When The Super Mario Bros. Movie crossed $1.3 billion at the box office in 2023, it set a somewhat disappointing precedent for Illumination. The film’s success suggested that nostalgia, brand recognition, and a thin, surface-level script were enough to drive massive returns. By being essentially a handsomely made child-minder, it turned what felt like a flashy distraction for kids into a cultural juggernaut. Many audiences brushed off criticism with the familiar refrain that it was “just a Mario movie for kids.” Have we forgotten family films can be something more?
As a lifelong Nintendo fan, I can appreciate that the film is broadly entertaining, vibrantly animated, and packed with Easter eggs. However, beneath all that colour and energy, it feels fundamentally hollow, lacking any shred of thematic depth and even a coherent story. Family films don’t have to settle for being visually loud and narratively simple; they can offer humour, emotional resonance, and even the odd nugget of wisdom. Unfortunately, the original film, and now its sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, seem content to do the bare minimum.
Less a plot than a flimsy framework for set pieces, the film opens with Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson), regent of the galaxy and adoptive mother to the Lumas, being captured by Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie). When word reaches the Mushroom Kingdom, Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) set off on a galactic quest to stop his universe-destroying plans.
Meanwhile, Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day), preoccupied with befriending the adorable Yoshi (Donald Glover), are left to babysit a shrunken Bowser (Jack Black) and manage the kingdom. After a rapid-fire blur of events, everyone ends up in space, launching a breathless adventure loosely inspired by Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel. With a sidelined protagonist, underused new characters, and a half-baked attempt at rehabilitating Bowser, this is not a film that prioritises story.
The most inspired moments come when the film faithfully leans into video game mechanics and platform-style action. Jumping courses, 8-bit interludes, and question block power-ups are all lovingly recreated, echoing the original games where side-scrolling toward a flagpole was the simplest of objective. In a particular montage, Mario and Luigi’s castle-minding duties cleverly recreate the feel of progressing through levels on a map.
In emulating the Galaxy games, however, the film becomes far more sprawling. Edible star bits, Super Launch Stars that send characters planet-hopping across the galaxy, and encounters with a Tyrannosaurus and a giant anthropomorphic queen bee (Issa Rae) all cram as many locations as possible into the mile-a-minute 90-minute runtime. While most of this isn’t given ample enough time, over-saturated pop-songs used in the original have thankfully been replaced with orchestral remixes of the video-game’s original soundtracks.
The animation is the film’s strongest asset, with richly saturated visuals and detailed 3D effects making every stroke of Bowser Jr.’s paintbrush feel dynamic, precise, and filled with visual fidelity. Each planet is rendered as a dazzling, star-glittered spectacle, likely to impress younger viewers with a lush, cosmic sense of wonder and awe.
Where the film truly falters is in its near non-existent characterisation, which leaves it feeling as empty as a black hole, swallowing any emotional weight or purpose. Mario is little more than an afterthought in his own story, a step back from at least the modest arc given to him in the first film. Peach carries most of the narrative load, while Luigi and Toad are largely reduced to background support. Bowser’s hinted redemption is quickly abandoned in favour of a reunion with his son, a plotline that feels highly stunted, especially without an iconic music number like “Peaches” from the original. While Jack Black still brings *some* energy to the role, Chris Pratt’s Mario feels largely inert.
Across the board, the voice cast feels underused. Yoshi is undeniably cute but functions more as merchandise than character, wasting Donald Glover’s talent. Rosalina is the biggest disappointment, reduced to a damsel who merely bookends the story. Oscar winner Brie Larson is given far too little to work with for such an iconic character in the Nintendo canon. When Star Fox (Glen Powell) finally appears in the latter half, it is almost a relief to hear a performance with genuine charisma, albeit one that largely leans on the same over-confident charm he brought to Top Gun: Maverick.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie delivers a viewing experience not unlike sucking on a swirling rainbow lollipop: a rush of sweetness that’s enjoyable in the moment but ultimately lacks substance or any real nutrients. With animation this polished, it feels criminal how weak the screenplay is by comparison, reinforcing the wrong priorities for where studios invest their effort. While die-hard Nintendo fans may find enough references to stay engaged, the film largely overwhelms the senses with colour, action, and IP-driven spectacle.
For those with no attachment to Nintendo, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a below-average animated film that may dazzle visually but offers little beyond noise in place of narrative. Echoing the tone of the returning nihilistic Luma, Rosalina may open the film with her galactic storybook, but by the end, there is little within its pages beyond stardust.
