The arrival of Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie The release in theaters has confirmed what many feared and others hoped for: Nintendo and Illumination are hitting the gas, skipping intermediate stages to take the plumber straight to a grand space adventure. On paper, it sounds like a wet dream for any fan, but the reality described by the first international reviews is that of a sequel. Enormous in scale, very effective as an entertainment product, but considerably more uneven in its narrative..
Following the phenomenon of Super Mario Bros: The MovieThe sequel, which was a box office smash in 2023, was presented as the perfect opportunity to correct some of the first film's flaws: lack of character development, rushed pacing, and overuse of references. However, much of the press agrees that Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie stumbles over the same stone again: a flashy spectacle, full of winks, but so fast-paced that it barely leaves room for the story to breathe.
A sequel that accelerates without looking back.
One of the most repeated comments among critics is the feeling that the franchise has gone Too quickly to make the leap to the Galaxy sagaAfter an origin story that barely gave time to introduce the main cast, the studio is now adapting—in its own way—what many consider the pinnacle of the Mario games, without having previously explored other classic scenarios such as Super Mario World or a more leisurely introduction of Yoshi and the Mushroom Kingdom itself.
Several analysts are talking about “dopamine bombardment”: a succession of visual stimuli and jokes designed to keep the little ones glued to their seats, but which at the same time makes it difficult to build solid relationships between the characters or to raise a conflict with real dramatic weight.
The film, slightly longer than the first, isn't used to give depth to Mario, Luigi, or Peach, but rather to introduce more situations and references. The result, according to several reviews, is a film Fast-paced and entertaining, but also emotionally flat.
A cocktail of Nintendo games… sometimes a bit too heavy.
Despite its title, Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie does not faithfully adapt the plot of the Wii gameIt takes elements, concepts, and characters from the Galaxy diptych, but shamelessly mixes them with content from Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Sunshine, nods to Wonder and even appearances that seem designed to pave the way for a possible cinematic universe in the style of Super Smash Bros..
From a commercial standpoint, the move makes sense: Odyssey is the modern benchmark for Mario, and the addition of desert worlds, waterfall kingdoms, and sequences that directly recall other titles broadens the range of nods to fans. However, several critics point out that The film ends up resembling an IP showcase more than a well-crafted story.Each world is presented spectacularly, but many ideas remain mere cameos.
One of the most frequent criticisms comes precisely from those who believe that the first Super Mario Galaxy The 2007 game had an unusually... epic and melancholic For the saga, with an emphasis on gravity, the sensation of weightlessness, and a certain narrative drive that is almost completely lost on the big screen. The film features planetoids, space jumps, and settings inspired by Galaxy, but The game barely exploits the gravity that made those titles unique.
Instead, the film opts for a structure of linked “levels,” with quick stops in each galaxy and a collection of references that, for audiences less familiar with the saga, may feel like background noise. The veteran fan will recognize almost everything.From classic worlds to pixel art resources in the final stretch, but the casual viewer may get lost among so many changes of scenery without a clear emotional thread.
This tendency to include everything—or almost everything—in a single film is also evident in the way characters from different Nintendo franchises cross paths. The presence of Fox McCloud and other nods to Star Fox clearly point to a long term strategy, designed to open the door to new spin-offs and expand the catalog of licenses on the big screen.
Characters: Bowser and Bowser Jr. shine, Mario falls short
One of the points on which there is some positive consensus is the treatment of the relationship between Bowser and Bowser Jr.The sequel explores the father-son dynamic in greater detail, opens a small door to the Koopa King's redemption, and shows Bowser Jr. as more than just the capricious villain of other games. While not reaching levels of dramatic complexity, several critics point out that They are the ones who offer the most interesting arc in the story.
In contrast, the theoretical protagonists fare worse. Mario, despite being the central figure of the title, He barely experiences a character arc worthy of the nameMany reviews describe a functional, likeable, and recognizable hero, but practically identical to the one in the first film, without a clear evolution or decisions that define him beyond "saving his own" and moving on.
Peach, who already broke the mold of a damsel in distress in the first installment, once again takes an active role and receives an origin story that tries to give it more backgroundHowever, the fast pace means that its development gets somewhat lost amidst so many changes of scenery. Yoshi, for his part, appears as comic relief and an adventure companion, with some very flashy moments, but without the weight that many fans expected from one of the most beloved icons of the saga.
Rosalina, a key figure in the Galaxy universe of video games, has a surprisingly limited presence. Despite the claim that she has B in the original version, It appears less often than its importance in games would suggest.And his role falls short for those who expected him to be one of the emotional driving forces of the story.
In terms of new allies, the big media star is Fox McCloud, played by Glen Powell in the original version. His charisma and the way he owns some scenes have led many to see him the perfect preview for a future Star Fox movieThe flip side of the coin is that, narratively, his contribution doesn't always carry the weight one might expect; sometimes he seems to be there more as a promise for the future than as a key piece of the current plot.
A visual roller coaster for the fans
If there's one thing that virtually all reviews agree on, it's that Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie is a stunning visual displayIllumination refines its style to offer a more detailed and ambitious animation than in the first installment, with worlds full of color, careful textures and a staging that takes advantage of the constant change of scenarios.
The tape combines 3D animation with resources from other stylesPixelated moments reminiscent of classic platformers, segments that evoke a puppet show, slightly "flattened" 2D characters, and transitions that pay homage to Mario's 40-year history. For European audiences accustomed to seeing the character grow generation after generation, these nods to the legacy have a distinctly nostalgic feel.
In theaters equipped with high-quality projection or large-format screens, critics point out that each galaxy looks like an animated postcard: It's a festival of light and color that works for both children and adults who have been playing for decades.The downside is that the visual frenzy adds to the narrative one: so many things are happening at once that, sometimes, it's hard to notice the details.
The result is a soundtrack that many consider one of the film's great attractionsIt respects the sonic DNA of the saga, reinforces the epic scale of the action scenes, and, for a large part of the audience, constitutes a direct journey back to their own memories as gamers. Some critics even claim that the film deserves to be seen in a big theater just to hear these powerfully reimagined themes.
Mixed critical reception and box office expectations
As for press reception, the first review aggregators paint a less enthusiastic picture than the previous installment. While Super Mario Bros: The Movie It settled at around a 59% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie starts with a 43% based on the first few dozen reviewsOn Metacritic, the situation is even tougher, with scores around 35/100 at the time the first reviews were published.
The overall interpretation is clear: The sequel is less popular with critics.Some critics find it difficult to see a real evolution from the first film and point to recurring pacing issues, an overabundance of references, and superficial character development. However, many outlets note that, despite these flaws, the film works as family entertainment and as a treat for dedicated Nintendo fans.
The interesting point, given what happened with the first installment, is the potential gap between critics and audiences. The 2023 film had a 59% approval rating among analysts, but it reached a 95% positive rating among viewers on Rotten Tomatoes and became a global phenomenon, also in Europe and Spain, where it filled theaters for weeks.
Something similar is expected with the sequel: lukewarm or mixed reviews, but very strong commercial performance, especially during its world premiere on April 1th 2026Taking advantage of the Easter holidays and school breaks in various European countries. In fact, in towns like Burjassot (Valencia), it has already been announced that the Tivoli Cultural Centre The film will be shown several times a day during the holidays, with a single price of 4 euros per ticket.
A movie made primarily for Nintendo fans
Beyond the numbers, many reviews emphasize one idea: Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie is designed, almost exclusively, for those who already live within the Nintendo ecosystemThe deluge of references, cameos, and nods to parallel sagas—from Star Fox to potential hints of Super Smash Bros.—may leave viewers without prior experience with the games feeling somewhat lost.
Several critics acknowledge that, as lifelong players, They had a really good time hunting for Easter eggsThey acknowledge familiar melodies, classic enemies, and reinterpretations of iconic sequences from Wii, GameCube, and Switch titles. But at the same time, they recognize that, from a cinematic point of view, the film relies too heavily on this familiarity with the established viewer, instead of offering genuinely iconic moments that can stand on their own.
That reliance on the wink is especially noticeable when compared to the spontaneous impact it had “Peaches”Bowser's song from the first film became a viral phenomenon without any prior marketing push. In this sequel, although Jack Black remains one of the biggest draws of the castMany point out that there is no clear equivalent: the film seems to avoid repeating the formula, but it also fails to find a new musical or comedic moment of that magnitude.
The humor, in general, works in bursts. There are effective visual gags, jokes aimed at children, and others more ironic directed at adults, but Not everyone achieves the same impactSome critics feel it lacks a certain freshness, especially when it's perceived that the film has sacrificed some of its surprise factor in the promotional campaign, revealing appearances like Fox McCloud's too far in advance.
However, those who have left satisfied emphasize that, if one accepts beforehand that It is above all a cinematic “toy factory”.The experience more than delivers: spectacular worlds, recognizable characters, guaranteed merchandising, and two post-credits scenes that point quite directly towards the future of the Nintendo universe on the big screen.
In the end, what it delivers Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie It is exactly what its industrial approach promised: a galactic spectacle designed to be a box office smash, connect with several generations of players, and continue expanding a brand that seems far from reaching its peak, although along the way It sacrificed depth, risk, and some of the surprise factor that made the plumber's arrival in theaters so special a few years ago..
