Super Mario Galaxy Movie Review 2026: Box Office Hit or Flop?
Glyphiq
Super Mario Galaxy Movie Review 2026: Box Office Hit or Flop?
I just got back from seeing it. And honestly? It’s complicated.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie hit theaters April 1, 2026 — and the timing feels weirdly appropriate. Critics are dunking on it (42% on Rotten Tomatoes), fans are mostly enjoying themselves, and it broke the all-time April opening day record with $34 million. So which is it — a disaster or a win?
Both, kind of.
What Is the Super Mario Galaxy Movie?
It’s the theatrical sequel to 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, produced by Illumination Entertainment and Nintendo, distributed by Universal Pictures. Same directors — Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic — same writer Matthew Fogel, same core cast.
The movie premiered March 28, 2026 at Minami-za in Kyoto (very Nintendo of them), then dropped globally on April 1. Japan gets it later — April 24.
Budget: $110 million. They’re targeting $180M+ domestic opening weekend. After that $34M opening day, it’s looking very achievable.
The Cast
Returning:
- Chris Pratt — Mario
- Anya Taylor-Joy — Princess Peach
- Charlie Day — Luigi
- Jack Black — Bowser
- Keegan-Michael Key — Toad
New additions:
- Brie Larson as Rosalina
- Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr.
- Donald Glover as Yoshi
- Glen Powell as Fox McCloud (yes, really — Star Fox crossover)
The Fox McCloud thing threw me. It’s fun, but it’s also exactly the kind of “too many characters” problem the film gets criticized for.
The Plot (Light Spoilers)
Bowser Jr. kidnaps Rosalina — who turns out to be Princess Peach’s long-lost older sister. He wants to drain her power to fuel a planet-destroying cannon. A tiny Luma crashes Peach’s birthday party asking for help finding his mother (Rosalina), and suddenly the whole gang is blasting off into outer space.
There’s actually a genuinely touching origin story buried in here. Young Rosalina and infant Peach had a shared ability to create nature and life, and were separated when their home was attacked. It’s the kind of lore that Galaxy fans have been theorizing about for years.
The problem is everything around that core story. There’s so much happening that nothing gets room to breathe.
What Works
Visuals. Illumination went all-in on the space environments. The Galaxy aesthetic — giant planetoids, cosmic backdrops, starry voids — translates beautifully to animation. Some shots look genuinely stunning.
Brie Larson as Rosalina. She’s the best new addition by a wide margin. Rosalina has always been one of Nintendo’s most interesting characters, and Larson brings real weight to the role. The scenes between Rosalina and Peach actually land.
Jack Black. Bowser is still the MVP. Every scene he’s in is better for it.
Fan service. If you’ve played the Galaxy games, there are references everywhere. The movie clearly loves its source material.
What Doesn’t Work
It’s overstuffed. Fox McCloud. Bowser Jr. Yoshi getting a speaking role. Rosalina’s entire backstory. Peach’s family revelation. The planet-destroying cannon plot. That’s at least three movies worth of ideas crammed into one.
No clear protagonist. The first movie was Mario’s story. This one can’t decide whose story it’s telling. Mario feels like a supporting character in his own sequel.
Critics aren’t wrong. Metacritic 37/100 is harsh, but the “franchise slop” criticism has some merit. When you’re adding Fox McCloud from Star Fox to a Mario movie, you’re in Marvel Cinematic Universe expansion territory — more concerned with building a universe than telling a story.
The Numbers
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Opening Day | $34M |
| April Opening Day Record? | Yes (previous: $33.1M) |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 42% |
| Metacritic | 37/100 |
| CinemaScore | A− |
| Budget | $110M |
| Target Opening Weekend | $180M+ |
CinemaScore A− tells you what you need to know: audiences like it more than critics do. That gap is massive here.
Should You Watch It?
If you loved the first movie — yes. If you have kids who are Mario fans — absolutely yes. If you’re going in expecting a tight, well-crafted story — lower your expectations first.
It’s fun. It looks incredible. Rosalina’s arc is genuinely good. But it’s trying to be too many things at once, and it shows.
The franchise is clearly heading toward a Nintendo Cinematic Universe situation. Galaxy is the movie where that ambition started outpacing the storytelling.
For now though? $34M opening day says the audience doesn’t care what critics think. And honestly, watching Bowser monologue in space is a perfectly valid way to spend two hours.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is in theaters now in RealD 3D and IMAX.