Super Mario Galaxy Movie, The

This topic contains:

• overall comments and recommendations
• details of classification and consumer advice lines for Super Mario Galaxy Movie, The
• a review of Super Mario Galaxy Movie, The completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 7 April 2026.

Overall comments and recommendations

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.

ACCM review

This review of the movie contains the following information:

• a synopsis of the story
• themes
• use of violence
• material that may scare or disturb children
• product placement
• sexual references
• nudity and sexual activity
• use of substances
• coarse language
• the movie’s message

A synopsis of the story

After reading a bedtime story and putting her family of star-like ‘Lumas’ to bed, Princess Rosalina (voiced by Brie Larson), ‘Watcher of the Stars’ and adopted mother of the Lumas, is attacked by a Megaleg, a large, 3-legged mechanical robot which is controlled by Bowser Junior (voiced by Benny Safdie) and his accomplice Kamek (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson). After a fierce battle, Rosalina is captured by Bowser Jnr, who is intent on using her powers to destroy the universe and impress his dad. Subsequently, a yellow Luma (voiced by Virginia Dare Jelenic) seeks out Princess Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy) to help rescue Rosalina, and she sets off into space with her mushroom-like, loyal helper, Toad (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key). Together, they face numerous battles and set-backs on their quest to save Rosalina, and in the process discover that Rosalina and Peach are actually sisters.

Meanwhile, back at Peach’s Castle, Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day), and their new-found, dinosaur-like friend, Yoshi (voiced by Donald Glover) are in charge of protecting the Mushroom Kingdom and rehabilitating Bowser (voiced by Jack Black) – who had been shrunken to miniature size. However, Bowser Jnr soon arrives and lifts the whole castle out of the ground, capturing the inhabitants. Many twists and turns follow and eventually Bowser Jnr is reunited with his long-lost (and now full-sized) dad. After numerous battles, in the end, the strength of family bonds shines through.

Fantasy; Family separation; Impending threat; Good vs Evil; Revenge.

There is a lot of peril and cartoon-action violence in this movie, including:

• Lots of battles with robots, monsters and other characters from the Super Mario universe. Different melee weapons are used, including swords, clubs, axes and spears, plus wands. There is no blood or injury detail.
• There is a battle with the Megaleg. It shoots bombs towards Rosalina’s home, at the Lumas.
• Bowser Jnr, using the Megaleg, grabs Rosalina and knocks a Luma to the ground.
• Yoshi is chased by people and police.
• Princess Rosalina and her Luma friend are held captive in a cage on a spaceship. Bowser Jnr says where they’re going is the last place Rosalina will ever see alive. The Luma is visibly scared.
• Bowser Jnr has a large, magic paintbrush. He paints with purple goo and it turns into a giant snapping Piranha Plant. He uses the plant to capture Rosalina after she breaks out of her cage.
• Mini Bowser attacks Mario.
• The monkey, Ukiki, throws a book at Toad.
• Peach battles lots of Wart’s (voiced by Luis Guzmán) henchmen and then is attacked by a hoard of Ninjis – little ninja-like creatures. She hits them away with her umbrella.
• In space, two spaceships battle each other.
• Bowser Jnr shoots Mario and Luigi with a ray gun which turns them into babies. He then shoots down the ship with Peach, Toad, Yoshi and pilot Fox McCloud (voiced by Glen Powell).
• Bowser Jnr is intent on world domination.
• Princess Rosalina is trapped in a glass orb-like cage where her power is being sucked out of her.
• Mario and Princess Peach run through a gauntlet of booby-traps, controlled by Bowser Jnr on a game-like console. They make it through to the end of the ‘game’ using Peach’s umbrella.
• Mario battles Bowser and Bowser Jnr. He is then joined by Luigi and Yoshi and they ‘Power-Up’ with different abilities.
• After the credits, the monkey, Ukiki, is shown stealing another bag but is punched by new character, Princess Daisy.

Material that may scare or disturb children

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of five, including the following:

• The Megaleg is a large, 3-legged mechanical robot with big lights for eyes. It has a scary voice, and booms, “Princess Rosalina, you're coming with me!”
• In the desert, a turtle skeleton’s eyes light up.
• Bats with glowing eyes fly out of a cave.
• Mario and Luigi head into a cave, following an ominous, growling noise.
• Mario and Luigi are scared by glowing, green eyes in the darkness. It turns out to be a friendly, Yoshi.
• Bowser looks scary but turns out he’s tiny and living in a doll’s sized castle within Peach’s castle.
• Bowser Jnr transforms himself with the purple goo from his magic paintbrush. A battle ensues with him using a spear, axe and a mace-like weapon.
• Bowser breathes fire.
• On Planet Bowser, Koopa Troopas (turtle-like characters) ride a rollercoaster into lava. They come out still alive but as skeletons.
• Bowser battles Mario and Peach and falls into a lava moat. Bowser Jnr watches and cries but Bowser emerges from the lava, alive but as the skeletal ‘Dry Bowser’, saying, “I am the Lord of Bones! I am the Skull King!”
• Bowser Jnr uses his paintbrush to create a giant purple dragon. The dragon swallows Bowser Jnr. Mario ‘powers-up’ and saves him, destroying the dragon.
• Having had his bones scattered, Bowser is shown as a talking skull.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes and scary visual images, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged five to eight, including the following:

• Using his frog-like, long tongue, Yoshi grabs and swallows a dog. He then lays it as an egg.
• Princess Peach says that she hates birthdays because she doesn’t even know when hers is, and that she has spent her entire life wondering where her family is.
• When Princess Peach leaves, the mushrooms panic, running around and some hyperventilating and blowing into a paper bag.
• A big fish swallows a mushroom person and Luigi jumps on it, making the fish spit the mushroom out.
• Peach’s castle is lifted up out of the ground by a big spaceship. The mushrooms are scared. Mario, Luigi and Yoshi manage to evacuate them all but end up being taken up too.
• Yoshi eats Kamek, then lays him as an egg.
• The spaceship lifting Peach’s castle loses power and the castle falls to the ground, destroying the castle.
• A lost monkey is crying but then steals Toad’s backpack.
• Kamek cries as he feels hopeless looking for Bowser.
• Baby Mario and Baby Luigi come across a sleeping T-Rex dinosaur. Luigi peels open its eyelid and licks its eye. Mario crawls into its mouth and out its nostril where he is sneezed out. Yoshi, Toad, baby Mario and baby Luigi are then chased by the dinosaur.
• Yoshi, Toad, baby Mario and baby Luigi fall down a ravine into water. Just before Yoshi is eaten, the dinosaur is shot with the ‘baby ray gun’.
• Without Rosalina looking after them, the Lumas run amok, breaking things and wrestling.
• Peach reads a story about her past and that Princess Rosalina is her older sister. She sent Peach away to keep her safe because together they have a power that others seek for their own use.
• Bowser and Bowser Jnr are in jail, trying to escape, when they hear something approach. It is the blue Luma, Lumalee, wearing a prison officer cap and knocking a police baton against the cell bars. The father and son are visibly frightened as they had previously imprisoned Lumalee.

• Nothing further noted.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in this movie:

• The whole movie showcases aspects of the Super Mario Brothers/Nintendo games, which in itself is a promotion of the franchise’s games and merchandise.
• A character wears Mario pyjamas and has a Mario doll.

Sexual references

There are some sexual references in this movie, including:

• Luigi asks Mario if he has feelings for Princess Peach. Yoshi makes kisses and he a Luigi taunt Mario about Peach, singing “That’s Amore”.
• Bowser kisses Mario after he becomes big again.
• Princess Peach kisses Mario on the cheek.

Nudity and sexual activity

• None noted.

Use of substances

There is some use of substances in this movie, including:

• In a casino, characters consume drinks akin to alcohol.
• Peach eats a super mushroom and grows big.

Coarse language

There is some coarse language in this movie, including:

• Lame
• Pathetic failure
• Slimeball
• Dorks
• Shut up
• Hello Maggots.

In a nutshell

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a fast-paced, battle-filled, animated movie that follows on from 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie. While it acts as a sequel, the film can be enjoyed without having watched the previous movie, nor having played any of the Mario games. However, fans of the Super Mario franchise are likely to enjoy the numerous references to classic Nintendo games, as well as some cameos and character debuts. Overall, the film will be best enjoyed by families with children over 8 and fans of the franchise.

The main messages from this movie are that friends or family are stronger when they’re together; and that by helping others, we ultimately help ourselves.

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

• Friendship
• Teamwork
• Courage
• Bravery
• Family.

This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as:

• Bowser Jnr is so intent on gaining approval from his dad that he has built an entire planet based on a bedtime story that his dad used to tell him. What does this say about their connection?
• A lot of the characters work together to overcome challenges. Think of examples where teamwork helped you to overcome some challenges.