The sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie reunites  Mario (Chris Pratt), Luigi (Charlie Day), Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Bowser (Jack Black), and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), and sets them on a new adventure with Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson), Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie), Yoshi (Donald Glover), and Fox McCloud (Glen Powell).

When Princess Rosalina gets kidnapped by Bowser Jr., the Lumas reach out to Princess Peach to help rescue her. Mario, Luigi and Yoshi get drawn into the chase, and they all must work together to stop Bowser Jr. from taking over the galaxy.

I will admit that I only know the Super Mario brothers because of the way they exist in pop culture. I didn’t play the video games enough to remember doing so and haven’t seen the previous film in this franchise. Based on the reactions of people in the theatre, the movie has a lot of easter eggs and references that fans of the game will appreciate. Super Mario Galaxy also makes no compromises with scale and brightness, bringing the characters and various locations to animated life beautifully. The gags in the film work really well, making it a pretty funny watch.

I mention my lack of familiarity with Mario because I do think the best way to enjoy Super Mario Galaxy is to have history with the IP. I do think some of the references (and even characters) act more as moments for fan service than moments to drive the story forward. Some scenes in the movie with the inclusion of other recognisable characters remind me of Wreck-It-Ralph, which is a shame because that movie has something that I think this one does not have enough of: heart.

There were a lot of familial elements in the film, with Bowser Jr. trying to rescue his father, the Lumas setting out to rescue their adopted mum in Rosalina, and another significant family tie that I’m finding out is something new and don’t want to spoil here. Still, I don’t think we stay with any character long enough to feel much.

Right now, it seems like studios are more concerned with putting out the next thing that will sell tickets rather than what story they are actually telling, which I think is unfortunate, especially when the movie is for kids. I think that position holds a lot of responsibility, and that we start expecting better.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is in theatres on Wednesday, April 1st, 2026.