A dull and repetitive sequel to The Super Mario Bros Movie

The Guardian’s review of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie portrays the film as a lifeless and uninspired sequel to The Super Mario Bros Movie. Directed as an animated continuation of the hit video-game adaptation, the film features Mario and Luigi — voiced by Chris Pratt and Charlie Day — teaming up once more with Princess Peach, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, to rescue Rosalina (Brie Larson). The plot rehashes familiar ideas: Bowser Jr. (voiced by Benny Safdie) kidnaps Rosalina, much as his father did previously. The critic argues that instead of offering creative flair or fresh humour, the movie merely delivers a repetitive, visually dull experience designed mainly to capitalise on the Easter holiday season.

The review criticises the aesthetics as overly simplistic, comparing the look to a ‘cheesy Euro-knockoff’ and noting that even the original’s attempt to parody classic gameplay is missing here. The reviewer contends that the film feels worse than something AI might produce, implying that human creators have tried to mimic the formula of an AI-generated template. Ultimately, the piece suggests that the movie was conceived as a global ‘cash grab’ with universal marketability rather than artistic ambition — a product that may entertain children but fails to spark imagination or wit. Despite its colourful characters and strong voice cast, it offers no real reason to exist beyond its commercial purpose.