Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) Review – A Spectacle That Doesn’t Always Stick the Landing
Cast your mind back to 1993, when the live-action Super Mario Bros. released—and let’s be honest, it was received very negatively. Even today, it’s often remembered as one of the more questionable video game adaptations.
Fast forward 30 years to April 2023, and things changed. Nintendo and Illumination released The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which completely flipped the script. I saw it about 5–6 days after release, and I’ll stand by this—it’s an amazing film, even now.
The Build-Up
In September 2025, during a Nintendo Direct on YouTube, the next step was revealed: the Mario Galaxy Movie, set for release on April 1st, 2026 by Universal Pictures.
I went to see it on opening day with a family member—and fair warning: this review contains heavy spoilers. Seriously, if you haven’t seen it yet, maybe come back later.
The Good
If you couldn’t already tell, this film is heavily based on the Super Mario Galaxy games—and visually, it absolutely shows.
The film is a spectacle. The way it explores the different kingdoms and environments is genuinely impressive, and the callbacks to the 2023 movie are handled really well. It feels connected without being overly forced.
The soundtrack is another huge highlight—honestly, it’s just hit after hit. It captures that grand, cosmic feel perfectly. Combined with the visuals, the film almost doesn’t feel like a “game adaptation” anymore. It’s more like a full cinematic experience that just happens to be based on a game.
And visually? It’s stunning. Everything looks incredibly polished, almost like it’s been pushed to full 4K detail. The colours, lighting, and scale all come together to make it feel lush and genuinely beautiful.
The Weird (and Not-So-Great)
That said… there are some choices that left me confused.
The reference to Star Fox—specifically bringing in Fox McCloud—just feels out of place. It’s one of those moments where you stop and think, “What were they actually going for here?” It doesn’t ruin the film, but it definitely pulls you out of it a bit.
There’s also a noticeable shift toward heavier cinematic storytelling. While that’s not a bad thing on its own, it feels like the film leans too far into it at times. It almost forgets to balance that with the lighter, more playful tone you’d expect from Mario.
Because of that, some parts feel a bit stretched or overly dramatic, and the pacing doesn’t always compensate for it. It’s like the film is trying to be something bigger, but doesn’t fully adjust to make that shift feel natural.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, the Mario Galaxy Movie is an excellent watch—but not a perfect one.
It delivers incredible visuals, a fantastic soundtrack, and some genuinely memorable moments. At the same time, it leans quite heavily on the 2023 film, so I’d strongly recommend watching The Super Mario Bros. Movie first if you haven’t already.
There’s a bit of “clinginess” to it in terms of continuity, and it doesn’t always make that accessible for new viewers—but if you’re already invested, there’s a lot here to enjoy.
Final Rating:
7.5/10
A visually stunning and ambitious follow-up that mostly succeeds, but occasionally stumbles under its own cinematic weight.
See you next time. 🎮
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