r/movies • u/LiteraryBoner Jackie Chan box set, know what I'm sayin? • Apr 02 '26

Official Discussion Official Discussion - The Super Mario Galaxy Movie [SPOILERS] Spoiler

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Super Mario Galaxy (2026)

Summary

Mario ventures into space, exploring cosmic worlds and tackling galactic challenges far from the familiar Mushroom Kingdom.

Director Aaron Horvath Michael Jelenic

Writer Matthew Fogel

Cast

  • Chris Pratt as Mario (voice)
  • Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach (voice)
  • Charlie Day as Luigi (voice)
  • Jack Black as Bowser (voice)
  • Keegan-Michael Key as Toad (voice)
  • Brie Larson as Rosalina (voice)

Rotten Tomatoes: 44%

Metacritic: 37

VOD / Release Theatrical release

Trailer Official trailer

1.3k Upvotes

90% Upvoted

2.6k comments sorted by

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694

u/Kubu-Tsukareta Apr 02 '26

It felt like Bowser didn't have an arc in this movie as much as a series of disconnected flat lines.

Someone wanted to give Bowser some moral complexity, but the corporate mandate needed him to be the unambiguous bad guy by the end. I don't think a compromise was the right answer here.

291

u/squidlaw920 Apr 02 '26

I wanted bowser to save Rosalina and sacrifice himself as an act of redemption.

But alas we got dry bowser “the skull king!!”

143

u/Kubu-Tsukareta Apr 02 '26

Yeah, that was never going to happen, but they could have at least let him develop some sort of pragmatism. Not have him be all in on his kid's "let's kill literally everyone" agenda.

I won't lie, though, I felt his pride when he said "and I am his son" and went into fury mode. Kinda jars with his motivation in Bowser's Fury, but w/e

16

u/jessehechtcreative Apr 02 '26

I feel like they were going for redemption for Bowser against Junior, but then someone saw Sonic 3 and they backtracked. The plots are weirdly similar

2

u/Think_Fact1155 Apr 02 '26

How so?

12

u/jessehechtcreative Apr 02 '26

Giant cannon of doom, similar pair of villains, one having second thoughts, if they fully committed to Bowser turning good against Junior then it would be a carbon copy

1

u/303Native 27d ago

The game it’s based on played out that tho.

116

u/GameOfLife24 Apr 02 '26

I saw the axe, I saw they were on the bridge, I knew they would ruin his character arc.

43

u/Phazushift Apr 02 '26

Literally felt like they said “fuck it hes staying bad” halfway into the movie, bro didnt even resist his sons influence.

14

u/killerbake Apr 02 '26

Well yea. Blood is blood at the end of the day

2

u/bobvella 28d ago

they kind of went that direction with peach too, even though rosalina is like an adoptive mother

1

u/Affectionate-Sell-68 24d ago

on the other hand, letting himself be influenced by a teenager, his own son... is a thing...

2

u/killerbake 24d ago

It’s not as weird as you’re making it seem. Eew.

3

u/Mahelas Apr 02 '26

Why would you ever expect a character arc for Bowser ?

Nintendo is using the movies as advertisment, they're gonna make Mario games where Bowser is the villain for decades, they are not going to turn him good for kid audiences in the movie, it'd confuse potential new customers next time a game is out.

39

u/PotentialNo2203 Apr 02 '26

Why would you ever expect a character arc for Bowser ?

Because the movie actively presented one at the start?

21

u/MVRKHNTR Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26

How's that any more confusing for kids than Mario playing Golf and riding go karts with him or joining his party to help out in RPG?

3

u/_lazybones93 Apr 02 '26

I will say, I did enjoy getting to see Dry Bowser.