As much as I surprisingly enjoyed 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, there was a feeling that it was the most corporatized version of itself. That’s not much of a surprise, as the corporate rights holder, Nintendo, is notorious for holding onto its intellectual property with an iron grip. It’s a lesson they initially had to learn the hard way, with 1993’s live-action Super Mario Bros. being an unmitigated disaster, a disrespectful piece of adaptation equally hated by the creators and fans. In shame, the company halted any attempts for big-budget theatrical adaptations, finally opening the vault decades later with Pokémon: Detective Pikachu and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Bowling with the guard rails up isn’t sexy, but it got the job done to the tune of $1.3 billion in box office earnings for the return of Mario to the silver screen, this time in a more appropriate animated form.

Now that the job of launching this rocket ship of a cinematic franchise has been completed, it’s finally time for it to set its sights on new galaxies. True to its title, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie does just that, opening itself up to the limitless possibilities that the forty-year game franchise has unlocked.

The opening credits guide us through the cosmos, settling on the faraway Comet Observatory. There resides Princess Rosalina (voiced by Brie Larson), the protector of the Lumas, star-shaped creatures who sound and behave like children. As she reads them a bedtime story, an intruder appears. It’s Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie, whose work as an actor/writer/director has hopped between Oppenheimer, Happy Gilmore 2, The Smashing Machine, and this, within the past few years), seeking to make his father proud by kidnapping a princess of his own. He emerges victorious, sending the Lumas into the unknown reaches of space to find a hero who can save Rosalina.

Lucky for them, Mario and Luigi (Chris Pratt and Charlie Day, respectively) have upped their game since the first film. They’ve been bestowed with the status of heroes to all who need them, adapting their powers to the right situations. A fun montage occurs as they solve problems around the Mushroom Kingdom, the map taking a strong resemblance to those in the games. Once the Lumas reach the brothers and Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), they’re off on a galaxy-wide adventure to stop Bowser Jr. and restore order.

There’s an assuredness to this film that the first one didn’t have. A little more respect is given to the audience as the franchise lore is broadened. Easter eggs appear in every frame, either a character from one of the many games or a collectible item that only true fans would recognize. I do not possess an encyclopedic knowledge of the games, and I was still overwhelmed by all that was being crammed in. Brian Tyler’s score is allowed more prominence, no longer burdened with having to share space with overdone tracks like “Holding Out for a Hero.” He instills many classic beats, each with a certain grandeur.

The visuals are more robust, and the camera quickly follows along with the characters as they leap from one point to another. Also introduced is the trusty sidekick Yoshi, voiced by Donald Glover, who, because the character only communicates by saying his own name, now has the easiest gig in Hollywood since Vin Diesel ended his reign as Groot in the Guardians of the Galaxy films. Other notable additions are made, but the surprise is best left preserved for the theater.

This is a children’s film that can equally appeal to adults. It is based on the generation-defining Wii game Super Mario Galaxy, which was released almost twenty years ago (that makes me feel old). Mario has been many things to many different people, and there’s a little bit of everything here. I can sense that grand machinations are in place at Nintendo and Illumination, and I’d kind of like to see it all come together.

Universal Pictures will release The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in theaters nationwide on April 01st.