The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: Exciting and Energetic, If Not Always Deep

A Different Kind of Galaxy Story

When I first heard that The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s sequel would be The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, I was intrigued. After all, the Galaxy games were a big part of the series during the Wii Era, so a movie released 20 years later and capitalizing on that nostalgia felt like a strong starting point. But rather than being a direct adaptation, the movie instead uses the Galaxy games more as a springboard for a different kind of story.

The movie’s plot is very simple, and hides very little of what will happen. But there are still engaging plotlines, such as the origin of Peach, Bowser’s conflicting loyalties, and the Lumas’ loyalty to their mother Rosalina. Mario and Luigi being more experienced this time also helps, since it allows for more dynamic action sequences compared to the first movie, which spent a lot of time building them up first.

That said, if you’re expecting something with a lot of depth or complexity, this isn’t that kind of story. Which is a shame, considering how the Galaxy games had plots that could have expanded well into a movie.

An Adventure That’s Always Moving

Where the movie absolutely shines, though, is in its action and animation. Just like the previous film, there’s a strong focus on platforming, but it’s taken even further here. Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi all move with a kind of fluidity that really feels like watching high-level gameplay brought to life. The setpieces are creative and constantly shifting, with standout moments like the four-way gravity room with Peach and Toad, the dinosaur planet adventure with Yoshi and Toad, and the montage of Mario and Luigi protecting the Mushroom Kingdom.

The animation also does a great job translating elements from the Galaxy games into motion. Familiar moves and mechanics are integrated naturally into the action, making everything feel cohesive. But while the gameplay elements of the Galaxy games are integreated well, it doesn’t fully commit to the more inventive environments the games were known for.  Many different galaxies do appear, but often only as brief shots, and most of the action occurs in environments more familiar to casual viewers. This I feel, was a big missed opportunity, as Galaxy was well known for very inventive environments.

A Cosmic Soundtrack

We can’t talk about Galaxy, however, without mentioning the music. The film mixes in several tracks from the games in a grand orchestral format, in ways that fits the mood of the movie. It captures a sense of wonder, adventure, and excitement. The movie’s soundtrack has been released, and some for me were Star Shower, which incorporates The Star Festival, and Rebuilding the Castle, which features Gusty Garden Galaxy. Assault on Planet Bowser also stood out for blending both Mario and Star Fox elements, including The Galaxy Reactor and Corneria, respectively

Too Many Stars, Not Enough Focus

When it comes to other elements, however, the movie does feel lacking in several ways. The pacing is very fast, and because of that, a lot of its ideas never get the time they need to fully develop. This ends up being one of its biggest issues, as the story and characters feel underused despite the scale. If it was around 10 or 15 minutes longer, I think that would have been the sweetspot. 

Some characters have greater characterizations than others. Bowser and Bowser Jr. stand out with their dynamic, especially with Bowser questioning himself as a father while Jr. looks up to him. Bowser starts off imprisoned by the Mushroom Kingdom. It’s deliberately ambiguous if he really has changed, as while he does help the heroes at first, he also decides to team up with his son at the end to fight them. A mix of comradery and antagonism could lead to more interesting developments in the future.

As the person who starts the plot of the movie, Bowser Jr. himself remains very malicious, which is a bit different from how he’s usually portrayed. In the games, he tends to come off more as a petty troublemaker trying to impress his dad rather than a full-on villain.

Fox has some of the most entertaining scenes in the movie. There are people who say his role is like Han Solo, but I disagree. He feels more action-driven and eager for battle, bringing a different kind of energy compared to the rest of the cast. His role as a pilot naturally fits the space setting, and his inclusion allows the movie to explore things like aerial combat and interstellar travel in a way that Mario alone wouldn’t. These sections are a great glimpse of what Star Fox could be in the big screen.

Mario and Luigi, being together for most of the movie this time, are one of its stronger elements. Their dynamic is true to the games, with Mario taking on the more driven, proactive role while Luigi balances that out with a more cautious and grounded personality. That contrast helps give their scenes a bit more life, especially during the action-heavy moments. Mario’s crush on Peach is also a noticeable part of the story, shown through smaller interactions and how he reacts around her.

Toad and Yoshi act as sidekicks in this movie, with Toad being frustrated that Yoshi seems to be more useful than him. But they reconcile when they fight together to save babies from a dinosaur.

However, the biggest issue comes down to how the movie handles its overall cast. There are so many characters and plotlines that very few of them are given enough time to fully develop. The movie constantly moves from one moment to the next, and while that keeps things exciting, it also means that emotional beats don’t always land as strongly as they should.

Rosalina is easily the clearest example of this. Despite being such an important character in the Galaxy games, she feels surprisingly underused here. She plays a key role in the story, but her presence is limited, and her connection with Peach doesn’t get enough focus to feel meaningful. This is especially noticeable in a movie that already struggles to give its characters enough depth.

A Journey That Never Quite Reaches the Stars

Despite all that, it’s hard to say the movie isn’t fun. The action is consistently engaging, the visuals are impressive, and the music does a lot of heavy lifting. I would call it similar to a theme park experience. You enjoy the experience while you’re in it, but you don’t feel any deeper than that.

In the end, the Super Mario Galaxy Movie is at its best when it embraces the scale and creativity of the Mario universe, delivering some of the most exciting sequences in the franchise so far. But in trying to be bigger, it loses some of the focus that made the Galaxy games so memorable in the first place. It’s a fun ride, but one that never quite slows down enough to reach the emotional heights it feels like it’s aiming for.