The sequel to one of the most profitable animated films made hits theaters April 1, early reactions suggest it may repeat the exact same pattern as the original, loved by fans, questioned by critics
It has been three years since The Super Mario Bros. Movie walked into theaters carrying a mountain of skepticism and walked out with $1.36 billion at the global box office. The sequel arrives April 1 carrying the opposite problem: enormous expectations, a galaxy-sized cast and first reactions that are, to put it diplomatically, all over the map. If history is any guide, that might not matter one bit by the time families fill theaters this weekend.
What the film is actually about
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie picks up with Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach back in action, this time facing not only the returning villain Bowser but also his son, Bowser Jr., in an adventure that stretches across the cosmos. Along the way, the story introduces Princess Rosalina, Yoshi and Nintendo’s beloved Star Fox character Fox McCloud, significantly expanding the universe beyond what the first film attempted.
The core voice cast returns intact. Chris Pratt voices Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy returns as Princess Peach, Charlie Day is back as Luigi, Jack Black reprises his scene-stealing turn as Bowser and Keegan-Michael Key continues as Toad. Joining them for the sequel are Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr., Brie Larson as Princess Rosalina, Donald Glover as Yoshi and Glen Powell as Fox McCloud, a casting choice that appears to have generated some of the most enthusiastic early responses of anything in the film. Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic return to direct, with the screenplay again written by Matthew Fogel.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is an absolute blast! A dazzling animation spectacle and easily one of the most fun theater experiences of the year. The returning cast is just as great as the first time around, but Fox McCloud and Yoshi completely steal the show. Full review on… pic.twitter.com/ovvtiPigEh
— MOVIEDEATHS (@MOVIEDEATHBLOWS) March 31, 2026
The reactions that are making people excited
For every viewer who walked out of the press screenings underwhelmed, another walked out convinced they had seen something genuinely special. Several early responders called the sequel a meaningful improvement over the original, praising its visual ambition, the richness of its animation and a score by Brian Tyler that several reviewers singled out specifically as a highlight. The decision to lean on the orchestral score rather than loading the film with needle drops, a criticism frequently leveled at the first movie, was noted positively by multiple critics.
Glover’s Yoshi and Powell’s Fox McCloud appear to be the two breakout additions that audiences responded to most warmly, with more than one early viewer describing them as the film’s most entertaining presences. The Nintendo Easter eggs embedded throughout the movie were also widely praised, with fans reporting the kind of deeply satisfying fan service that rewards years of gaming history with small moments of genuine delight. Rosalina’s introduction drew affection from multiple reviewers as well, described by some as one of the sweeter emotional threads running through the story.
The reactions that are raising red flags
The criticism, where it exists, clusters around a consistent set of concerns. Several reviewers described the film as visually impressive but narratively unfocused, a movie that moves fast and packs in a great deal of content without giving much of it enough room to breathe or matter. The pacing was flagged as a problem by more than one voice, with the sense that the film rushes through ideas that deserved more development. The promise of a proper Super Mario Galaxy adaptation felt, to some, like it remained largely unrealized, with the film incorporating more visual and narrative DNA from other games in the franchise than from the beloved title it carries in its name.
One critic writing for the Guardian went considerably further, delivering what may be the harshest take of the early cycle, describing the film as visually inert, narratively hollow and representative of a kind of franchise product that mistakes spectacle for substance. That review is unlikely to represent the mainstream critical consensus, but its existence underscores the divide the film appears to be generating.
Why it probably will not matter at the box office
The 2023 original finished with a 59% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 95% audience score, a gap that tells you almost everything you need to know about who these films are actually made for. Parents and children who grew up loving the games are not consulting critical consensus before buying their tickets for opening weekend, and the franchise has already demonstrated its ability to generate extraordinary commercial results independent of what professional reviewers think.
Universal and Nintendo will be watching the audience score with far more interest than the critical one when the numbers start coming in. If the pattern from the first film holds, what critics experience as chaotic and underdeveloped may register for families as the purest possible form of joyful, colorful, endlessly energetic fun. The sequel opens April 1, and the real verdict arrives shortly after.