ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Check out our review of the not-so super “Super Mario Bros.” sequel and dive into our spoiler-free overview of the first eight episodes of “Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord,” now streaming on Disney+.

“THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE” (2026, 98 min., directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic)

It is so befuddling that Nintendo, the company behind some of the most beloved video games ever made, has now produced two animated movies in their flagship franchise that feel like soulless corporate drivel.

In 2023, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was released to massive fandom fanfare, featuring a star-studded voice cast and going on to gross over a billion dollars at the global box office. It also received tepid reviews, with many reviewers criticizing the film for its fast pace, lackluster story and an over-reliance on fan service. Nonetheless, the Nintendo and Illumination partnership (the same studio behind “Despicable Me” and the “Minions” movies) produced so many gold coins that a sequel was almost instantly green-lit. Three years later, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” has rocketed to theaters, bringing more box office glory and even worse reviews along with it.

“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” is ostensibly based on the 2007 and 2010 “Super Mario Galaxy” video games, but incorporates elements from many games in the franchise, as well as the wider Nintendo universe. With such an abundance of stories to choose from, you would think “Galaxy” would have no problem crafting a narrative for its titular plumber and friends. Instead, it largely dispenses with story altogether. Despite the “Movie” in the title, “Galaxy” is not a film. It’s a fabulously rendered 90-minute ad.

The characters of “Galaxy” are so thin and the pacing so blisteringly fast that we should commend Nintendo and Illumination for loyally recreating a speed-run of a “Super Mario” game. The thing is, “Mario” platforming games don’t need a story. Their appeal is based in puzzles, in navigating a character through challenging levels. These games do not have a voice cast of movie stars like Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Brie Larson, Donald Glover and Glen Powell. These games are written in code, not as a screenplay. These games are interactive, putting the player in control of what happens on the screen in front of them. Movies, meanwhile, are meant to be experiential, the filmmakers taking audiences on a transformative journey of some kind. The only journeys “Galaxy” would like to take with you are trips to GameStop, Amazon.com or Super Nintendo World.

Even compared to the first movie, “Galaxy” is a downgrade. The thing that worked best about that film was probably Jack Black, who gave a committed and charismatic performance as the franchise villain, Bowser, culminating in the original song “Peaches,” which became a viral hit. Rather than capitalizing on that success, “Galaxy” vastly reduces its use of Bowser, constructionally and literally. As punishment for his prior conduct, in “Galaxy,” Bowser is shrunk down to a tiny version of himself, complete with a high-pitched voice. Anything recognizably “Jack Black” about the character is thus diminished for a large chunk of the runtime.

It’s the opposite problem with Mario’s voice actor. Chris Pratt, in a genuine miscast, portrays the Italian-American hero as generically as possible. “Mamma mia!” is one of Mario’s famous catchphrases. In Pratt’s hands, it sounds more like “oh. Mother.”

Its failures as a movie aside, there is a kind of charm to seeing “Mario” game moments brought to life in Illumination’s glossy, detailed style. These films are made with a lot of love for the video games which have inspired them, down to replicating small movements and music cues straight from “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” or “Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island.” I, too, enjoy seeing the Penguin Suit power-up, minor characters like R.O.B. and Mr. Game & Watch and an inventive replication of “Super Mario Maker.” I just wish there was something more there.

Rating: 2/5

“STAR WARS: MAUL – SHADOW LORD” (2026, created by Dave Filoni) – Episodes 1-8

Since finding a home on Disney+ in 2019, the “Star Wars” franchise has enjoyed around a dozen different television series across animation and live action. For the casual fan, that is a lot of “Star Wars” to keep up with. I, for one, have not been an acolyte of “Star Wars: Acolyte” and have been bad about getting around to “Star Wars: The Bad Batch.” The last time I watched “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” I was probably about seven years old, which made tuning into Season Seven a little daunting. I dabbled in “The Mandalorian,” but I still thought Grogu was named Baby Yoda by the time “The Mandalorian and Grogu” was announced for this summer.

All that to say, I was skeptical about my ability to understand “Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord,” the clunkily-titled cartoon airing on Disney+ between now and Star Wars Day, May 4. I needn’t have been concerned. Like Luke Skywalker trusted the Force to guide him toward Death Star destruction, I allowed series creator Dave Filoni to ease me back into a character I hadn’t seen on screen since “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.” Darth Maul, the red-faced, horn-headed villain from that film, is the central figure of this series. While he was sliced in half at the end of “Phantom Menace,” the villain is back in business at the outset of “Shadow Lord.”

All you need to know is that Maul has a two-sided red lightsaber, he leads a band of seedy space brigands and he is on the hunt for a new apprentice. That’s it. I’m sure there are Easter eggs and references I missed, but most of “Shadow Lord” is merely a straightforward crime story.

Perhaps “Shadow Lord” is so legible because it commits hard to the clichés of crime fiction. The first eight episodes are steeped in noir storytelling, featuring a glut of back alley deals, corrupt police officers and a jaded detective, voiced by Oscar-nominated actor Wagner Moura. The show is nothing you haven’t seen before, but it’s fun to have a “Star Wars” series take that lane. Plus, like most things, noir is even better when lightsabers are involved.

Each episode is around 20 minutes long and balances its story between Moura’s detective investigating Maul, Maul’s ambitions of finding his apprentice and a young Jedi’s resistance to taking that part. While in a bingeable format it didn’t bother me too much, the early episodes of the series are repetitious, hitting home the same beats over and over as the story inches forward. I think it will play slower during its weekly rollout. However, by episode five or six, the series hits its stride, accelerating into an exciting fugitive tale I really enjoyed.

Redundancies of the plot are also more excusable when a series looks as good as “Shadow Lord” does. The animation style is a major accomplishment, evoking the blocky, computer-generated look of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” but doing so through beautiful painted backdrops and detailed character models. The action is also well-executed, particularly when the lightsabers come out. The colorful fray of Maul’s red sword is always something to behold.

For “Star Wars” fans, casual and serious alike, I think there is a lot to enjoy about “Shadow Lord.” It’s not reinventing the wheel bike, but for a lapsed participant in a galaxy far, far away, this was exactly the droid I was looking for. We’ll all have to wait until May 4 to find out if the show really comes together, but like Maul (apparently) at the end of “Phantom Menace,” I feel confident they’ll stick the landing.

Rating: 3/5