--- title: "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie" critics_score: 36 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 36 from 11 reviews: 3 positive, 1 mixed, 7 negative. Most critics dislike it, and several dislike it intensely. The reviews return again and again to the same complaints: a plot so thin it barely registers, a pace that never lets up, and a screen crowded with cameos and references standing in for story. Many hear a sales pitch in it; The Telegraph calls it one long advert, and The Times gives it nothing at all, finding it lifeless and painful to sit through. Lack of humour is a recurring charge, with Empire and The Guardian both finding it joyless. Where there is praise it lands on Illumination’s animation, which even sceptics concede is bright and busy, and on the voice cast. The spread is wide. A few reviews, led by Deadline, Collider and the Los Angeles Times, find it a fun, playful family sequel with charming casting, though even Collider admits the story is thin and the new characters underserved. Polygon sits in the middle, dazzled by the visuals and bored by the plot. ## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 2 April 2026. The critic finds the film a fun, family-oriented animated sequel that explores sibling dynamics among the Mario brothers and their friends. It singles out the remarkably beautiful animation by Illumination, which stays true to the 8-bit source material while feeling deeply cinematic. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-04-02/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-review-its-animated-family-affair) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 4 April 2026. The critic finds the film an improvement over the first but still absolute rubbish, feeling like one long advert full of shameless product placement. They single out the thin plot and corporate nature for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2026/03/31/new-super-mario-bros-film-is-yammering-sugared-up-rubbish/) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 1 April 2026. The sequel overwhelms with frantic pace, bright colors, and endless subplots in a kaleidoscopic but nerve-wracking experience that fails to land as fun. Attempts at family themes are superficial and corporate, though it will likely succeed commercially with young audiences. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-review-what-is-happening.html) ## Empire — Helen O’Hara Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 31 March 2026. The film is a humourless, hysterical trudge with very little plot or consequence, offering adults only a few pings of nostalgia amid frenetic but pointless action. The critic singles out the lack of humour and memorable moments for complaint, noting it fails to deliver laughs or engaging storytelling even for fans. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 31 March 2026. The critic calls the film an inert, visually dull sequel and an Easter cash grab that feels even more artificial than AI-generated content. They single out the lack of humor and the generic quest plot for criticism. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/mar/31/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-review-sequel-video-game-chris-pratt-charlie-day) ## The Times Rating 0/5. 31 March 2026. The critic describes the film as supremely vacuous and physically painful to watch, a lifeless digital marketing exercise. They single out the joyless voice performances and meaningless plot for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/super-mario-galaxy-movie-review-5w6crmhgr) ## IndieWire — Wilson Chapman 31 March 2026. Illumination turns the creative 2007 game into a mind-numbing barrage of references, cameos, and franchise expansions with little imagination. The result feels like empty franchise slop rather than a genuine adaptation. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-review-1235186608/) ## The AV Club — Jacob Oller 3 April 2026. The film treats its audience like babies by flooding the screen with sensory overload, baby characters, and shallow Nintendo iconography while ignoring story, logic, or substance. It prioritizes fan-service cameos and visual thrills over any meaningful engagement. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-for-babies) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck 31 March 2026. The sequel is a relentlessly fast-paced, hyperkinetic visual spectacle packed with more action, characters, and Easter eggs than the first film. It delights young fans and nostalgic viewers with its starry voice cast and sugary animation but offers little for adult non-fans. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-review-chris-pratt-charlie-day-1236551590/) ## Deadline — Glenn Garner Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 April 2026. The critic finds it a fun sequel full of nostalgic references, all-star voices and epic animation. They single out Donald Glover’s Yoshi and the father-son redemption story for Bowser as highlights. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2026/04/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-review-out-of-this-world-sequel-1236770764/) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Rating 7/10. 31 March 2026. The review calls the film a charming, often hilarious, and playful testament to the Mario franchise and Nintendo history, with fun references and strong casting that work for both fans and newcomers. It notes that the story is thin and some new characters are underserved in the overstuffed sequel. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-review-nintendo/) ## Polygon — Michael McWhertor Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 31 March 2026. The critic finds the sequel less focused than the first film, relying on nostalgia, dazzling visuals, and references to carry a paper-thin plot while expanding the universe with new characters who get too little to do. It singles out the charming cameos and action sequences featuring obscure Mario villains as highlights amid the candy-coated chaos. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/super-mario-galaxy-movie-review/) ## /Film — Nina Starner Rating 3/10. 31 March 2026. The critic finds the film cute and entertaining on the surface for kids but ultimately shallow and lifeless compared to the predecessor, with a simple plot, phoned-in performances, and references that don't add depth. They single out the visual style and some clever moments for minor praise but criticize the lack of soul and substance. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/2136661/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-2026-review/) ## The Wrap — William Bibbiani Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 31 March 2026. The critic calls the film lazy junk with no imagination that barely tells a story and wastes time. They single out its terrified avoidance of any creative deviation or cinematic risk as the main complaint. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie.md