Illumination keeps plucking coins through ‘Mario’ rehash

photo from Wikipedia Commons

Following the economic success of the first installment, Nintendo decided to collaborate once again with Illumination to bring another Mario movie to theaters, this one primarily based around Super Mario Galaxy, the hit 3D platformer that came out on November 1, 2007 for the Nintendo Wii. Subsisting on fan service through call outs to the franchise, the latest incarnation of the Mario universe offers little in the way of plot or entertainment for fans unfamiliar with the game itself.

The basic plot follows Mario (Chris Pratt, Jurassic World), Luigi (Charlie Day, Pacific Rim), Peach (Anya Taylor Joy, The Gorge), Toad (Keegan Michael-Key, Toy Story 4), and now Yoshi voiced by Donald Glover, trying to save Rosalina, voiced by Brie Larson, who has been kidnapped by Bowser Jr, voiced by Benny Safdie. Viewers see Mario & friends explore throughout the galaxy to try and save the princess and bring her back to where she lives, the Comet Observatory.

Throughout the Super Mario Galaxy movie, character development is something Illumination strived for and made clear throughout the movie, just as they did in The Mario Movie. Mario starts off as the stereotypical confident and determined hero, but throughout his time navigating the galaxy, he realizes the colossal stakes at hand. Mario has to juggle saving multiple kingdoms, which pushes him to become a more responsible person. On the other hand, Mario’s twin brother Luigi shifts from his well-known anxious and hesitant personality to someone who can be dependable and needed. In the film Luigi proves that he is just as strong and reliable as his brother. Most surprisingly, Princess Peach received one of the most thought-provoking developments, as she now needs to be a more active leader, rather than just being a weak princess who always needs saving. Together these developments add more emotional weight to the story although it could have been explored more if the movie was longer.

Although Super Mario Galaxy focuses well on the cinematic portion, as movies tend to do when based off an existing intellectual property, the plot strays away from its source material and goes in its own direction, losing both its way and the audience in the process. One of the biggest turning points of the film is not accurate in any way when it comes to what was previously shown in the Super Mario Galaxy videogame.

This movie also brings with it many features from other popular series created by Nintendo, such as Star Fox and Pikmin. Additionally, the main character of Star Fox, Fox McCloud, voiced by Glen Powell, plays a key role within the film, as he takes the main Mario cast to a distant galaxy they were having trouble getting to via his famous jet, the Arwing.

The vast number of references they were able to pack within the 98 minutes of film time was great, however, just like its predecessor, the plot itself is shallow and viewers should know not to watch the Super Mario Galaxy Movie just for the sake of story.

This movie is perfect for anyone who’s played any of the Super Mario series games, especially if they’ve played the specific one from which this movie arises. They’ll certainly enjoy all of the references to the previous games that Nintendo and Illumination’s thrown into this movie, but definitely don’t go into the movie expecting anything besides that.

Grade: B-

For the most part, what the movie struggles with in plot, it makes up for in nostalgia. 

by Matthew Stinski

Published April 27, 2026

Oshkosh West Index Volume 122 Issue VII