‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Review: Illumination’s Nintendo Sequel Fails to Level Up

Illumination’s 2023 smash hit, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, had a lot of weight on its shoulders. Introducing a beloved franchise — which celebrated its 40^th anniversary in 2025 — is a monumental task that too often goes sideways (such as with World of Warcraft, Street Fighter, or the maligned 1993 Mario Bros. adaptation, not to mention Wes Ball’s 2027 The Legend of Zelda, which doesn’t have the benefit of Illumination’s gorgeous animation). Though it wasn’t perfect, audience reception and the boatloads of money the film brought in were proof enough that the franchise was in good hands — or at least still has legs. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie tries to go bigger than its predecessor in just about every way, but struggles to hold up the universe it aims to explore and winds up delivering an even shallower outing.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie opens with Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie) on a mission to rescue his father, Bowser (Jack Black). Before heading to the Mushroom Kingdom, however, Jr. rampages through Princess Rosalina’s domain, prompting a Luma to escape and beseech the help of the fabled Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and her crew, Mario (Chris Pratt), Luigi (Charlie Day), Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), and newcomer Yoshi (Donald Glover), to help rescue Rosalina (Brie Larson).

‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Botches an Easy Win

While that might seem like a straightforward plot, Matthew Fogel’s script overcomplicates things, ignoring much of the rich lore of the 2007 Wii game in favor of unnecessary plot points that feel forced. Obviously, there may be a few people who would enjoy a direct movie adaptation of a 2007 video game, but one would hope a Super Mario Galaxy movie would try a bit harder to show just that — the galaxy. The few pit stops taken fail to give the same awe as planet-hopping in the game. Hell, the game’s plot is probably superior to the film’s.

Yoshi and Fox McCloud (Glen Powell) stand out as new additions, bringing fresh energy and classic Nintendo charm to a tale that too often feels stale despite being overpacked. Powell’s gravitas is perfect for the enigmatic Fox; without having much total screentime, he feels like he’s pushing just a bit harder than his co-stars in the voice booth (which is a problem in Mario Bros. but is amplified in Galaxy by Powell’s performance). In addition to killer voice acting, McCloud brings stellar aerial sequences, showcasing his famed “barrel roll” more than once to the delight of the crowd (and me). 

Similarly, Yoshi saves the day on more than one occasion, swallowing enemies and pooping them out left and right. By golly, if you’re going to add our favorite characters from childhood, they better come with their signature moves! Thankfully, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie delivers on that front. Times two. Glover’s Yoshi is also used for comedic effect throughout the film, and maybe I’m just a sucker, but it worked for me! It may be stuffed and shallow, but if you look hard enough, there are more than a few fun moments to pick out and enjoy.

Exciting Times Could Lie Ahead in the Nintendo Movieverse

Ultimately, the most exciting prospect of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is the potential it holds for the future. With the addition of Fox McCloud, the universe is beginning to prime itself for an adaptation of the ultra-popular Super Smash Bros. game franchise, which could include Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf from The Legend of Zelda, Pikachu, Jigglypuff, and Mewtwo from Pokémon, Samus Aran from Metroid, and Captain Falcon from F-Zero, just to name a thrillin few. Would that film have a tenuous plot with lots of key-jangling and nostalgia bait? Probably. But it might at least have more heart than what we were given with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. And who are we kidding? I’ll be seated either way.

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