Critics & Viewers Are Divided Over 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie': Who Is Right?

Three years after the box-office triumph of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic released its sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

While the sequel performed reliably at the box office, viewers and critics' reactions were sharply divided. Some viewers raved about the fan service, vibrant visuals, and beloved characters. Others, including professional reviewers, panned the movie.

Now, let's take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of this year's biggest animated release.

What Is 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' About?

The plot of the sequel revolves around Bowser Jr., the son of the evil King of the Koopas, who seeks to free his father. After he attacked Princess Peach, Mario and company shrunk him down and imprisoned him in a miniature castle.

Bowser Jr. kidnaps Princess Rosalina to carry out a plot he planned with his father. Meanwhile, Peach sets out to find Rosalina, and Mario, Luigi, their new dinosaur friend Yoshi, and a kinder Bowser chase after them.

The characters journey across the galaxy, meet new characters, and encounter numerous references to Nintendo video games.

'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' Has a Shallow Plot and Weak Characters

The Super Mario Bros. Movie had a simple and unpretentious plot, which is understandable for the first movie in the franchise. However, the sequel offers significantly more characters and topics but fails completely in its execution.

Princess Rosalina is just a prisoner whose inner life is reduced to a few moments of courage at the beginning of the movie. Yoshi provides comedy, and does so decently at times, but there's no real seriousness behind this facade.

Bowser's vacillations between good and evil are particularly ridiculous – the arc is cut short without reaching a logical conclusion.

Mario and Luigi are underdeveloped and relegated to the background. Princess Peach, as a protagonist, pales in comparison to Mulan, Fiona from Shrek, and even Mirabel from Encanto.

Thanks to the Fan Service and Visuals, Many Viewers Are Still Delighted

Nevertheless, the animation has two undeniable strengths that cause some viewers to overlook the shortcomings of the script. First, there's the fan service – the movie is jam-packed with various cameos, endless moves and abilities from the games, and familiar locations.

The creators clearly put a lot of effort into transferring features from the video games, and for Nintendo fans, this element of recognition is magical.

Second, there's the visual impact. The animation quality is top-notch – the images are colorful and rich, and the characters and environments are beautifully realized. The action scenes are especially spectacular and, for a moment, make you forget the superficial script.

Who Should Watch 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' and Why?

While the games delight with their inventive gameplay and set the standard for quality in the platformer genre, the new animated project attempts to dazzle with its vibrant visuals and parade of fan service.

Children may enjoy the colorful scenes, and older fans may be delighted by the endless gimmicks and cameos.

However, viewers uninhibited by nostalgia for the Nintendo universe will likely see The Super Mario Galaxy Movie as a calculated product – an expensive, lengthy commercial.

And unfortunately, the critics are closer to the truth in this case.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie'?

• The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has 42% from critics and 89% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.5/10.

• On Letterboxd, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie scored 3.0/5.0.