in a lot of areas. Still, two out of three isn’t so bad, and on that strength alone this is yet another enjoyable cinematic entry that once again reminds us of why this franchise and its iconic lead character have been at the forefront of video game history for over four decades.
The film, once again directed by both Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic from a script by Matthew Fogel, picks up where we last left Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and his brother Luigi (Charlie Day), with the two adapting fairly well to their new lives within the Mushroom Kingdom, alongside their friends Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) as well as new arrival Yoshi (Donald Glover). However, a threat to the kingdom soon arises from the stars as Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie), the vengeful son of former nemesis Bowser (Jack Black) who’s currently being held prisoner in Peach’s castle, plans to reclaim his father and put into motion a devilish plan using the intergalactic magic of Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson). This of course sparks an adventure through the cosmos as Mario, Luigi, Peach et al soar across the galaxy to rescue Rosalina and restore peace to the threatened worlds.
While I did enjoy The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on the whole, I unfortunately need to begin by talking about why it doesn’t pass the simplicity test. The long and short of it is, there’s just way too much crammed in at once, and that can often make the film feel somewhat unfocused. It is a film that moves all too hastily onto the next thing before we’ve even had a chance to absorb what had just happened, which leaves the viewer with little breathing space or even the opportunity to blink because then they’ll have missed some vital information coming at them at breakneck speed. The first movie certainly had pacing issues of its own, though it was within a much more self-contained story whereas this one is encompassing a lot more in terms of worlds, characters, action, and even the planting of seeds for a much wider cinematic universe of other Nintendo properties (kind of like what they were doing with that SCOOB! movie a while back, only this one feels far more organic). Because there is so much going on here, to where it can become quite hard to focus on what the plot actually is supposed to be, it’s hard to call this movie far from simple, hence its failure on that front.
Luckily, there is plenty of playfulness and fun to make up for that. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie introduces some vibrant new environments throughout this universe which are visually creative and gorgeously rendered by some of Illumination’s most dazzling animation to date, including a casino planet of varying gravity that’s a giant holographic geisha away from becoming the world of Blade Runner, and one that’s made up of lava and some rather dangerous-looking theme park rides. As for the characters, they may still be razor-thin and not have that much depth – Mario himself surprisingly doesn’t have that much to do here, with Peach having far more agency in this story than the titular hero does – but they remain thoroughly likeable and at times rather endearing, particularly when the ever-adorable Yoshi enters the picture. Even the villains have some heart among them, as there is this rather sweet father-son bond between two unapologetically evil figures that ends up humanising them to some extent (or at least, as much as you can with two oversized reptiles).
Most importantly, much like its predecessor, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is plenty of fun. There’s a warm and inviting sense of optimism throughout that feels distinctly like the world of Mario, whether it’s in the countless Easter eggs in both the foreground and background, or the recognisable music beats within Brian Tyler’s score (which is finally allowed to thrive here, after the first film replaced most of it with random pop songs for some reason). While it would be understandable for non-players to not get into this movie for all the references and callbacks being thrown about, the fact that so many of them are as familiar as they are, even to those who haven’t played the games as much, is a testament to how much this franchise has really become so iconic within popular culture, something which both of these films really embrace with the sincerity of a passionate love letter. This one, though, may have gotten just a little carried away with its amorousness.
But still, as far from perfect as it may be, Mario lovers will find themselves enjoying the bright and colourful nonsense of a sequel that maintains enough playfulness and fun to make up for its lack of simplicity. Not bad at all for a forty-year-old plumber.
SO, TO SUM UP…
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie may be a slight step down from its predecessor thanks to an overstuffed narrative that reduces the simplicity of the games, but there’s still plenty of playfulness and overall fun to be had with a fast-paced and colourful adventure for fans and families to comfortably enjoy.
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