Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 42% of 224 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "Packed with colorful world-building that's as frenetic as it is weightless, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie's visuals are often out of this world but the threadbare story ultimately loses its Milky Way." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 37 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, down from the first film's "A", while those at PostTrak surveyed that 79% of audiences gave the film a positive review, with 62% saying they would "definitely recommend" it.
Glenn Garner of Deadline Hollywood gave the film a positive review writing, "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a fun sequel full of nostalgic references, all-star voices and epic animation, grounded by the father-son story of redemption for Bowser (Jack Black) and a sisterly origin story [sic] Princess Peach, both of which pave the way for more video game adaptation fun," while also praising the voice performances of Donald Glover and Glen Powell. Barry Hertz of The Globe and Mail stated: "...whereas a cosmic beast like Cthulhu or Azathoth at least possess all-knowing knowledge in addition to their sanity-breaking powers of terror, a horror like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie retains no vaguely redeeming qualities." In a one-and-a-half out of four review, Eli Friedberg of Slant Magazine said it was "an unpretentiously vapid cocktail of big-budget technical mastery and lack of artistic ambition. The visual language is divorced from reality and referent to the games; even Looney Tunes action is grounded in the real world—the better to subvert it." Tara Brady of The Irish Times said "the dynamic between Bowser and his son, and the Frozen-like sisterhood between Peach and Rosalina, are jettisoned as quickly as they are introduced. Subplots remain half-formed. New additions—especially Glen Powell's inexplicably underused Fox McCloud—barely register. The abrupt conclusion feels like an abandonment. At least it's short."
William Bibbiani of TheWrap said, "So lacking in substance and purpose that after a while you can't even hear the dialogue over the incessant sound of Aristotle's ghost punching himself." Kevin Maher gave the film zero out of five in The Times, called it "the end of cinema", and said it "provoked periods of actual physical discomfort. I had to stab myself repeatedly in the hand with a pen to distract from the howling distress." Alissa Wilkinson of The New York Times stated "There's a flat empty nothingness to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, even more than its flat empty predecessor," and complained that it had an overstuffed narrative which left little room to get emotionally invested. However, Wilkinson still offered mild praise for the animators' imaginative, planet-hopping visual world-building. Bilge Ebiri of Vulture also gave an unfavorable review, writing that "Like being asphyxiated in a ball pit filled with candy, the experience of watching The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is at once kaleidoscopic and nerve-wracking," writing it had strained chaos and corporate flatness, though found the hand-animated introduction of Glen Powell's Star Fox to be a highlight.
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave The Super Mario Galaxy Movie one out of five, calling it a "bland screensaver of a movie that's actually worse than AI" and "an inert and uninteresting follow-up". Owen Gleiberman of Variety, who praised the previous film, called it a "frenetic and disappointing sequel", while also stating: "[It] almost seems like these talented artists have been body-snatched." Clint Worthington of RogerEbert.com gave it one and a half out of four, writing: "This is not a movie to be scrutinised, but to allow beleaguered elder millennial dads to sit their tots down for a precious two hours (if you count the trailers) and get some much-needed rest." Wilson Chapman of IndieWire gave The Super Mario Galaxy Movie a grade of C−, saying that while the video game "is filled with moments of euphoric joy", the film "registers as flat, imagination packed into the most cleanly corporate and focus-group approved form possible." In Screen International, Tim Grierson wrote that it had "strained humor and cluttered action sequences ... too often this Illumination production mistakes visual and narrative busyness for genuine excitement." Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent gave the film two out of five, calling it "a joke-free sequel that doubles down on its own blandness." Andrzej Lukowski of Time Out gave it three out of five, saying it was "not deep, but [is] made with love and it hits the spot." Gene Park of The Washington Post gave it a mixed review writing, "The modernity of Chris Pratt prattling as Mario and the rest of the cast firing off frenetic fast-paced gags and snark is still exhausting and comes off flat," criticizing the over-stuffed pacing for stifling the game's iconic orchestral music while still admiring the film's pure physical comedy and its visually stunning, side-scrolling tributes to early cinema.
In a review from IGN, Clint Gage wrote "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a dazzling, reference-stuffed sequel whose wall-to-wall Easter eggs, epic action set pieces, and affectionate design work keep fans grinning even as the crowded plot and lack of a single emotional throughline prevent it from reaching the heights of its predecessor." Lindsey Bahr of the Associated Press said "The joy of video games like Super Mario Galaxy is simple and pure: The viewer is transported to a colorful fantasy where space isn't scary—it's inviting, shimmering, and full of wonder," appreciating the inventive animation sequences and playful family dynamics while finding the film's embedded merchandise placement to be a distracting symptom of late-stage capitalism. According to Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter, "Relentlessly fast-paced and filled with hyperkinetic visuals, the sequel hits the sweet spot in terms of what its target audience wants," praising the outstanding star-studded vocal performances and eye-popping animation while noting that adult non-aficionados might find little of interest beyond its superficial charms.
Soren Andersen of The Seattle Times gave the film a favorable review writing, "Every square inch of the screen, from top to bottom, corner to corner, is packed with images derived from the game... watching it is akin to being inside the 2007 Super Mario Galaxy game itself," praising the grander sci-fi scope and the emotionally recognizable themes of family ties while noting that a deep knowledge of the franchise is essential for full appreciation. Joseph A. Wulfsohn of Fox News gave it a highly positive review writing, "While it doesn't reinvent the wheel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a joy for both kids and their nostalgic parents," declaring that it exceeds its predecessor while praising the "dazzling, vibrant animation", Brian Tyler's "robust" musical score, and Jack Black's comedic vocal performance.
