More characters. More action. More fun. Wa-hoo!

"The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" takes the winning formula of "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" and expands on it, giving fans of the 2023 blockbuster and the universe of Nintendo content even more to dig into.

It's a solid action-adventure built squarely for kids, with some nods that longtime Nintendo nerds will appreciate.

The principal cast is back — Chris Pratt as the voice of Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad and Jack Black as Bowser — along with the creative team of writer Matthew Fogel and directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.

Joining up this time around are Brie Larson as Princess Rosalina, Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr., Donald Glover as Yoshi and Glen Powell as "Starfox's" Fox McCloud.

That's a lot of characters to juggle, sure. But the action moves at a steady clip and the plethora of personalities adds to the fuzzy pop feeling which Horvath and Jelenic convincingly whip up.

The story kicks in as the evil Bowser Jr. kidnaps Princess Rosalina, mother of the stars. It's up to — who else? — Mario and Luigi to save the day, while Bowser, captured by the plumber brothers the last time around, is forced to reckon with the fallout caused by the hate and lust for power he instilled in his dastardly son.

The smartest thing the "Mario" movies do is tailor their stories and themes for kids; the script isn't overly clever or winking at the audience or presenting itself with an ironic remove from the material. It's a children's movie, straight up, even if some of the references — a cameo from R.O.B. the robot, flashes to Mario's 8-bit roots — are built for the Gen X and millennial sets that also grew up playing "Mario" games.

Yoshi, the friendly pet dinosaur who essentially becomes Mario and Luigi's puppy, is a seamless fit into the "Mario" world, introduced with a quick backstory set to the instrumental of Notorious B.I.G.'s "Hypnotize." And Powell's barrel roll-loving Fox McCloud is a cool offshoot of his "Top Gun: Maverick" character.

But it's nothing to think too hard about. "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" has crisp animation, a bright color palette and plenty to make fans happy. There's no reason these movies won't continue for a long, long time.

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'THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE'

Grade: B

MPA rating: PG (for action, mild violence and rude humor)

Running time: 1:38

How to watch: In theaters April 1

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