The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Review

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026)

This movie was a fun ride—just like the first one.

There’s a lot of nostalgia baked into this, and you feel it right away. It really does feel like sitting down and playing through the games again, experiencing everything the Super Mario universe has given us over the years. Whether it’s the original games, Super Smash Bros., or even Mario Odyssey, it pulls from all of it. And honestly, that’s where a lot of the enjoyment comes from—it just feels familiar in the best way.

The story itself is simple, and that’s expected. This is a movie aimed at a younger audience, so you’re not going in looking for deep character development. You’re looking for something fun, something that keeps your attention, and something that moves.

And for the most part, the buildup works.

We spend time in the Galaxy world, and with Rosalina, you see that she and Peach share this natural ability—they can create worlds. It’s not something they’re learning or trying to control, it’s just something they have. Then, when Peach is still a child, something happens. A tragic event separates them. The movie doesn’t go deep into explaining it, but it gives you enough to understand that there’s history there and that it matters.

At the same time, we’re getting Bowser Jr.’s story—and honestly, he’s the star of the show.

You see these moments of Bowser telling him bedtime stories about ruling the galaxy and building this massive “doom cannon.” It’s clearly destructive—we all know what that plan really is—but through Bowser Jr.’s eyes, it’s exciting. It’s something he wants to share with his dad.

That’s what drives him.

He misses his father, and he wants to prove to him that he followed through—that he built what they dreamed about. And when they finally reunite, it’s actually a really strong moment. You get that excitement from Bowser Jr., but at the same time, you can see hesitation in Bowser.

He doesn’t say it outright, but you can see it in his expressions—he’s not fully sure about going through with it.

And that’s what makes it interesting.

Because after spending time with Mario and the others, you can tell something in him has shifted. He even made that promise that he wasn’t going to be that same threat anymore. So now you’ve got this moment where his son is pulling him back into that old mindset, and you can feel that internal conflict. It’s subtle, but it’s there, and it works.

But here’s where the movie stumbles a bit.

The final battle is what feels rushed.

Not the buildup. Not Bowser Jr. as the threat. The actual payoff.

We spend all this time building up the characters, the relationships, and the stakes… and then that final fight between Bowser Jr., Bowser, and the Mario brothers just moves too fast. It feels like it needed more time to breathe. You want more out of it. More tension. More impact. And it just kind of wraps up before it fully lands.

Now, outside of that, the movie does a lot right.

Bowser Jr. is fun, and his motivation makes sense. He’s not just causing chaos—he has a reason for what he’s doing, even if it’s misguided. Bowser himself is still great. Jack Black brings that same energy, but he’s used a little differently here. He’s not as dominant as he was in the first one, but when he’s on screen, it still works.

Some of his best moments are actually at the beginning.

Seeing Bowser shrunk down, trying to get back to full size with that high-pitched, chipmunk-like voice—it’s hilarious. Then you find out he’s basically in therapy, working through his anger issues, painting pictures of him and Peach like everything’s fine. That whole setup lands.

And then you’ve got Luigi, who actually trusts him. Luigi’s like, “I’ve been spending time with him. He’s good.”

Mario? Not at all.

Mario doesn’t trust him for a second, and that dynamic between them works every time it comes up.

Getting to spend time again with Mario, Luigi, Peach, Rosalina, Toad—it just feels good. That familiarity is part of what makes this movie work.

Visually, this movie is beautiful.

The Galaxy setting gives them so much to work with, and they take full advantage of it. The colors are vibrant, the animation is clean, and everything just looks sharp. There are moments where you’re not even focused on the story—you’re just taking in everything happening on screen.

One of the coolest touches is how they blend styles.

There are scenes where everything is fully cinematic and modern, and then it cuts to Bowser Jr. watching events through what looks like classic 2D Mario gameplay. That was a great way to bring the older games into it without it feeling forced.

The movie also leans into fan service, and it works.

It feels more focused on the Galaxy world this time, jumping from place to place instead of trying to tie everything together like before. But there are still plenty of moments for fans. You’ll catch things from Mario Odyssey, Super Smash Bros., Pikmin showing up, and even Star Fox—which was a really cool moment.

It definitely makes you wonder where they go next with this universe.

I’ll be honest—I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Mario Galaxy games. But seeing this world brought to life like this made me appreciate it more.

And watching this, I kept thinking—they’ve got a real opportunity here.

A Luigi’s Mansion movie would be perfect. Lean into that slightly darker, ghost-hunting vibe and release it around Halloween? That would work.

At the end of the day, this movie is exactly what it needs to be.

It’s fun. It’s colorful. It’s packed with references. It gives you time with characters you already enjoy, and it adds just enough new elements to keep things interesting.

The biggest issue is the final battle. It just needed more time.

Audience Feedback

I’d love to hear your feedback and thoughts on the film. Email me at daniel@nobodycritics.com.