The Super Mario Galaxy Movie receives a worse rating than its predecessor, as critics call it ‘a bland screensaver that’s worse than AI’

Peach and Mario looking up with open mouths in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
(Image credit: Nintendo/Illumination)

  • The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has received scathing reviews from critics
  • At the time of writing, it has a 44% Rotten Tomatoes score, making it lower than 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie
  • It is released in theaters globally today, April 1

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has performed poorly with movie critics, with some going as far as to say it's "worse than AI" or "torturous to sit through". Out of the new movies released in April, it has not performed well so far.

Recently, the movie annoyed fans on Reddit after a poster was released showing that Fox McCloud would be part of the movie. Many claimed this should have been revealed as a surprise, and that confirming his involvement so close to release was a disappointment.

It's been a rocky start for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, even before its general release, and at the time of writing, it has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 44%, lower than The Super Mario Bros. Movie's score of 59%.

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What have critics been saying about The Super Mario Galaxy Movie?

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Final Trailer - YouTube The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Final Trailer - YouTube
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Not many positive things have been said about the movie by critics, and there have been some particularly brutal takedowns so far. Despite its all-star cast, including the addition of Chad Powers' star Glenn Powell as Fox McCloud, initial reactions have been very bad indeed.

Peter Bradshaw described it as "a bland screensaver of a movie that’s actually worse than AI" in his 1-star review for The Guardian. He added that it lacked substance too, saying it was "a pretty uninspired variation of the first storyline".

Kevin Maher gave it a 0-star review in The Times, asking if this was "the end of cinema" and saying "the film is torturous to sit through and, for me, provoked periods of actual physical discomfort."

Clint Worthington offered a bleak outlook for RogerEbert.com, writing: "It's cute, and breezy, and rock-stupid, and will probably make a billion dollars again. Such is the world in which we live."

However, some critics have noted that children and long-time fans of the games may enjoy the movie. Adam Graham said in Detroit News: "It's a solid action-adventure built squarely for kids, with some nods that longtime Nintendo nerds will appreciate."

It's been a disappointing debut for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, but critics and audiences often disagree, and more reactions will be rolling in over the coming days as the movie lands in cinemas across the world.


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Lucy Buglass
Senior Entertainment Writer

Lucy is a long-time movie and television lover who is an approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes. She has written several reviews in her time, starting with a small self-ran blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving onto bigger websites such as What's on TV and What to Watch, with TechRadar being her most recent venture. Her interests primarily lie within horror and thriller, loving nothing more than a chilling story that keeps her thinking moments after the credits have rolled. Many of these creepy tales can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly.

When she’s not scaring herself half to death with the various shows and movies she watches, she likes to unwind by playing video games on Easy Mode and has no shame in admitting she’s terrible at them. She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and has a Blinky the Fish tattoo, solidifying her position as a complete nerd. 

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