The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was one of my most highly anticipated films of 2026. Directed once again by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, this film stars Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor Joy, Charlie Day, and Jack Black, as well as some new faces like Brie Larson, Benny Safdie, Donald Glover, and Glenn Powell. Going into this film, I was incredibly excited. I loved the first film, and as a longtime gamer and fan of Mario who has played these games since I was a young kid, I really appreciated how much love was put into that first movie. It was fun, energetic, beautifully animated, and it leaned into the lore of the world in the right way.
When it comes down to the Mario franchise, the stories are usually straightforward and simple. They are all about the gameplay, the wonder, the music, and just being immersed in that world. When I saw the first film, I loved finally getting a movie that honors a Nintendo game properly, especially since I grew up in the 90s and remember that one older movie that was nothing like the games. I was excited to hear this would be based on Super Mario Galaxy, which is one of my favorite Mario games. The marketing leading up to the film was positive for me, especially the tease of a big Nintendo character via a poster released last week.
This time around, Mario and Luigi are pulled into a galaxy spanning adventure alongside Peach, Toad, and a new friend in Yoshi as a new threat emerges beyond the Mushroom Kingdom. Rosalina has been kidnapped by Bowser Jr. as he is on a quest to avenge and rescue his father, Bowser. Now the gang has to work together to save the day. I had a blast with this movie. While I do have some gripes, I’m happy to say that similar to the first film, you have beautiful animation and a genuine reverence for the Nintendo world. There were huge stretches where I realized I hadn’t stopped smiling for 30 or 40 minutes. The film is about an hour and a half long and has a mid-credit and post-credit scene that longtime fans will want to stick around for.
The animation is stunning, vibrant, and colorful. The film is jam-packed with fun fanservice, Easter eggs, and references that will put a smile on a lot of faces. It allows you to pick things out in a way where it doesn’t feel like it takes away from the story, but instead enhances the experience for longtime fans. I really appreciated the attention to detail. I also enjoyed the cast once again. I still find it a little weird to hear Chris Pratt as Mario, but as the runtime played out, I found myself okay with it. Charlie Day is great as Luigi, Anya Taylor Joy is perfect as Peach, and Jack Black is the perfect casting for Bowser.
As far as the new cast members, Brie Larson plays Rosalina, and I think she does good in the role. Donald Glover as Yoshi feels a bit like celebrity casting we did not need. I love him as an actor and musician, but the role could have gone to anyone because he is using a voice modulator to have a higher pitch. Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr. similarly feels like he has a voice modulator on, but he sounds good and very much felt like Bowser Jr. to me. Then you have Glenn Powell as Fox McCloud, also known as Star Fox. The hype was real when they dropped that poster. If you are a huge Star Fox fan and worried he is just a two second cameo, he is actually fairly integral to the movie. He is on screen for a decent amount of time, way more than I expected. Seeing a beautifully animated film with Mario and Fox McCloud in an action sequence together looked great and sounded great.
On a filmmaking level, the animation and voice work are excellent, but I also really loved the musical score. It pulls from Super Mario Galaxy and the general franchise, and since Star Fox is in here, you get that music as well. It pulled me back to playing Star Fox 64 with my friends. Between the score, the action, and the fun, simplistic story, you have another great time at the theaters. If you want to see an on-screen cinematic universe, you are probably going to walk out pleased.
Moving into my gripes, I think the first film had a stronger story. The structure of the narrative and the script was a lot tighter. The success of the first film might have led to a pretty quick production that you can feel in moments. While simplicity is Mario’s thing, there are elements of this film that sometimes feel a little bit hollow. It feels like maybe something was left on the cutting room floor or sequences were breezed through too quickly. There were also conveniences in the narrative to get characters from point A to point B just for the sake of keeping things moving.
In the first film, Mario and Luigi had a journey leading into who they would become. In this film, there isn’t as much complexity in the characters. They are pretty much the characters you already know. The one with the most complexity is actually Bowser because he has been shrunken down and caged since the first film. He has been working on his anger issues, and when his son shows up to rescue him, Bowser has to question if he is still the villain his son aspires to be. Most of the other characters are the same at the start as they are at the end, but that is true to form for the Mario franchise. They aren’t going through a huge character arc; they are just going on an adventure like you would expect in a game.
One thing I want to praise is how the film replicates the experience of the games. There are so many moments where they are doing exactly what you would do in the game, but we get to see it in a cool 3D style. Even if the narrative is far more simplistic and feels a bit rushed, the movie moves. It’s fun, silly, and knows what it is. I spoke to some other critics who aren’t as big of fans and they were more on the fence, saying it was a fun movie but not necessarily a great one. It really depends on personal taste. On a story level, it might not be a great movie, but as a fun animated family film, it works. I recommend it for fans of Nintendo and Mario. It’s a cute, safe movie that is a great way to introduce these characters to a new generation.
Rating: 8/10