Both Super Mario Galaxy games are my favorite video games of all time. Naturally, I was ecstatic when this film was announced in Sept. 2025. Just like its 2023 predecessor, this film was fun to watch, beginning to end.
The animation once again is phenomenal and just as good as its predecessor, if not better. I noticed some of the character models looked more refined, notably Peach’s face.
The music is top notch and it’s mainly original compositions and arrangements. Composer Brian Tyler did it again with his arrangements and original compositions. There were arrangements from other Nintendo franchises, thanks to the appearance of other Nintendo characters, such as Fox McCloud from the StarFox series.
No time is wasted, as the film starts with Rosalina in the Comet Observatory’s library, reading her storybook to the Lumas, and then Bowser Jr. attacks her shortly after. Due to its runtime of 98 minutes, the pacing is fast once again. While this entry addressed and solved most of the issues with its predecessor, the pacing was not.
As stated earlier, this film was fun to watch all the way through. Family is the theme of this film, and it ranges from Bowser and Junior, Mario and Luigi, Rosalina and her Lumas, and a plot spoiler that made me very happy when I figured out what they were alluding to.
Also, Bowser has always been a great father, ever since Junior’s debut in 2002. Even with his kidnapping and destructiveness, Bowser always makes sure his son feels loved and spends quality time with him. The film did a great job of showing their relationship. Junior feels the same way, as both this film and several games show Bowser and Junior sharing a moment, or fighting together, as father and son.
The overall atmosphere is my main issue with this film. The first Galaxy game has a feeling of quietness and melancholy, while also having grand cinematic moments. Gateway Galaxy, one of the most peaceful places in the game, was turned into a space airport, which made me feel conflicted.
The lack of the peaceful emptiness made me feel like the film was retelling the “story” of Galaxy 2, which itself is essentially a rehash of its predecessor.
Another thing I must praise is the appearance of other Nintendo characters. I welcomed the idea of non-Mario characters appearing besides McCloud such as R.O.B. and Pikmin. Who knows, we may get Sonic, as hilarious and unlikely as it sounds.
However, I must critique Illumination’s decision to reveal McCloud before the film was released in theatres. The scene building up to his appearance would have been a big payoff if Illumination had not done that. However, this does mean that the StarFox series has gained light again after its 10 year hiatus. Maybe a new game will finally come out, or even if this semi-confirms a Smash Bros. movie.
And one thing I really liked was the film poking fun at Nintendo about Mario and Peach remaining as friends. Mario was teased several times by Luigi and even Yoshi about his feelings towards her. Despite what Nintendo says, Mario and Peach are more than friends.
Despite issues being resolved and replaced with new ones, the film was a joy to watch, and I cannot wait for the third entry, especially with a spoiler character that was teased at the end, who I am a big fan of. As I’m looking forward to her potential role, I left the movie theater excitedly wondering what the next film could be about because of the direction Illumination went with.
Edited by Stuti Khadka and Bidhya Sapkota
