Introduction
Hello, fellow adventurers! Blaziker has returned for another animated movie adventure, and after a period of not much going on with the theatrical animation scene, it’s time we return to the Mushroom Kingdom for the second movie instalment of the well-loved video game franchise, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie!
Kicking off where the first movie left off, plumber brothers Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) face a new threat from Bowser’s son, Bowser Junior (legendary movie director Benny Safdie) as he, together with Bowser (the immortal Jack Black) whom he freed from Mario and Luigi’s clutches. Along with new companions, Mario and Luigi venture to the Galaxy to thwart Bowser and Bowser Junior’s plans to take over the world.
The first Super Mario movie left such a great first impression, but being released in a rather strong 2023, it was left off to the sands of time despite its record-breaking box-office numbers. Will the sequel be as fantastic as the first one?
Only one way to find out, let’s hop into the pipe and fly off to space, shall we?
Key Information
- Directors: Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath
- Animation Studio: Illumination Entertainment
- Country of Origin: United States
- Rating: PG
- Release date: 1 April 2026 (in Singapore)
Trailer
The Review
Story and Characters
Well, when it comes to the overall writing, let’s just say that it has… issues, to say the least.
Having covered many animated movies that told different stories and styles of telling those stories, I found my preference for simple but effective stories that do not have a lot of elements, and a more immersive story that makes it so enjoyable. Personally, given the overstimulation of too many elements in some animated movies over the past few months, keeping it simple and doing it well is my preferred story style. Unfortunately, the writing in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is the opposite of that.
For one, this movie is chock-full of exposition, referencing not just the Super Mario franchise but also other Nintendo games. Sure, as a Super Mario game, the references can help to bring light to other Nintendo games that deserve its spotlight, but with so, so many elements to work on, the writing can feel disjointed, which resulted in me not feeling the connection with the story.
Additionally, the over-simulation of references and story elements resulted in not enough story and character development for me to connect with this movie. There were some moments that I really cared about that were done well, but there are other elements that would have benefited from more time in the writing department. It’s such a shame that the writing is not as well-developed as I hoped, but thankfully there are some elements in the writing that I liked.
For one, this movie is pretty funny. A lot of jokes do land, and some moments really made me laugh. It also helped that the writing balances the jokes and paces them well enough to prevent being overwhelmed by jokes, if the overwhelming of the story elements was not already enough.
I also love the characters in the movie, both old and new. Once again, most of the old characters are great, and Jack Black returning as Bowser is awesome. However, I actually like some of the new characters even more. While I wished she had more screen time, Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) shines through, and Bowser Junior (Benny Safdie) is just awesome as both the main villain and his deep connection with Bowser. I am also surprised by the appearance of Fox McCloud (Glen Powell) from the Star Fox franchise, but his incorporation into the Super Mario story is both exciting and entertaining. With that said, nothing will compare to Mario’s dinosaur companion, Yoshi (Donald Glover), and while Yoshi is my most favourite character in the entire Super Mario franchise, Glover’s voice acting as Yoshi is surprisingly great. I was not sure whether he could replicate Yoshi’s voice, but he proved me wrong with this one.
Overall, there are a good number of elements regarding the writing I enjoyed, but at the same time, it felt frustrating to get through the writing in this one. This movie felt like a quantity-type of animated movie more than quality, and that lets this movie down in almost its entirety.
Animation
While the writing had a lot of issues, to say the least, the one element that is not a problem is the animation, and oh boy, if not for the fact that I had to flag many issues regarding the writing, I would have focused more on the animation, but here we go!
I usually do not have a lot of complaints about Illumination Entertainment’s animation. Sure, their animation style tends to be more on the typical, generic family-friendly CG style we had seen in most of their movies, but you know Illumination will ham up the styling in every single Illumination animated movie, and yes, they did. This is a high-quality and colourful spectacle that can be too overwhelming for some, but for me, the animation style encapsulates the rich world of Super Mario and Nintendo so well.
There is another surprise Illumination threw at me that I did not expect, and it’s that they incorporate different animation styles into the movie, and all blend seamlessly to the overall animation design. There is one particular moment where the movie switches to puppetry, and yes, you heard it right, there are puppets involved. That moment might have single-handedly saved the entire movie for me, and it brings forth a level of hand-crafted childhood memories that really lean into this immersive feeling animated movie. I am keeping under wraps regarding what happened in that scene, but let’s just say you will be amazed by that scene.
This movie has a lot of action, and the action sequences are fun and energetic without feeling too grating. Sometimes, action sequences, when not executed well, can feel too overwhelming, but here, the sequences are just right for me.
Honestly, the animation in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie hits the spot most of the time, and while the writing is not what I am hoped, the animation makes up for that.
Soundtrack, Other Elements and Level of Enjoyment
Brian Tyler returned to compose the score for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, just like the first one, and as always, I have no complaints about the music score whatsoever. The score takes cues from past Super Mario and Nintendo games and gives them proper homage with the music tracks in the score.
While the marketing is once again excellent, one tiny complaint I wanted to make is that they had spoiled some sections through the marketing, especially the appearance of Fox McCloud. It would have been better to keep that a surprise, but other than that, the marketing is great.
As for my level of enjoyment, I am quite mixed about this movie, to be honest. On the one hand, there are parts of this movie I genuinely enjoyed, especially its comedy, the characters, and the animation. However, on the other hand, this movie felt disjointed with its writing and the over-simulation of its references and story elements, which makes it difficult to keep track. I wanted to enjoy this movie more, but alas, it did not pan out that way, unfortunately.
Conclusion
Fellow adventurers, I am conflicted by The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. I really wanted to love this movie, but there were too many issues that are hard to ignore, unfortunately.
While there were great elements throughout the movie, from the fun characters, both new and old, to the diverse and high-quality animation and the fantastic and well-composed music score, which should have made it a slam-dunk favourite for me. Unfortunately, the writing felt too overstimulating, with way too many story elements and references that resulted in an underdeveloped story, thus making it hard to connect with the movie as a whole.
I know this is disappointing, but I know there will be some moviegoers who will enjoy this movie, especially if you are a huge Super Mario fan. If you are, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is still worth exploring. I just wish the writing were as great as the rest of its elements, unfortunately.
Thank you so much for joining me on this adventure. Well, considering the lack of any interesting animated movies to look out for in April, perhaps it is time I take a well-needed break, but tune in next time for more animated movie adventures from around the world. Until next time, see you on the next adventure!
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
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