*Spoilers ahead*

Three years after Nintendo’s rebooted “Super Mario Bros” movie, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” hit theaters on April 1 and brings back familiar animation and comedy, while bringing anticipated new characters to the big screen as well. 

Taking place after the first movie, the villain spotlighted in this movie is Bowser Jr., voiced by Benny Safdie, the director of films like “Uncut Gems.” 

Fans who enjoyed Jack Black’s performance as Bowser in the first movie will be happy to know that he makes appearances in this movie as well. Bowser is not in the typical villain role, as he attempts to balance a relationship between the Mario brothers and Bowser Jr.

Other characters introduced in this movie were Princess Rosalina, voiced by Brie Larson, and Fox McCloud from the Star Fox franchise, voiced by Glen Powell. These two characters are some of the most influential in the movie, as their abilities allow the Mario brothers to go beyond the Mushroom Kingdom and explore the wider galaxy. 

If you are a Nintendo fan and liked the first movie, you will like this one, too. Many Nintendo properties make cameos in this movie like Pikmin, Mr. Game & Watch and R.O.B. Yoshi, who is voiced by Donald Glover. These characters join the Mario brothers throughout the movie as well. In the post-credits, there is a teaser for Princess Daisy, who is another character joining the Super Mario Bros movie universe, in an upcoming unannounced project.

The animation is up to the standard that audiences expect from Illumination, and the movie is tailored toward a child audience in terms of humor and story. That being said, the movie’s pacing is very fast, and there are a lot of references crammed into a movie that is only an hour and 30 minutes long. 

One complaint about the movie is that it introduces too many characters. There is a scene in which multiple villains from the Mario franchise are introduced to fight Princess Peach and Toad, including Birdo and Wart, enemies from “Super Mario Bros 2.” There are many moments in this movie where certain characters are sidelined or forgotten about. With a universe that has so many unique and beloved characters by fans, it can be a struggle to fit all of them in a movie in a meaningful way.

The musical score in this movie is almost exactly what it should be: “Super Mario Brothers” classic music and new “Super Mario Bros. Galaxy” music as well. Even as Fox McCloud appears on screen, music from “Star Fox” plays as well. That scene also includes a cameo from other “Star Fox” characters like Falco Lombardi, Slippy Toad and Peppy Hare.

Although there are a lot of characters in the movie, they are there for a reason; fans love them and want them to have their time in a feature-length film. Fortunately for Nintendo, they have the money to get voice actors who are truly passionate about voicing these characters in a way that is true to their respective games. Standouts were Donald Glover as Yoshi, Glen Powell as Fox and, of course, all the returning talent from the first movie, Chris Pratt as Mario. Others included Charlie Day as Luigi and Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach. 

One recommendation for those on the fence about seeing the movie is to check if your favorite Mario character makes an appearance in the movie before going. If your favorite character makes an appearance, it is fair to say you will not walk out of the theater disappointed.

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