‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Early Review Has Critics Divided, Call It A Lifeless Comic Adventure

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a 2026 animated adventure based on the 2007 video game, Super Mario Galaxy, and its 2010 sequel. Produced by Illumination and Nintendo, the film is distributed by Universal Pictures and is a sequel to their 2023 film, The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Helmed by Matthew Fogal, the film stars a star-studded voice cast. However, has the film lived up to the audience’s expectations? Let’s find out.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is visually dull, even for the kids

Fans had high expectations for the film when it was first announced. However, now that the film based on the legacy video game about two Italian-Brooklyn plumbers, ‘Mario’ and ‘Luigi’, is hours away from its April 1, 2026 (ET) premiere, it seems the fans’ excitement has taken a hit. That is because of the critical reviews and the early reviews the film has received.

‘Mario’ voiced by Chris Pratt, and ‘Luigi’ voiced by Charlie Day, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie follows the story of how they and mushroom kingdom ruler, ‘Princess Peach have to rescue ‘Rosalina’, the adoptive mother of ‘Lumas’. She was abducted by ‘Browser Jr.’, the son of the wicked, ‘Bowser’. While intended for kids, the film still feels a little repetitive with its storyline, with many critics calling it a “visually dull screensaver of a movie, with even more of the cheesy, Euro-knockoff look of that first film.” Some critics also expressed dismay at the lack of humour, while others noted that their attempt to spoof the game’s 2D graphics made certain scenes look absolutely absurd.

However, every conclusion reached the same end: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is more of an uninspired, generic variation on the first film, generating no interest whatsoever. Additionally, many compared the visuals to those of present-day AI, alleging that they look more like a “humans, using AI, have tried to copy something that was originally AI-generated, creating a bland, simplistic template that can be sold in all global territories.”

Rotten Tomatoes ratings don’t get any better

Rated PG, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie found Mario and company leaving the Mushroom Kingdom for some cosmic adventure. However, it seems that it just turned out to be something viewers could not commit to. The movie reviews started coming in on March 31, 2026 (ET), and by afternoon, they were not looking anywhere near good. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has a 44 per cent “rotten” critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer, based on 77 reviews, which speaks to where the trajectory is headed.

 What are the critics saying about The Super Mario Galaxy Movie?

The critics have also voiced their views on the new ‘Mario’ movie, and it seems like it failed to leave a positive impression. For the unversed, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will be released in the US, UK, and Australia on April 1, 2026, while in India, the film will be released on April 3, 2026. Regarding the reviews critics have left for the film, there has been a divide, with many feeling that the film stood by its legacy, while others felt that it had “no centre”.

Soren Anderson of the Seattle Times gave the film a positive review, citing, “Watching it is akin to being inside the 2007 Super Mario Galaxy game itself. Which is why it needs to be seen on the big screen. Seeing it on a phone or a laptop wouldn’t do it justice.” While Andrzej Lukowski of Time Out was quoted as saying, “Vivid worlds, memorable characters, silly laughs: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is not deep, but it’s made with love, and it hits the spot.” However, the film didn’t lack any “rotten” scores, with Clarise Loughrey of The Independent (UK) quoted as saying:

“There’s barely a plot here. Not a single memorable character. Not even another piano ditty for Jack Black to sing. It’s a series of large, vaguely connected explosions.”

Alissa Wilkinson of The New York Times wrote, “There’s a flat empty nothingness to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, even more than its flat empty predecessor, and that’s a huge bummer.” Lindsey Bahr from The Associated Press is named among the top critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and has given the film a moderate review, citing: “Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination founder Chris Meledandri…seem committed to keeping things light and playful even while beholden to advancing some kind of coherent, moderately compelling story where there wasn’t one previously.” Julian Roman from the Movie Web was quoted as saying:

“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will power up the global box office in a vibrant sequel with amazing CGI action scenes. It’s all fan service with an admittedly flimsy plot, but that’s okay, the eye candy is totally worth the price of admission.”

What are your thoughts on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie? Let us know.

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