The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026)
The Galaxy Awaits.
Nintendo has spent the last few years proving that its big-screen ambitions are no longer stuck in a warp pipe. After the enormous success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023, which grossed about $1.36 billion worldwide, the company and Illumination have gone back for another power-up with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, based on the super popular 2007 platform game. This time the plumbers don’t just level up — they launch.
After saving the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) have settled into life as local heroes, teaming up with Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) to keep things running smoothly — while a miniaturized Bowser (Jack Black) is kept under close watch as he’s slowly ‘reformed.’ This time, though, the trouble goes full galaxy-sized. Rosalina (Brie Larson) — the sky-blue cosmic princess and guardian of the Lumas (adorable star-like creatures) — has been kidnapped by Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie), Bowser’s son and a more calculated, mischievous upgrade on his dad. Back in the Mushroom Kingdom, Peach’s birthday party quickly turns into a launchpad for a much bigger adventure, sending Mario and Luigi blasting into space on a galaxy-hopping rescue mission. Their goal: stop Bowser Jr., save Rosalina, and prevent the universe from getting completely Bowsered.
Returning directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, back from the 2023 hit, clearly know how to keep this universe moving — maybe too well. The new outing delivers the same sugar-rush energy, but with even less narrative weight, racing from one set-piece to the next like a full-on speedrun — jump, jump, next level — with barely a second to land. It’s undeniably lively, but the pacing is so relentless it starts to feel like the movie’s constantly hitting the warp pipe, skipping past anything resembling depth. Screenwriter Matthew Fogel provides just enough structure to hold it together, but it plays less like a cohesive adventure and more like a string of elaborate levels stitched by the bare minimum of plot — another world, another chase, another boss — before anything has time to properly land.
Yoshi is a good example of this. He is introduced with plenty of fanfare before being folded into the gang almost immediately. The character is fun, but once the novelty wears off, the script mostly sidelines him. The desert-style world where he first appears is handled in much the same way — it echoes the city of Tostarena from the Sand Kingdom in Super Mario Odyssey, giving the sequence a distinct visual identity, even if the film does little to build on it.
Still, there are a few inspired moments in Galaxy. The strongest ones are when it leans into the games without tipping into full reference overload. A standout comes during a sequence where Mario and co. try to hold things together in the Mushroom Kingdom in Peach’s absence, visually echoing the feel of clearing a level — moving through the kingdom by way of a map screen, ticking off objectives, hitting a flag, and pushing on to the next. It’s even stronger in the third act. During the final battle, the filmmakers cut between fully rendered 3D and classic 8-bit Mario visuals, presenting parts of the action in that instantly recognizable retro style. Seeing it play out across both perspectives — modern and old-school — is one of the movie’s smartest ideas, and easily one of its most satisfying nods to the games.
To the filmmakers’ credit, this doesn’t just replay the first outing beat for beat. Donkey Kong and Mario Kart take a back seat, with the focus shifting toward Bowser Jr., Rosalina, Yoshi, and the cosmic iconography of the Galaxy games. That change opens the door for a flood of Easter eggs — Honeyhive Galaxy, Wart from Super Mario Bros. 2, Pikmin, R.O.B., and a stack of power-ups like Fire Mario, Penguin Mario, and Cape Mario — all packed into the background and action. It’s fan service, but the fun kind… at least at first. For Nintendo devotees, there’s a lot to spot and enjoy, including an extended appearance from Fox McCloud (voiced by Glen Powell) in one of the sequel’s bigger cross-franchise swings. But it also feels like something bigger is being tested. By the final act, a Dry Bowser vs. Mr. Game & Watch clash plays almost exactly like a Super Smash Bros. cutscene, and the whole thing leans toward the idea of a broader Nintendo crossover universe waiting in the wings.
The voice cast is loaded, but rarely rises above doing the job. Chris Pratt’s Mario is still the eager centerpiece, Charlie Day’s Luigi brings the nervous energy, Keegan-Michael Key’s Toad is just there, Anya Taylor-Joy’s Peach holds everything together, and Jack Black’s Bowser continues to be the most naturally entertaining of the bunch. New additions slot in just as smoothly — filmmaker Benny Safdie steps in as Bowser Jr., a more scheming, tech-minded version of his dad, Donald Glover voices Yoshi and is barely recognizable — so what’s the point — and Brie Larson’s Rosalina leans into the calm, cosmic presence the character demands. Elsewhere, Issa Rae voices the Honey Queen, Luis Guzmán is Wart, and Kevin Michael Richardson plays Magikoopa Kamek. It’s a big, busy lineup, but while everyone fits their role, most of the performances feel like they’re on autopilot — solid, serviceable, and not much more.
In the end, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is exactly the kind of sequel it looks like from the outside: bigger, louder, faster, and thinner. It has eye-popping animation, a few genuinely inspired visual ideas, and enough winks and nods to keep Nintendo loyalists scanning every corner of the screen. But it never quite finds a real core. The first film already valued momentum over depth; this one pushes that even further, sometimes mistaking velocity for substance.
If the ‘23 Mario outing worked for you, this probably will too. If Nintendo nostalgia alone is enough, there is plenty here to enjoy. For everyone else, this may feel like a frantic collection of level intros searching for a story. Not a disaster. Not exactly a star. More a bright, noisy extra life.
3 / 5 – Good
Reviewed by Dan Cachia (Mr. Movie)
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is distributed by Universal Pictures Australia
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