Review: 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' finds the key that unlocks the excitement and fun of Nintendo's franchise.

After a faltering first step with “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which was a cringe-inducing example of putting commercial product over storytelling, video game giant Nintendo and animation house Illumination Entertainment have found their way with “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” a sequel that’s more enjoyable if not any more coherent than its predecessor.

Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, and writer Matthew Fogel — all returning from the 2023 movie — jump right into the action, with a prologue that introduces the magical princess Rosalina (voiced by Brie Larson), caretaker of many baby stars. Rosalina faces down a robot monster piloted by Bowser Jr. (voiced by Benny Safdie), the evil son of the franchise’s villain Bowser (voiced by Jack Black), who was imprisoned in the first movie. 

Bowser Jr. has the triple goal of freeing his dad, plotting the universe’s destruction, and doing so in a way that will make Pops proud. Come for the colorful mayhem, stay for the Freudian psychology — not just the father-son dynamic of the Bowser family, but also some gentle sibling rivalry for Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day), and some abandonment issues for Princess Peach (voiced by Anya-Taylor Joy).

Peach learns that Bowser Jr. has kidnapped Rosalina, and springs to action to leave the Mushroom Kingdom with her sidekick Toad (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key) to rescue her. Mario and Luigi, with their new dinosaur friend Yoshi (voiced by Donald Glover, not that you could tell), are put in charge of the Mushroom Kingdom, but an attack by Bowser Jr. puts them on a parallel path as Peach.

All the characters end up on various planets, modeled after the orbs that represent the game levels in “Super Mario Galaxy.” There also are cameos by other characters in the Mario universe, as well as a couple other Nintendo franchises. I won’t spoil any of the surprises here, though diehard Mario fans have already heard about a couple creatures who show up on the journey.

I rather disliked “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” when it came out three years ago. I placed most of the fault at Nintendo’s inability to give its corporate mascot a distinctive personality, in fear of offending players who put their own spin on Mario with every game. This movie’s Mario gets to show some spunk and soul, even with a bland non-presence as Chris Pratt voicing him. More importantly, Mario’s part of an ensemble here, and other characters — particularly Peach, Rosalina, and one figure whose presence I won’t divulge — get their turns to shine. 

Here, the action and animation are lively, the story speeds by at a jaunty pace, and the jokes — most of them inside jokes — are absurd enough to be funny for most ages. I enjoyed more of what “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” delivers than I expected to, and I think Nintendo fans will be delighted. 

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‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’

★★★

Opens Wednesday, April 1, in theaters everywhere. Rated PG for action, mild violence and rude humor. Running time: 98 minutes.