By Sophie Robinson, Second Year, Film and Television Studies
Going to see The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) certainly wasn’t at the top of my priorities for this past Easter. But what is arguably better than putting a pause on lounging on The Downs and complaining about upcoming assignments then going to the cinema at midday on a Thursday (by yourself as a 21-year-old) alongside parents who are still trying to keep their young children entertained over the Easter holiday? I am certain there are plenty of more in-the-know people about Nintendo and more specifically Super Mario Bros etc. then myself, but my curiosity and nostalgia ultimately got the better of me.
The 2007 Super Mario Galaxy game on which this film is loosely based is one of those fond but cloudy childhood memories of mainly watching my brother play… For others, however, this film is something more than a chance to reminisce over the iconic soundtrack and grandeur of traveling around an expansive and stunning galaxy and in fact contains Easter egg after Easter egg that only the most dedicated Nintendo/Super Mario Bros. fan can actually pick up on.
In this second instalment to the Nintendo/Illumination video game adaption, Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) find themselves traversing the galaxy after Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) who is trying to save the freshly princess-napped Rosalina (Brie Larson).
An easy, digestible story that distinctly parts ways from the video game canon and fails to explore anything emotionally beyond what it lays out in front of you.
The plot feels incredibly thin. The film is plainly impressive space spectacle and jam-packed fight scenes, that include endless power-ups used willy-nilly to keep the action as fresh and engaging as possible (but have that on repeat for an hour and a half). It’s a film that manages keeps you entertained – if you shut your brain off and admire the pretty pictures. I felt myself slowly becoming exhausted and frustrated at the blatant nostalgia-farming that didn’t hit the mark for me as someone who predominately played Mario Kart Wii very casually growing up.
The only moment that had me second guessing the emotional capacity of this film was Bowser’s (Jack Black) short-lived redemption arc. For the brief moment where Bowser seemed to have a sincere change of heart was when I was most invested throughout the 98-minute runtime. But, alas, in typical kid’s film fashion the show must go on with an indisputable big-bad villain to keep the conflict alive – and to transform him into his skeletal counterpart, Dry Bowser, to up the stakes for the final show-down.
Although I understood what I was getting myself into by voluntarily seeing a children’s film, I was shocked at just how cringey I found the dialogue. Discussions surrounding Mario and Peach’s burgeoning romance were tough to sit through when I realised I don’t care about their relationship because the film doesn’t give you any reason to.
In fact, when Fox McCloud appears (Glenn Powell) as their get -out-of-jail-free card to fly them to where Rosalina is being held captive by Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie), there was instantly something more engaging exchanged between him and Peach than the hour I had just endured of Mario fumbling to admit he likes her and Luigi and Yoshi’s (Donald Glover) ‘bro talk.’
Jokes weren’t landing because a) the young audience didn’t understand that they were jokes, and b) the supposed jokes weren’t funny in the first place. In fact, the action-packed nature of the film meant that anytime there wasn’t fighting, chasing, flying etc., the characters clambered to fill the time with anything that might get a laugh.
Nonetheless, it’s hard to argue against the beauty of this film. The Illumination animation style gives the world of the film the vibrancy you’d expect from a vast fantastical galaxy full of unique planets, civilisations, and their accompanying challenges.
A particular highlight for me the transition into the iconic 2D side-scrolling visuals for a scene that I thought was a stylish callback to the franchise’s history and bound to give the hardcore fans something to gawk over.
Charles Hubbard
That being said, I am in no rush to see this film again anytime soon or even recommend it. It is undeniably harmless fun with well executed spectacle that might make you ‘Ooo’ and ‘Ahhh’ but is more of the kind of film you half-watch when it happens to be on TV.
While I thought the nostalgia might carry me through and fuel my amusement, I found myself lost and wishing I could enjoy the Easter eggs I’m sure were littered onscreen.
Featured Image: IMDb | Illustration by Epigram / Sophia Izwan
Did you join the millions of children who indulged in this nostalgic flick?
