Released on April 1, Super Mario Galaxy builds on the success of the first film with a larger cast, higher stakes and a story that will please longtime Mario fans. 

Just like the previous film, this movie takes inspiration from many Super Mario games. The main game is the title of the film, Super Mario Galaxy. They also drew inspiration from Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Super Mario World, Super Mario Maker, New Super Mario Bros. U, Starfox and Super Smash Bros. They have packed the film with a lot of material and Characters, so it will prove to be an exciting watch.

Many new characters have been introduced, including Yoshi, Princess Rosalina, Bowser Jr., Birdo, Wart, Lumalee, R.O.B., and Fox McCloud. The overabundance of characters, however, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Most of them have integral roles in the plot, such as Fox, who wasn’t just a short 30-second cameo but had major screen time. 

One really enjoyable aspect of this film is that Luigi has a major role alongside his brother, Mario, rather than the “damsel in distress” role he played in the previous film. The character interactions are well done with dialogue between Mario and Fox that are quippy, yet wholesome. Bowser got to do some parental bonding with his newfound son, Bowser Junior, which was very sweet.

With new characters comes new voice actors and these new voices are phenomenal. Brie Larsen as Princess Rosalina is stunning. Luis Guzmán as Wart is a very nice surprise. Glen Powell as Fox is perfect. Benny Safdie is a welcome surprise for Bowser Junior. But the most surprising voice is Donald Glover as Yoshi. Glover’s role is very funny and surprising. There are also plenty of returning voices, Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor Joy as Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser and Keegan Michael Key as Toad.

The plot centers around Bowser Junior kidnapping Princess Rosalina and using her powers to destroy the universe while also trying to impress his father. Meanwhile, Peach and Toad go on their own excursion to find Rosalina while Mario, Luigi and Yoshi take care of things in the Mushroom Kingdom. After a while, the team regroups as they meet their new pilot, Fox McCloud. He takes them to Planet Bowser with the help of the Lumas. Mario, Luigi and Yoshi then take on Bowser and Bowser Junior while Peach rescues Rosalina. They all reconnect at the end, where, with the help of the Lumas, the team reconstructs Peach’s castle. 

Overall, this film is spectacular. It holds many references to modern Super Mario games like Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario Wonder, as well as more classic games such as Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario World. It is most likely more enjoyable if you are a fan of the Super Mario Bros. franchise, but it’s still very enjoyable even if you aren’t a major fan.