Why The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Is Majorly Dividing Audiences And Critics

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie hit theaters on April 1, 2026, and although it’s already smashing box office records, its reception has actually been a lot more complicated than its $34.5 million grossed on its opening day alone would suggest. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is the sequel movie to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which was released in 2023.

This new movie picks up where that movie left off, with Mario and Luigi embracing their roles as heroes, working alongside Princess Peach, and making sure tiny Bowser is staying in line. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’s cast expanded, however, to include Princess Rosalina, Bowser Jr., and Yoshi, among others.

As the title suggests, the new movie also took the characters beyond where they had gone in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, facing new threats across the galaxy. The story was packed with myriad Nintendo characters and Easter eggs, including some deep cuts, but that wasn’t an automatic guarantee of positive reception. In fact, audiences and critics are currently very divided on whether it was a success at all.

Audiences & Critics Are Divided On The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

There’s currently a massive divide between how critics and audiences are rating The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The movie’s current Rotten Tomatoes scores are 40% with critics and 90% with audiences, which represents 161 critic reviews and more than 2,500 audience reviews. It’s possible that these numbers will fluctuate throughout the movie’s opening weekend, which is ongoing, but it seems unlikely to drastically change.

Interestingly, these numbers aren’t too far off the scores that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’s predecessor, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, received. Those ratings on Rotten Tomatoes are currently 59% with critics and 95% with audiences. Clearly, both Mario movies are landing significantly better with audiences than they are with critics—and there are clear reasons for that.

Why Critics Negatively Reviewed The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Critics haven’t held back (which is par for the course) when it comes to identifying what they didn’t like about The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. A common complaint about the movie is its storyline, which many critics on Rotten Tomatoes argue is next to nonsensical. One review, written by Kyle Smith of The Wall Street Journal reads, “…the movie is notably weaker than ‘The Super Mario Bros,’ which was just barely watchable.”

Another review, this one by Dulcie Pearce of The Sun (UK), says, “There’s very little plot in this sequel to the 2023 Super Mario Bros Movie – it feels like more of a series of sugar-coated chases.”

There are some critic reviews that sing the movie’s praises, mainly those that acknowledge the movie is a nostalgia fest and, if it’s experienced that way, it’s plenty of fun. In fact, therein lies the key difference between critics and audiences.

Why The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Is A Hit With Audiences

Whereas critics viewed The Super Mario Galaxy Movie as lacking a real plot, audiences largely loved the movie. Sure, there are some naysayers, but a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes speaks for itself. Many audience reviews specifically reference how fun the movie is, highlighting the “nostalgia factor” of the movie.

It’s really that aspect of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie that won audiences over. Several reviews from audiences identify the movie as being perfect for Nintendo lovers and call out particular character appearances, particularly Yoshi and Fox McCloud, both of whom were newcomers in the sequel.

Several audience reviews also mention how great the movie is for kids, which is yet another difference between what critics would be looking for and what audience members might see as a positive about the movie.

Ultimately, what kids like (action scenes even if they’re nonsensical, silly jokes, and characters they know and love just for characters they know and love’s sake) isn’t a match for what critics are often giving points for. This difference between critic and audience scores, like those for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, reveal the nature of the movie.

What The Audience & Critic Divide Means For The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

At the end of the day, the stark difference between critic scores and audience scores for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie comes down to what the movie is really aiming to do. Is the movie Oscar worthy? No, but it’s also not meant to be. The movie, like the games the story is based off of, are meant for fun.

The manner in which Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Rosalina defeat Bowser and Bowser Jr. isn’t entirely logical—critics are, unsurprisingly, correct—however, that isn’t really what The Super Mario Galaxy Movie set out to accomplish. If the movie’s aim was to appeal to Nintendo lovers and draw upon nostalgia, then it absolutely succeeded.

Likewise, if The Super Mario Galaxy Movie had kids in mind (which it certainly seems to), then it succeeded there, too. It also seems as though this divide will continue to be a pattern for however long the franchise goes on. While, at present, no sequel for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is currently confirmed, it seems all but guaranteed that some movie will follow it.

After all, despite the negative critic scores, these movies are clearly incredibly lucrative. There’s no reason to abandon something that’s working from a financial standpoint, and there are so many stories left to tell and characters left to include. In all likelihood, in a few years, the franchise will be right where it is now: experiencing a complete mix of reviews, divided between critics and audiences.

Far from bad news for the movie(s), though, this just reinforces what The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is all about: fun, nostalgia, Nintendo, and something that kids are going to love seeing in theaters. The fact that it makes so much money along the way and is landing so well with audiences ultimately makes the negativity from critics feel like background noise that probably won’t impact what will almost certainly be an ever-growing franchise.