Mario Is The Worst Part Of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Because He's Always The Worst Part

I’m going to say what I assume many are thinking: Mario is the worst part of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie… by a country mile. But here’s the thing, this isn’t exclusive to the new video game movie, as Nintendo’s (and the video game world’s) most famous character is also its most boring and forgettable hero. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Super Mario games and have been playing them since my dad put an NES controller in my hands as a young kid. However, I’ve always been more interested in the worlds, game mechanics and other characters surrounding the little jump man.

While watching The Super Mario Galaxy Movie shortly after its arrival on the 2026 release calendar, I couldn’t stop thinking about just how unremarkable Mario is on the screen when he’s not being an avatar for gamers’ adventures. You know, I haven’t stopped thinking about it since…

Mario Is Unconsequential In His Own Movie (Again!)

Though Mario’s name is all over the title of his latest video game adaptation, it’s not really his movie. As pointed out in CinemaBlend’s Super Mario Galaxy Movie review, the film has no idea what to do with its main character, so much so that the plumber is inconsequential to his own film. However, I don’t think that’s a problem created by co-directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, or writer Matthew Fogel, as pretty much every other character in the movie has something to do or has a cool scene.

Whenever the movie would turn its attention away from Star Fox (seriously, he’s the definition of cool, and he needs his own movie), Rosalina, Peach or even the Bowser father-son duo, and pick back up with Mario, I was bored and bummed out. He has no arc, he learns no lessons, and he doesn’t do anything that no one else couldn’t do (Luigi has a lot of the same skills). He’s just kind of there.

This isn’t the first time Mario has been overshadowed by his allies and enemies, as The Super Mario Bros. Movie back in 2023 had the same problem with its main character. Sure, he had some cool moments, but it was Peach’s story, Bowser’s evilness and the big action set pieces that I remember most. Mario, if anything, felt like a way to bring it all together, which isn’t a good way to see a main character.

I’m Not Saying I Hate The Player But Love The Game, But…

I’ve been playing the Super Mario games for most of my life and have made some of my best video game memories, like finding warp whistles, farming lives in the Forest of Illusion, and turning Mario into a T-Rex, with this little plumber and his red hat.

However, those levels weren’t great, and those memories weren’t so meaningful because of Mario the character, but instead of the inventive and addictive mechanics of those games. When we’re the ones actively experiencing these moments instead of watching them unfold on the screen, they become magical. I think that’s the major flaw of Mario, and why the character is just so boring and flat in all the movies. Unlike the Sonic movies with their protagonist and his boundless personality, Mario is just there. When I can’t make him grab a cape and fly up to get 99 lives, it’s just not that fun.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has already made a ton of money and will continue to do so. While a threequel hasn’t been confirmed at the time of this writing, it’s pretty much a given at this point. I just hope Mario is actually interesting next time…