The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Review: Fun Visuals, Hollow Heart

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie — the sequel to 2023’s billion-dollar animated hit — arrives in UK cinemas on 4 April 2026 with the promise of bigger worlds, a more ambitious story, and a cast that reads like a Hollywood wish list. On paper, it should be unmissable. In practice, it is one of the most exhausting viewing experiences of the year.

What is The Super Mario Galaxy Movie about?

The story centres on Bowser Jr., who has broken out of boarding school and assembled an army to kidnap Princess Rosalina — revealed here to be Princess Peach’s long-lost sister. His motive is surprisingly emotional: he wants to free his imprisoned father, Bowser, and rebuild the villain fantasy world they once shared as a bedtime story.

On paper, that is a richer premise than the first film managed. But screenwriter Matthew Fogel struggles to hold it together. The narrative splits between three separate threads — Peach and Toad, Mario and Luigi, and Bowser Jr. — each bouncing between locations with the pacing of a pinball machine. Characters from across the Nintendo universe, including Fox McCloud from Star Fox and everyone’s favourite dinosaur Yoshi, are crammed into the margins with little purpose beyond brand recognition.

For fans who enjoy dissecting gaming lore and spotting franchise crossovers, our latest gaming reviews go deep on how well recent releases handle their source material — a bar this film rarely clears.

Is The Super Mario Galaxy Movie visually impressive?

Yes — and also, genuinely, no. Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, returning from the first film, push the colour palette so far into the extreme that individual scenes become difficult to parse. A casino sequence in particular stacks greens, pinks, and blues on top of each other until the frame resembles a child’s overfilled sticker book rather than a cinematic set piece.

There is undeniable craftsmanship in the animation itself, and younger children will likely be dazzled throughout. But for adult viewers, the aesthetic exhaustion sets in quickly, and there is not enough story to compensate for the sensory overload.

How is the cast?

Chris Pratt returns as Mario with a New York accent that does the bare minimum, and Anya Taylor-Joy’s Peach remains cheerily one-note. The genuine highlights of the first film — Charlie Day’s Luigi and Jack Black’s Bowser — are largely sidelined here, their energy wasted in a script that gives them nowhere to go.

Newcomers Brie Larson (Rosalina), Donald Glover (Yoshi), and Glen Powell (Fox McCloud) reportedly pursued their roles out of love for the games. That passion simply does not translate on screen. Every character outside of Mario himself is treated more like a glorified cameo than a proper protagonist. Benny Safdie brings genuine enthusiasm to Bowser Jr., but even he cannot anchor a film this scattered.

It is a pattern that fans of beloved franchises have seen before — much like the mixed response to fans divided over another beloved franchise when the HBO Harry Potter trailer landed last month.

Why does it matter — and what does this mean for UK audiences?

The UK box office is a major market for Nintendo properties, and this film releases alongside the Nintendo Switch 2’s growing momentum in Britain. UK families will inevitably be drawn to cinemas — and for the youngest viewers, the spectacle alone may be enough. But parents hoping for the warmth or wit of a Pixar film will leave disappointed.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is the latest in a growing line of animated sequels that prioritise brand extension over storytelling. It will almost certainly make a great deal of money. That does not make it good cinema — and UK audiences deserve to know what they are buying a ticket for.

If you prefer your entertainment brain-teasing rather than brain-numbing, daily puzzle fans can keep sharp with our Wordle answers and puzzle guides updated every morning.

Frequently asked questions