Super Mario Galaxy Movie Review: Critics Miss the Point…Again
I know, I know. I disappeared for a bit.
Between a flood of game releases and updates that refuse to let anyone breathe, plus my son being on Spring Break, I took some time off to actually touch grass and hang out with the family. Wild concept, right? Turns out when you run your own site, you can just…not post for a week and the world keeps spinning.
But then opening night hit, and my family and I went to see the new The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and suddenly I’m back at the keyboard.
Not just because of the movie, though.
Because of the absolute circus happening around it.
The Same Old Song From the Same Old Asshat Critics
Let’s get this out of the way early…
The conversation around the Super Mario Galaxy movie is completely disconnected from what the movie actually is. If you scroll through the Super Mario Galaxy Movie critic reviews, you would think Nintendo dropped a two-hour lecture disguised as a cartoon. Every other sentence is trying to unpack some sort of “deeper meaning” that simply is not there.
Meanwhile, theaters are full of families, kids are laughing, and people are leaving in a better mood than when they walked in. It is the same cycle we have seen play out over and over again.
When audiences reject something critics love, it gets labeled as toxic or review bombed. But ironically, when audiences enjoy something critics do not, suddenly it needs to be torn apart piece by piece until it fits whatever narrative they are chasing that week.
At some point, you gotta stop taking that seriously.
Watch the movie for yourself and you’ll realize how off the mark most of that noise really is.
What the Super Mario Galaxy Movie Actually Is
The The Super Mario Galaxy Movie knows exactly what it is trying to be, and it sticks to that lane the entire time. It pulls heavily from Super Mario Galaxy, leaning into the whole outer space setting with funderful planet hopping, shifting gravity, and visuals that look like your screen decided to level up overnight.
Everything moves quickly, but not in a messy way. It feels intentional.
One moment you are bouncing across tiny planets, the next you are in the middle of a full-blown set piece that somehow keeps escalating without losing its footing. It is colorful, a little chaotic, and built to keep your attention without asking you to overthink any of it.
But that’s exactly where the disconnect comes in.
This movie is not trying to be layered or subtle like some sort of faux HBO special where everyone is a bisexual, race-swapped propaganda piece.
It is quite literally just trying to be fun, and it commits to that fully.
If you walk in expecting anything else, that is solely on you and your head cannon.
The Music Is Doing a Carry Job
What really caught me off guard was how much the music carries the whole damn movie. Not in a any subtle way either. It is front and center, constantly pushing scenes to hit harder than they would on their own.
There is a strong mix of recognizable Mario themes and deeper pulls that feel like they were placed there specifically for both younger and longtime fans. If you’ve been around the franchise for a while, you’ll notice those moments almost immediately.
If not…well, it still works because it sounds damn good on its own anyways.
The "Weird" Characters Finally Get Their Moment
The character lineup is another area where the movie makes some surprisingly awesome choices. Instead of sticking strictly to the usual rotation, it pulls in elements from Super Mario Bros. 2, which has always felt like the odd one out in the series.
Seeing characters like Wart, Birdo, and my boy Mouser actually getting attention feels honestly long overdue. These are the kinds of deep cuts that longtime fans notice right away, and it gives the movie a bit more personality than if it had just played things safe.
Mouser | Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Super Mario Bros. 2 | Nintendo
What makes it work is that it never feels forced.
Even if you have absolutely no idea where these characters come from, they just fit into the story naturally. For people who do recognize them, it feels like a small reward for sticking with the series over the years.
Its a smart move imo, and honestly one of the more memorable parts of the movie.
Yeah, Bowser…Exists
Not everything landed perfectly for me though and Bowser is probably the easiest example of that. He is not…bad, per se, but he never really finds his footing in the movie either.
There is an early setup that makes it seem like he is playing a longer con game, and it builds a certain expectation for where things are going. But then when the movie shifts away from that whole thing, it feels less like a clever twist and more like something that was dropped halfway through development.
It doesn’t break the movie (it’s not the “Bowser Movie”), but it does feel cheap that they set up the whole thing with him seemingly trying to deceive Mario for basically zero reason and they could have taken that out of the movie entirely and it wouldn’t have changed the outcome at all.
On a personal level, I am just still not completely sold on Jack Black in the role. It works in some moments and falls flat in others. Your mileage may vary on that one, but as a fan of Jack Black’s older stuff – 2026 Jack Black is just a constant disappointment to me.
Power-Ups Got Hit With a Nerf Patch
The handling of power-ups is another noticeably big change from the first movie.
If you remember how things played out before, power-ups were basically game changers every time they appeared. They turned the tide instantly when Mario was fighting Donkey Kong in the first movie and even with just the Cat Mario boost – it made the fights feel basically unfair.
This time around, everything is toned down.
Power-Ups Nerfed a Bit | Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Nintendo
They are still present, but they don’t dominate the way they used to. At first, that can feel like a step back. The big moments are not quite as big, and the impact is more controlled.
The more I thought about it, though, the more it feels like the right move to me.
If power-ups stayed as strong as they were in the first movie, there would be absolutely zero tension left in future movies. Every single problem would have an instant ending as soon as a power-up block got smacked, and things would just get too stale too fast.
So, it might not hit as hard in the moment, but honestly – I think it keeps the door open for better pacing moving forward.
Think of it like a balance update that actually makes sense and an investment into the future of more Super Mario movies.
Yes, It’s Nostalgia Bait. Good!
Then there is the almighty nostalgia factor, which people have been apparently quick to…criticize? That part is honestly almost funny.
Of course it leans into nostalgia.
Enjoy the Nostalgia | Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Nintendo
That is the entire appeal! You do not go into a Mario movie hoping it ignores everything that made the series popular in the first place. You want the familiar elements. You want those moments that remind you why you liked these games to begin with.
The movie understands that and doesn’t try to hide it – it fully embraces it, builds around it, and ends up being better because of it.
Calling that a “flaw” feels like these critics are just missing the point on purpose and trying to find any semblance of a reason to throw shade.
Sorry, Critics - Fun Wins
By the time the credits roll (make sure to stay for the hidden extras btw), it becomes pretty clear where things stand. The The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is not trying to reinvent anything. It is not chasing some bigger message or trying to reshape how people see the franchise.
It is focused on being entertaining, accessible, and (heaven forbid) fun!
And it more than succeeds at all of that.
Are there small issues? Sure. A few ideas do not land as well as they could have, and some characters could have been handled better probably. But absolutely none of that outweighs the overall experience of awesomeness.
This is a movie you watch with your family, laugh through, and leave thinking that was a good time. Zero analysis required.
The critics can keep arguing with themselves about what they think it should have been and continue to pat each other on the asses in their echo chambers…
The rest of us will be over here. Actually enjoying fun.
This was a commentary article based on publicly available information and personal opinion. Readers are encouraged to form their own conclusions based on the sources cited.
All images, logos, and video clips used in this article are the property of their respective owners. This content is used for the purposes of commentary, criticism, and news reporting under the guidelines of Fair Use (17 U.S.C. § 107). No copyright infringement is intended. If you are the copyright holder and believe your content has been used improperly, please contact us directly.
Want More?
Check These Out Next!
About Report AFK
A place for gamers, by gamers, untarnished by corporate gaming media and their nonstop attempts to elevate bad games while denouncing any developers brave enough to stand up to them.
Site Links
Copyright 2026 ReportAFK.com
Be the first to leave a comment