The Super Mario Galaxy movie is a title I have been looking forward to for about three years now, and it is hard to believe it has already been that long. I took my stepdaughter to see the original, and I thought this one would be available much later, but here we are. I also thought maybe my son Alex would be old enough to see it, but I do not think his maturity level is quite there yet, especially for something he is not entirely interested in. Still, I took my stepdaughter Lily on day one, just like last time, and I have to say it is much better than most critics and edgy gamers online are trying to claim.

While it is called the Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it is not entirely about the Super Mario Galaxy video game. Yes, Princess Rosalina is in it and plays a prominent role, but it is really a big mix of elements from across the Mario games. It pulls from the original titles to Super Mario Odyssey, and even Super Mario Maker gets a small cameo.

I do think it is a little funny because the end credits of the first movie teased Yoshi hatching from his egg. While the beloved green dinosaur is a prominent character, he is not given the main role some of us expected. It was also surprising that he is voiced by Donald Glover, who apparently wanted the role badly enough to beg for it.

A lot of people have said the script is weak, and ironically there is definitely a lot going on. Without spoiling too much, the main antagonist is Bowser Jr. This is nothing like the story from Super Mario Sunshine, but he is trying to rescue his dad from captivity after Bowser was defeated by Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach in the original movie.

And of course, Bowser himself is still a major part of the film. Jack Black does an amazing job, but I will say I was pleasantly surprised that Bowser’s role is different from what I expected. I will not spoil anything, but it is worth mentioning.

Princess Peach is strong here as well. I do not remember every detail from the first movie, but she is definitely not a damsel in distress this time. She is more of a confident, take-charge Girl Power leader, backed up by a lot of Toads.

I remember watching Marvel/Disney’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and being disappointed by the lack of promised cameos. This movie is the complete opposite. It packs in so many characters and Easter eggs that it is honestly impressive. Even if some people do not fully appreciate it, the effort and attention to detail are clear. At the very least, no one can say they held back.

There are plenty of familiar faces from the original movie, including my favorite, the blue Luma named Lumalee. However, I did notice the absence of Mario’s human family and his rival Donkey Kong. I assume they chose not to include them for their own reasons.

Overall, I really enjoyed the Super Mario Galaxy movie. In some ways it is better than the original, and in some ways it is not. Going into the first film, I just hoped it would not be a complete disaster like the 1990s Super Mario Bros. movie with Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo. Since that turned out well, I think some people may have set their expectations a bit too high for this one. At the end of the day, Illumination is not Pixar, and I was not expecting (nor got) a Pixar level of storytelling. Instead, it feels more like a fast-paced roller coaster of pure Nintendo fun. It is not going to win any Oscars, not even for Best Animated Picture, but I was genuinely happy to see it on the big screen before most of the world got the chance.