With a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 42% and an audience score of 88%, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie exhibits a clear gap between professional reviewers and the wider audience. The film has also emerged as the top-grossing release of 2026, representing a significant triumph for Nintendo. In a conversation with The Sankei News, Kumamoto University Film Studies associate professor Hiroaki Ito suggests that, apart from differing evaluation standards, the divergent reception could stem from the film’s production approach, potentially serving as a calculated move by Nintendo.
According to Ito, both The Super Mario Bros. Movie and its follow-up appear to have been “carefully constructed to preserve the Mario brand,” resulting in a plot that comes across as “conservative” or inoffensive. Had the films embraced more daring storytelling and character arcs, they might have resonated more with critics who prize artistic innovation, but Nintendo would have risked turning off its fanbase, he contends.
Ito references the 1993 Super Mario Bros. live-action adaptation as a case in point (though an extreme example), which faced harsh criticism for deviating too drastically from the original games.
During the making of that earlier film, Nintendo granted the production team substantial artistic freedom, but Ito believes the company has since “learned from this misstep,” now prioritizing audience approval over other considerations.
Rather than pursuing artistic ambitions that could jeopardize the Mario franchise, Nintendo seems to have concentrated exclusively on satisfying fans. From the vibrant and playful atmosphere to the numerous hidden references and special character cameos, the two animated films are charming enough for children and new fans while staying faithful to the games so that longtime players feel a connection.
“Instead of aiming for film industry recognition, Nintendo’s main goal appears to be boosting brand equity as part of an intellectual property (IP) strategy and reinvigorating interest in its core gaming and merchandise operations,” Ito explains.