“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” was not meant to be satirical, or to have a deeper meaning to it. It simply was what it was always intended to be: a funny animated movie with an all-star cast, highlighting characters from a classic video game that most popular culture knows about.
The movie was released on April 1, 2026 — an homage to audiences to not be taken seriously. Since the second weekend of its release, the movie has made over $300 million worldwide.
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” follows Rosalina, played by Brie Larson. Rosalina is an iconic Mario character. Rosalina was first discovered by players in the Super Mario Galaxy game. She is a powerful princess whose job is to watch over the cosmos and protect the lumas, who she is the adopted mother of.
When the movie opens, Rosalina is on a floating conservatory reading a story to the lumas. She recalls the adventure of Princess Peach, who is played by Anna Taylor-Joy; Mario who is played by Chris Pratt; and Luigi who is played by Charlie Day, from the first film against Bowser, played by Jack Black, who was the antagonist. Her conservatory, where she lives with the lumas, is attacked, and the audience is able to catch a glimpse of her full powers. She is a very powerful being who has a star wand that gives her star-like powers.
However, when a luma gets out of the conservatory, Rosalina gets distracted and she and the luma, played by Virginia Dare Jelenic, are kidnapped by the new antagonist — Bowser Jr., played by Benny Safdie.
Bowser Jr. is Bowser’s only known child and was first introduced in Super Mario Sunshine. He wishes to take back his father from Princess Peach’s castle, who was shrunk at the end of the last movie.
The movie goes back to Mario and Luigi, who are now living in the Mushroom Kingdom. They fix plumbing issues, including one that lands them in a desert where they discover an iconic character, Yoshi, played by Donald Glover. They decide to take him back with them, and the three of them quickly become best friends, much to Toad’s — played by Keegan-Micheal Key — disdain who feels jealous over the new friendship.
While Rosalina is captured, she manages to briefly escape and helps the luma break free. She tells the luma to find Princess Peach before she is captured again.
During Princess Peach’s birthday, she reveals to Mario that she doesn’t know where she came from and the mushrooms had taken her in as a child and raised her.
A shooting star passes by them, and they quickly realize that it’s crashing into Earth. They go to find the source, only to find out that it’s the luma. The luma and Princess Peach sneak out in the night to rescue Rosalina. Upon seeing a picture of her, Princess Peach realizes she recognizes her.
Mario and Luigi are put in charge of the kingdom, but Bowser Jr. quickly finds them and lifts the castle into the sky in hopes of rescuing his father. They crash on an unknown planet, and Mario and Luigi escape with Bowser.
Bowser convinces them that he has changed and wants to do better. He hopes he can reconnect with Bowser Jr.
Then, just as the audience thinks Bowser is redeemed, Bowser Jr. finds him, and they reunite.
The questions the audience are left with are: has Bowser really changed? Will Mario and Luigi reunite with Princess Peach to help Rosalina and the luma? Why does Princess Peach recognize Rosalina?
The movie has beautiful animation, showcasing the epic universe that the movie is set in. The visuals of the stars, planets and galaxies showcase Illumination’s iconic animation style with a little twist.
The movie also brings in more iconic characters for fans of the game and leaves a promise of more characters to come in future movies.
However, hardcore fans of the video game may not like the movie. Rosalina, although supposed to be a major character of the movie, is hardly shown and when she is, she is in a cage. Many fans wanted to see more from her character, and that may be in the case of future movies.
Another disappointment was there was no banger musical number from Black that fans have come to expect from his projects.
While “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” doesn’t break new ground, it doesn’t need to. The film succeeds as a visually vibrant, fast-paced adventure that leans into humor and nostalgia rather than depth. While some fans may be disappointed, its energy and visuals make it an enjoyable addition to the franchise.
Andrea Roberts can be reached at [email protected]