The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a sequel that thinks it is smarter than its audience, and a sequel that forgets why people loved the last one. Directed by Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath, and written by Matthew Fogel, the film tries to build on the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) by sending Mario and Luigi into outer space to face Bowser and his son Bowser Jr. The result is a bloated, unfocused mess that runs 98 minutes but feels far longer.
Chris Pratt returns as Mario, with Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, and Jack Black as Bowser. Keegan-Michael Key voices Toad, and Benny Safdie plays Bowser Jr. Newcomers include Glen Powell as Fox McCloud, Brie Larson as Rosalina, Donald Glover as Yoshi, Roxana Ortega as Ukiki, and Luis Guzmán as Wart. The cast is capable, but the script buries them under a pile of pointless subplots and a main villain who is less threatening than confused.
Trailer, via Illumination.
Bowser Jr.’s Plan
The central plot involves Bowser Jr., who wants to free his father from captivity and restore the Bowser family legacy. To do this, he captures Rosalina, the adoptive mother of the Lumas, and plans to drain her powers to fuel a universe-destroying cannon. Bowser, defeated and shrunk by Mario and Luigi, is also involved, though the film never quite explains how or why.
Mario and Luigi are called to investigate a disturbance in Tostarena Town, where they meet Yoshi, a friendly dinosaur who hatched in Brooklyn and was chased back to his home world after accidentally breaking a dinosaur skeleton in a museum. A Luma sent by Rosalina arrives in the Mushroom Kingdom, enlisting Peach and Toad for help. In Peach and Toad’s absence, Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi protect the Mushroom Kingdom and try to rehabilitate Bowser.
Bowser Jr. lifts Peach’s castle into space to free his father, but the battle drops the castle into the Honeyhive Galaxy. Bowser goads Mario into attacking him, which unshrinks him, and he offers to take their place for damaging the fields in exchange for Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi being transported to the Gateway Galaxy. Later, Bowser is abducted by his son, whom he had sent to boarding school years prior.
A Gateway Too Far
In the Gateway Galaxy, Toad’s backpack is stolen by Ukiki, a monkey thief who takes it to a hidden casino. Peach forces Wart, the casino’s owner, to reveal Rosalina’s location, the Space Junk Galaxy. Wart then alerts the Bowsers about Peach. Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi reunite with Peach and Toad, who have hired pilot Fox McCloud to transport the group.
Fox’s Arwing crashes into Fossil Falls after an attack from Bowser and his son. Bowser and Bowser Jr. transform Mario and Luigi into babies with a Super Scope. At first, Bowser “feels” bad over doubting his son, but the moment passes quickly.
What Works
There are flashes of genuine charm here. Yoshi, voiced by Donald Glover, is a highlight, and the scene where Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi protect the Mushroom Kingdom while Peach and Toad are absent is genuinely funny. The animation is bright and colorful, and the voice acting is mostly competent. Pratt and Day have a solid rapport as the brothers, and Black commits fully to his hammy portrayal of Bowser.
What Doesn’t Work
The film is weighed down by too many side stories. The subplot involving Yoshi hatching in Brooklyn and breaking a museum skeleton is cute but goes nowhere. The Ukiki casino sequence is a waste of time. The Fox McCloud hire is introduced late and barely matters. The film jumps from galaxy to galaxy without giving the audience time to breathe, and the pacing suffers badly.
The villain, Bowser Jr., is a cipher. He is supposed to be a threat, but he spends most of the film whining and being unsure of himself. Bowser is reduced to a pawn in his son’s scheme, and the dynamic between father and son is never properly explored. The film sets up a family conflict but never delivers on it.
The Star Fox Problem
Glen Powell’s Fox McCloud is a strange addition. Powell pitched himself for the role after the first film, and he is clearly passionate about the character. But the film does not know what to do with him. Fox appears late, flies the group around for a few minutes, and then his plane crashes. His presence feels like a favor to fans rather than a meaningful contribution to the story.
The film also includes Rosalina, played by Brie Larson, and Wart, the casino owner who alerts the Bowsers. Both characters are underwritten. Rosalina’s capture drives the plot, but the film does not explain why she is important beyond being a power source. Wart is a casino owner whose alert to the Bowsers is the climax of his arc.
The Numbers
- Title: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026)
- Director: Michael Jelenic, Aaron Horvath
- Writer: Matthew Fogel
- Runtime: 98 minutes
- Genres: Family, Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy, Animation
- Cast: Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Benny Safdie, Glen Powell, Brie Larson, Donald Glover, Kevin Michael Richardson, Issa Rae, Luis Guzmán
The film premiered at Minami-za in Kyoto on March 28, 2026, and was released theatrically worldwide. It was produced by Illumination and Nintendo, with Brian Tyler returning to compose the score. Nintendo’s president Shuntaro Furukawa expressed interest in more animated films based on the franchise in May 2021, and a sequel was announced in March 2024 following the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
The film draws inspiration from Super Mario Galaxy (2007) and Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010), along with the Star Fox series. The casting announcements were made in stages: Pratt, Day, Taylor-Joy, Black, Key, and Richardson were confirmed in September 2025, followed by Larson and Safdie in November 12, 2025, with Glover, Rae, and Guzmán revealed in March 9, 2026.
The Verdict
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a failure of ambition. It wants to be a grand adventure, but it lacks focus, discipline, and a clear sense of purpose. The plot is scattered, the villains are weak, and the pacing is broken. There are moments of genuine fun, but they are buried under a mountain of filler.
The film is uneven but watchable. It has some good jokes and a few strong performances, but it is ultimately a disappointment. Fans of the franchise will find a few pleasant surprises, but they will also find a lot of wasted potential.
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