“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” was released on April 1, 2026, and has been airing in movie theaters across the country, earning over $372 million globally in five days. It quickly became one of the top-grossing films of 2026.
“The Super Mario Bros Movie,” the original film, was released on April 5, 2023, just three years prior to “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.” Like the first film, “The Super Mario Bros Movie” broke multiple box-office records and gained significant popularity.
Unlike the first movie however, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” follows Luigi, Mario, Peach and Yoshi on a cosmic adventure to rescue Princess Rosalina from Bowser Jr., who seeks to use Rosalina’s power to free a miniaturized Bowser from the first film and destroy the universe.
To three-year-long fans, this plot may sound extremely familiar. The premise of the original movie follows Mario, Peach and Toad save Luigi, who is captured by Bowser, the Koopa king seeking to conquer the universe.
When the two films are set side-by-side, the second film more so feels like a cash grab than a genuine Nintendo-immersive experience for fellow Super Mario fans.
In the standards of cinematic storytelling and writing, the film was mediocrely subpar.
The Independent Critic reviewed the film and commented on its run. “Unfortunately, co-directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic seem content to ride the waves of nostalgia instead of aiming for anything truly meaningful,” said critic Richard Propes. “I’ve never played the game in my life, and I think I was fighting cancer when ‘The Super Mario Brothers Movie’ arrived in theaters back in 2023. If it was anything like this film, I’ll take chemo any day of the week.”
Many fans were disappointed by the movie for having a chaotic, rushed plot that felt like a “speedrun” of game moments, often favoring rapid-fire action over genuine character development.
“I thought it was entertaining in a lot of ways with familiar characters and great music, but the plot didn’t really know what it wanted to do,” said junior Finn Samuelson. “Plot points are constantly being introduced just to be thrown out a second later; as far as entertainment goes, it’s a great movie. But for writing purposes, it really falls flat.”
This is noted when Peach’s underlying identity seemed like a big deal in the beginning of the movie, but turned into a 30-second rushed reunion at the end. What could have been a significant event with a developed, emotional arc turned into a convenient plot device.
Some viewers, however, had a more positive outlook on the sequel.
Junior Nathaniel Pielak illustrates his opinion on the movie. “I thoroughly enjoyed the movie; I thought it was well animated with a lot of great action, and definitely suitable for young audiences who are immersing themselves into the world of Super Mario,” Pielak said. “However, I could see why some fans might not have liked it. I thought that the film needed more time to expand on the character’s backstory; it felt rushed and repetitive in relation to the first movie.”
While not officially confirmed by Nintendo, a 3rd Mario movie is highly likely following the massive success of the first two films. In the future, many individuals hope to see some more nuance and substance in each of the characters to fulfill a more enriching experience.
