Game over! Our META movie review of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
We'll tell you whether the sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie is worth watching—and break down what other critics have to say
Mario and Luigi are back on the big screen—in "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie." And things are about to get really tough for the most famous plumbers in video game history. They'll have no trouble handling a villain like Bowser. But many critics' reviews are scathing. Are they right? In KinoCheck's META movie review, you'll find out what we think of the sequel and what other critics are saying!
Here's what it's about
The sequel picks up where the first part left off. In "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," Mario and Luigi proved themselves as heroes and defeated the turtle villain Bowser. The two have since left their everyday life in Brooklyn behind. Instead, they've now found a new home in the fantastical realms of the Mushroom Kingdom. There, they help out wherever they can and have plenty of fun. Only Princess Peach occasionally struggles with her unknown origins. Meanwhile, Bowser—now shrunken into a mini-villain—has turned into a wannabe artist and still dreams of Princess Peach. Much to Mario's displeasure, as he apparently feels drawn to the princess himself. Soon, however, the plumber faces a whole different problem: Bowser Jr. wants to help his father regain his former glory—and the little rascal seems willing to stop at nothing to make it happen.
Mario and Luigi in a fast-paced adventure
Like the first installment, "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" is a fast-paced, colorful adventure that barely ever slows down. Quiet moments are few and far between. The princess's worries and the not-quite-serious father-son dynamic between Bowser and Bowser Jr. carry little weight overall.
How the characters are handled is something that is also criticised by Wilson Chapman from IndieWire. Most of them are:
"Underserved by a tepid script that can't bother to locate and carry through coherent character arcs that would give this adventure real emotional weight."
Above all, we see a film that is constantly preoccupied with cramming in characters, settings, and sounds from Nintendo's video game source material. By hook or by crook. The plot is essentially subordinated to this, often seeming like nothing more than a pretext to serve us the next element from Mario's over 40-year video game history.
Or, to put it in the words of YouTuber Jeremy Jahns:
"'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' is a montage of Nintendo nostalgia bait on screen. There, that's the actual plot."
An endless wealth of curiosities
The good: We're treated to a concentrated display of just how creative and whimsical the look of the Mario universe actually is. This world offers us a seemingly endless abundance of curiosities. Kingdoms full of mushroom creatures and armies of turtles are just the tip of the iceberg. Even "Alice in Wonderland" author Lewis Carroll would be amazed here.
The downside: It's not enough to simply reproduce the visual ideas from the Mario games. In the movie, it all just bombards us. In the video game, however, oddities and gameplay go hand in hand—this strange world wants to be explored and mastered. In other words: It's a lot of fun to jump from level to level to level in a platformer. Until the final boss shows up. When Mario is hopping around on the screen, it eventually gets tiresome. In moments like these, you find yourself wishing in vain for a controller.
Owen Gleiberman of Variety goes even further. For him, the "Super Mario" sequel is one of the worst animated films in years. With his scathing critique—just one of many negative reviews—he strikes a similar note when he writes:
"'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' is full of scenes of running, leaping, chasing, falling through the air, falling into lava, fighting and more fighting, but nothing in the movie is sustained."
Higher, Faster, Further
Especially since "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," as is so often the case with sequels, follows the "higher, faster, further" principle. In a way, this makes sense because, true to the title, the goal is to expand the Mario universe in an intergalactic way. At the same time, however, the film—which constantly focuses on acceleration—lacks the groundedness that was at least present to some extent in the first installment. The "Super Mario Bros. Movie" was also about visual spectacle and fast-paced action. But it was also, just a little bit, about two brothers from Brooklyn wanting to find their place in the world—against all odds.
Overall, the sequel has fared significantly worse with most critics than the first installment did. One of the few more positive reviews appeared in Collider, where Ross Bonaime explains:
"The story might be thin, and some new characters might not get the attention they deserve, yet 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' remains a charming, often hilarious, and playful testament to the greatest video game franchise of all time."
Cute New Addition: Yoshi
We'll end on a conciliatory note as well. After all, "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" features Yoshi. The little green dinosaur isn't really crucial to the story. But he's probably the cutest gift you could give to Super Mario fans. That's something, at least.
Conclusion: "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" isn't going over well with many critics. Some are tearing it apart. We think: The movie is fast-paced, but also exhausting. The video games are more fun.
"The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" is in theaters since April 1, 2026.
