“Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie” Breaks 10 Million on Its First Day – Is It Worth Inviting the Whole Dorm to Watch Together?

Last night all four of us from the dorm went to see The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. When we came out we were laughing like we’d just finished a ranked match, but there was this guy in the row next to us who spent the whole time looking down at his phone. As he left he just dropped a “Boring,” and the contrast in the theater hit max level instantly. To be honest, this is exactly the kind of movie where, if you go alone, you might start doubting your life choices, but if you go in a squad, watching and roasting it together, the fun gets doubled.

First, the numbers: on its opening day in mainland China, the box office went straight past 10 million yuan, so saying it’s not popular would be a lie. And when it was in North America it was already pretty wild: critics gave it only a forty-something on Rotten Tomatoes, while the audience score shot up into the nineties. It’s totally that “teacher fails you, classmates all give you full marks” vibe. The gap is like your final grade: your homework all semester is a disaster, but your dorm bros all think you’re the source of everyone’s joy—completely different standards.

For players like us who grew up playing Mario, the most satisfying thing is that the whole cast shows up. Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi—once all these familiar faces appeared, my roommate next to me whispered, “My DNA is dancing,” like our old desk mates from class had all transferred back for a reunion. And the visuals are pretty addictive too—super eye-catching colors, tons of detail in the effects, the light and shadow are different on each planet, and the overall vibe really feels like you’ve jumped into a game park and are running around inside the big screen.

When all those classic items and stages show up, it really does feel like running through familiar maps in a game. In the theater there were loads of little gasps of “Hey, isn’t that that one level?”—just like a bunch of people crowding around one PC in the lab watching a replay. During some segments, we were already theorycrafting live: “Man, if they turned this part into a co-op level it’d be perfect.” It really feels like the writers could’ve invited a few more veteran players to pitch ideas; the interactive feeling could’ve gone even harder.

But the problems are pretty obvious too. A lot of people complain it “basically has no plot,” and I actually agree. The story is as simple as roll call in class—read through a list of names and you’re done. The rhythm is just gag after gag; the plot basically exists just to make way for Easter eggs and set pieces. For viewers who’ve never played the games, it’s kind of like suddenly being dragged into a group chat for a class you don’t know, where everyone is spamming in-jokes. You’re just staring at the screen getting sleepy, and some people even feel like this movie is only suitable for kids under ten. In our screening there were people yawning halfway through, which made a sharp contrast with our row, where we were laughing like a conga line.

So, should you go watch it? Let me break it down using our dorm-scale rating.
First, if you’re already a longtime Mario player, or even just played a bit as a kid, this movie is basically a giant nostalgia party. It’s perfect for grabbing two or three fellow fans to watch together, then going back to the dorm to boot up a related game. The fun can stretch from the theater all the way to the early hours of the morning.
Second, if you’ve never touched this series, and you’re not into childish-leaning animation that’s heavy on gags but thin on story, you honestly might have a rough time sitting through it. You’d be better off saving the ticket money for your next group dinner.
Third, if you’re like me and care more about “can we play together,” then just treat this movie as an offline co-op session. The main thing is getting the people together—once the squad’s full, the laughs will come. The movie itself is basically just a backdrop.

To sum it up briefly, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’s opening-day box office and word of mouth already make one thing clear: this is a party thrown for players, not an exam paper prepared for film critics. If you judge it by the standards for a serious drama, even one star might feel generous; but if you see it as an extended “dorm team-building session,” where you watch, roast, and share childhood memories together, there’ll be plenty of moments where the ticket feels totally worth it. Going alone is a bit risky; going with a full four-player squad is basically a safe bet. At worst you’ll just complain a bit that “the plot is like classroom roll call,” then head back to the dorm laughing and keep gaming into the night.