The movie is basically like the games, the story isn't why we see it, it's the characters and imagination that makes it fun

The Peaches song needs to win an Oscar ;)

I’m glad you enjoyed it, Mat! As a causal Mario fan, I really had a lot of fun watching this twice, including in IMAX! XD

He gave it a 7/10, and that's good enough for me. Also, he FINALLY gave the animation to an Illumination move a 10.

Chris Pratt actually won me over in his first scene with Luigi, I really enjoyed their rapport. Yes, it's a very 'average guy ' voice but I think that was what they wanted. Mario, even in the context of the limited personality, the games show, has always been the most plain of all of the characters.

I saw this movie in IMAX, and it was awesome. Just pure, unadulterated fun. It's got amazing animation, awesome references, colorful action and great, actually funny humor. In addition to Jack Black's incredible performance and banger song, "Peaches". It's definitely the best movie Illumination has put out yet, apart from _Despicable Me._

As a fan of the Super Mario video game franchise, This movie is extremely awesome! The only flaw i have with this movie is the use of licensed pop songs. Other than that, I still enjoyed this film a lot.

This was a true love letter to the franchise. Critics have just been too harsh on it. Like of course the pacing is fast...it's meant to catch a kid's attention! And it WORKS! The movie has something for everyone whether it's all the references (like the GameCube jingle as a ringtone...my favorite), Peach being an absolute GIRLBOSS, to the amazing soundtrack (gotta love the Gusty Garden representation). I liked Chris Pratt's Mario voice, I mean I laughed when he was originally announced for the role because of all the things he does and it just caught me off guard but as a New Yorker, his Brooklyn accent was perfect. I'm glad they went the Brooklyn/Lou Albano route. And Charles Martinet playing the role of their dad was fitting since of course, his voice brought the character to life in the first place. Peach being a girlboss was Miyamoto's original vision of Peach. He said in a Variety interview that there was always a desire to make her have her own story (which we see with Super Princess Peach on the DS) and be the powerful princess she was meant to be and that they took the movie as an opportunity to push that further.

The fact that critics hate this but then give something like Cuties a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes is just ridiculous.

I honestly don't understand why people were against Chris Pratt voicing Mario. So what if Chris didn't sound like Mario in the games? He said from the beginning that he wasn't gonna use an Italian accent and that he was gonna be original. And I think Chris did a good job. And to be honest, had Chris did use an Italian accent, people would've then complained about Chris copying Charles Martinet's performance and not being original.

Despite the flaws in the story and pacing, it was still a fun colorful film that captures the magic of the games.

It’s one of the best animated films I’ve seen in recent years

It's like those Rotten Tomato critics expect EVERY movie to move them like a Pixar movie! If anything, this movie has everything a Mario fan could ask for! I was surprised how well the movie was able to balance references to the oldest games in the series with the newest games (focusing on Odyssey and Mario Kart 8). It was incredibly ambitious to target fans of all ages, but I think they generally pulled it off. Jack Black as Bowser is just chef's kiss. He was the absolute perfect choice for the role. He's one of the most passionate actors I've ever seen, and his energy just screams Bowser. Eminem's been real quiet since Bowser dropped Peaches.

I honestly didn’t mind that Luigi was captured throughout most of the movie. I didn’t think he was sidelined he definitely had his moments during the movie.

I saw this last week in a packed theatre with both kids and adults in IMAX and I had the time of my life! Not since Spiderman: No Way Home did I feel like I was on an exciting fanservice roller coaster from beginning to end. Yes, the story is pretty thin and fast-paced but then again, we never played the Mario games for deep, thought provoking stories like The Last of Us. It's simply meant to be pure, unadulterated fun! The animation was gorgeous and really captured the essence of the games, this is easily Illumination's best looking film to date, and the characters are true to their looks! The characters are likable and each have a moment they stand out and I thought every voice actor did a phenomenal job with their roles, including Chris Pratt. He actually brought depth to Mario and how determined he is to prove himself a somebody and to rescue his little brother. And yes, Jack Black stole the show as Bowser, especially with his little "musical number." Is the movie perfect? No, it has plenty of flaws. Is at least a fun movie that pays tribute to the legacy of what makes Super Mario an iconic video game franchise in the first place? ABSOLUTELY! For my money, this was FAR better than it had any right to be and I give a standing ovation to the people at both Illumination and Nintendo for making this movie possible. I knew it took them YEARS to get this to happen and the wait was certainly worth it! As a movie critic, I give it a 7.5 out of 10 As a diehard, lifelong Mario fan, I give it a 9 of 10!

This movie was definitely worth the wait and hype! Sure the story was pretty simple and the facing was rather rushed, but this film was definitely pretty good on its own, and extraordinary as a Mario film. The characters were all amazing, the animation was phenomenal, and the many nods and references to the Mario franchise were so sweet and awesome! 8/10 as a movie on its own. 9/10 as a Mario Movie!

I saw this movie in IMAX, and it was awesome. Just pure, unadulterated fun. It's got amazing animation, awesome references, colorful action and great, non cringy humor. In addition to Jack Black's incredible performance and banger song, "Peaches". It's definitely the best movie Illumination has put out yet, apart from _Despicable Me._

I had a super awesome time with the Mario movie, and I’m glad you enjoy it too! This is my favorite animated film of the year so far. It’s absolutely amazing!

The movie made a billion dollars in the box office. this film is amazing

Bowser definitely ruled this movie. Jack Black's voice was surprisingly accurate to his video game counterpart, and while he's still lovestruck for Peach, he's still an entertaining and memorable antagonist.

When I see this version of Princess Peach in the movie, what comes to mind is when she used to be known as Princess Toadstool in the 1993 comic Super Mario Adventures. Not the typical damsel in distress but just like in the movie give up and take action Princess.

This film was pretty much everything I needed it to be. It may not be the second coming of Scorsese but I can't deny the massive smile on my face throughout the film's runtime.

If I had a nickel every-time an illumination character plays a piano I would have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice.

This was the movie of the year that I was the most excited for, since I'm a big Mario fan. When I saw the movie, I thought it was good, despite its noticeable flaws, like its rushed pacing and how some characters could've been fleshed out more. Despite this, I still had a blast with this movie, and I personally hope that it gets a sequel so that we can see more of the Mushroom Kingdom and see more Mario characters appear, like Princess Daisy, Toadsworth, Rosalina, Bowser Jr., Yoshi (although they did make some cameos in this movie), and the two who I especially hope to see, Wario and Waluigi!

I enjoyed every second of this movie Chris Pratt wasn't that bad as Mario, I thought he was pretty good

This movie makes me want to play more mario games.

As a huge Mario fan and moviegoer, it’s now one of my favorite movies of all time. Not because it’s objectively one of the best-animated films of all, I do agree the story isn’t great and the characters aren’t groundbreaking, but it doesn’t need to share the same quality as Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, or even Studio Ghibli. It just needs to be fun and it did its job perfectly. That’s the whole point of entertainment, to make us laugh, cry, and cheer. Despite its faults, I still love it and I’m looking forward to watching more of it. Objectively, it’s really between a 6 or 7 out of 10, but from a subjective standpoint, it’s a 10 out of 10 for me.

Love seeing AniMat praising Peach! As great as Bowser was, Peach was the standout in my opinion.

I don't care how people would criticized against this movie because I had a blast watching "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" as I'm mostly a DK fan, I hope we'll get that Donkey Kong spin-off.

I’m glad you went to see this movie twice. This is one of those movies that is definitely worth watching more than once on the big screen.

My favorite character in the film is princess peach. I am glad she wasn’t a damsel in distress and Anya Taylor joy did a wonderful job voicing her. This movie makes it her second animated movie role, the first one being playmobil: the movie. 👑

Who is Animat's favorite Nintendo character?

Great review. I think its story was simple, like the games, but still a butt load of fun.

You're not "blowing up" the story like King Bob-omb, and after seeing what you said about the writing, you do raise a few good points.

A review that perfectly summarizes my thoughts on Mario. Well done AniMatt! Well done!

It's funny: when the movie and casting was first announced, people were already saying "Well, this is it! This is the worst movie of 2023. No doubt about it!" before we even got footage of it. Then the trailer was released and, later on, the movie itself came out and people were then saying "Well, hush my whore mouth. This is the greatest thing I've ever seen."... inspite of diverging oppinions from movie critics.

I gotta say this review was spot on!! As a movie it is flawed and has a few problems, but as a Mario Movie it is a beautiful love letter to the entire Mario franchise. Great review AniMat!!! 🧡 ( I also agree that Lumalee was the funniest character of the film.)

Honestly while I do have issues with the pacing being too quick and other things, overall I really enjoyed it. It’s not my favorite adaptation based on a game, but it’s definitely one I’ll happily revisit a lot.

2:19 The Story 6:43 The Animation 9:58 The Characters

❤️💖 I'm glad and happy that Mario and Luigi got their chance to appear in mainstream animation after not having a cameo appearance in Disney's Wreck It Ralph and Ralph Breaks the Interent. It was such a waste opportunity to have Mario and Luigi could've made a cameo appearance in Wreck It Ralph. This movie does feel kinda like apology letter for not getting their cameo appearances in Wreck It Ralph movies. Disney, you owned us Mario fans an apology! You promise to have Mario and Luigi to appear in Wreck It Ralph and you missed that chance in Ralph Breaks the Internet. You could've have them appear in the party scene in the first movie! 💖❤️

I’m glad you enjoyed this movie as I do, I prefer this Mario movie then the last one

The score is insane and I love it

This movie is now one of my all-time favorite movies alongside Pixar's Turning Red! I loved all the references to the games as well!

Honestly, the way I see it is building the lore for a potential sequel. I'm sure that one will be great.

14:46 oh hey look it’s pablo from the backyardigans So that’s what he did after the show

AniMat: "I still don't think Chris Pratt's Mario was a good idea." *Also* AniMat: "Seth Rogen's voice surprisingly works for DK You CAN'T be serious!😠

Chris Pratt as Mario is a dream come true for me because he’s also as Star Lord in one of my favorite movie franchise, The Marvel Cinematic Universe but out of all the actors who have famously known to be played a character in the MCU to cast as Mario, why not Jon Favreau? That would’ve been perfect. He’s Italian-American.👌🏻 outside of that, he might have some friendly nostalgia about playing a Mario game too, thanks to his character Happy saying “You like Donkey Kong Jr?”😅

I was in the theater for a good time, and that was exactly what I got. A bright, colorful fun Mario adventure with fun setpieces and charm.

This was a really fun movie with gorgeous animation, and most of the actors did a surprisingly solid job as these iconic characters. Well except for Jack Black as Bowser, since that one was AWESOME! Just about every scene with him stole the show, especially his singing performances. As for criticisms, the only major ones I have are with the pacing and underutilizing Luigi. The former could've used a few minutes of breathing room for the characters and action scenes, while the latter could've allowed Luigi to shine on his own (i.e. form a prison break with the other captives). Otherwise, this movie also gets a 7/10 from me.

If you're going to have a very average story and script, I feel like it can be elevated by execution which is what I feel here. The enjoyment comes from the sheer devotion to the sauce material. It's why I enjoy this a lot more than say, the Sonic movies. They never had anything particularly special in terms of writing and was still stuck mostly in a very standard Hollywood CGI/ live action, hybrid kids movie. Although I actually still feel detective Pikachu is better than both. Still very faithful to the world of the franchise whilst doing more with its script and characters. I certainly think there is room for improvement, now that they've taken the step to give these characters some firm personalities, they should work with them and do something more in terms of storytelling. If they don't, they run the risk of people tiring out of these movies quickly.

I’m pretty sure they will release an extended cut for some scenes that the filmmakers want to work on bringing to life but didn’t have the chance because of the deadline for the movie’s theatrical release so that he can see it and appreciate a little bit more than last time and watch some parts that will work in this movie like the relationship between the plumbers, bowser’s and Dk’s backstory, and even an extension of the ending so that way the issue of the pacing can finally calms down and take some moments of this movie a little more seriously and heartwarming at the same time

I’m sorry AniMat but The Super Mario Bros Movie is better than Lightyear

The Lorax predicted illumination studios would make this movie 11 years ago. When the oncelur asked Ted why he isn’t like other kids playing the donkey Kong.

This movie definitely beats out the 1993 version and considering I was born the year of the original Mario movie and now it's 30 years later I found myself having a ball with it. Worth going seeing.

As a lifelong Mario fan, I freaking loved this movie. It was basically a Mario game on the big screen, even more than Sonic 2 was since it being animated just lets them go all out with the world instead of how the Sonic movie team had to compensate for it being live action with CGI and on earth, I still just prefer Sonic 2 since I’m more of a Sonic fan even if from less time than Mario. The only thing I wish happened was that it was longer, at least by 10 minutes (though more ideally if you ask me would be about 20-30 minutes) so we could maybe get a bit more time in Brooklyn to see more of Mario and Luigi and their bond before they get to the Mushroom Kingdom world and they get separated (which by the way, Luigi’s captivity does have a point to give Mario his motivation to help Peach since it’s clear from the bros interaction with Spike and the Baby Mario and Luigi flashback how Mario is pretty protective of Luigi and if Peach was the one kidnapped, a bunch of people would probably be like “why are Mario and Luigi risking their lives to save this person they don’t even know” so it makes sense why it’s here), and maybe see more of the worlds that Mario, Peach, and Toad go through on their way to the Jungle Kingdom, but that’s basically it. The movie may not be much but this is very much something where you need to go in without many expectations, I just came in hoping for a good movie that pays respect to the games, and oh boy did I get it. This and Sonic 2 (and I’m assuming Detective Pikachu but I haven’t seen that yet) are what video game adaptations from here on out should look back to

Now that Illumination is a Hollywood powerhouse, I say they should reboot the Flinstones movies in their own paint

Oh wow, with that thumbnail, I thought it was getting the AniMat Seal of Garbage for sure! 😂 Thank God I was wrong!

i wish we got the mario and peach romance in this movie like they established that mario has a crush on peach in the movie and we get to see them flirt during the mario kart segment of the movie but that's it they didn't do much with it and it was never brought up again

This is one of the best fan serviced for a franchise movies I’ve seen in a LONG TIME: story-5/10, animation-10/10, characters-7/10. Overall-7/10

I'd give it an ♾️/10 as it's one of my 10 favourite movies of all time and my favourite animated movie as a massive mario fan, but I do respect your opinion as I was hoping you'd give it higher than a 6/10 like you gave Illumination's past 4 movies, so well done to this movie for breaking that trend and going above the 6/10! Also, I love what you did at the end of the review!

This movie is downright perfect for creating new mario fans. I love this movie!

I’m surprised it took you 9 days after its release to review this movie, but I’m glad you ended up enjoying it in the end despite your qualms with the story. And I myself had such a blast with it that I ended up seeing it twice, and am even considering doing so for a third time too! Since it’s just a genuine love letter to the OG games with a lot of fun, great adaptations of these iconic characters and some stunning animation, even by Illumination standards. I definitely can’t wait for the inevitable sequel, and I hope this paves the way for future Nintendo animated adaptations as well.

I think the ending dialogue of this review reminds me a little bit of your Muppets (2011) review where you gave a different rating as a critic and as a life long fan of something

This movie wasn’t perfect. But as someone who grew up playing Mario, this was definitely the most fun I had in theaters. It was great to see “the Mickey Mouse of video games” getting a more respectful movie. Also, I know this is wishful thinking, but I wished we had this scene 😂: Masahiro Sakurai: “the Super Mario brothers”. You think your the only heroes in the universe. Mr. Mario, you just became part of an even bigger universe than you could ever imagine. Mario: Who are you? Masahiro Sakurai: Masahiro Sakurai. Director of Nintendo. Mario: Oh. Masahiro Sakurai: I’m here to talk to you about the super smash bros initiative.

This movie made me want a Nintendo Cinematic Universe ( Not of all Nintendo games but as much as they could make) Like Zelda, Splatoon, Star Fox ETC.

It's a he! Animatario!

1:02 Somehow, this gets me every time.

It's as fun as the games themselves. And from the first trailer, this happened to be the first Illumination movie that I had a lot of hype for. The Mario Brothers rap solidified it for me as I grew up watching the Super Show on a DVD set. To see them recognize the show and recreate the theme song, makes me appreciate this movie more.

I may not have seen the 1993 film adaptation, but this movie was a MAJOR improvement over that one!

Considering this is a film made by illumination, I’m surprised we got a film this good without pointless side plots, pop culture references, and shoehorned in minions.

As a fan of Mario since I was 6 years old. I give this film a 9/10

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is peak cinema... ...Eye candy.

I am surprised that Mario’s line “mushroom kingdom here we come” wasn’t in the movie at all

Wow. Illumination made a really good video game movie. Who would’ve thought?

Bowser: I FINALLY FOUND IT AND NOW NO ONE CAN’T STOP ME!!!!!! 😈😈😈⭐️⭐️⭐️

7:29 the only difference is the texture like Peach's hair and Mario and Luigi's mustaches and clothes and Bowser's hair and they made him more scaly like a real life turtle.

*My opinion:* Story: 9/10 Animation: 10/10 Characters: 10/10 Overall: 10/10

I absolutely love this one. And have to say it, it's possibly the best Illumination film there is (better than Minions and Secret Life of Pets). And yeah, I didn't feel too big with Chris pratt being Mario either, Charlie Day was excellent as Luigi, Princess Peach is my favorite character of all time and I loved how big her role was in the film (and not be the damsel in distress routine). Jack Black was unexpected, in this movie, but he did make Bowser funny but threatening.

Isn't luigi's captivity sole reason why Mario teams up with peach and steps up to defeat bowser? I'd hardly call it inconsequential in the grand scheme of things then! But your oppinion I guess. Others?

I saw this movie two times too I went with my family and my second time I saw with my class field trip. This movie is absolutely amazing and I wish illumination could do more than that.

14:16 Think Jack had a ton of fun in the role as Bowser? If anyone watched the NYCC panel, Jack Black had even more fun while answering some questions about the film.

For me, I thought the movie was awesome, sure, it has a couple of flaws but I enjoyed it all the way through. My personal rating is a 9/10 but 7/10 is good enough. I do hope Disney steps up their game when it comes to their animation division. See you soon AniMat!

Have you ever seen the SNL parody "HBO Mario Kart"? Not only is it hilarious, but it also gives us an awesome alternative to Chris Pratt's Mario: Pedro Pascal.

Story 4/10 animation 10/10 characters 6/10 7/10

4:30 but since you’ve seen the movie you would know that Luigi got captured which makes sense for the story they try to tell. It’s not often that Luigi gets captured so they try to make a fresh and new story and switch the roles. And also Frozen isn’t that high of a bar to compare The Super Mario Bros Movie to.

Story: 9/10 Animation: 10/10 Characters: 10/10 Overall Score: 10/10 As a Mario fan, I'm proud of this movie! I have been a Mario fan since I was 7, and now I'm 14. This movie was amazing, the only problem I had with this movie was the 80s songs. Why are 80s songs in a popular video game movie? This movie was better, but could have been better without the 80s songs. Like they feel so out of place in the Mario franchise. Overall, fantastic movie!

3:14 I disagree strongly! Sorry but the writing isn’t that simple and they do build up to the brothers relationship. And given that this is a first movie of Super Mario Bros we can expect a sequel with improvement.

Finally an Illumination film since The Lorax with animation that doesn't include any over relience on motion blur.

Mario: Let’s a go! Luigi: okey dokey!

That Ben Shapiro roast was fucking amazing! 🔥

I loved this movie, I wonder if it’ll start a Nintendo cinematic universe

I feel like this is the best movie Illumination has made since the Despicable Me series.

As a Film Student, I can totally see the flaws. But as a Mario Fan, I had a blast watching it!

12:45 Admittedly he got the Peach part wrong in the end and Ben isn't really a gamer but oh well. Also wait a damn minute, are you an *activist?*

It certainly was worth the wait. Probably the best animated movie I watched in cinema by far. The movie's length was not too short, not too long. Peach serving as strong ally for Mario like in SM3DW instead of being the usual damsel in distress was great to watch, even if Bowser still tried to marry her. The Mario-Donkey Kong rivalry was well executed, even if they worked together at the end. Bowser was an absolutely threatening villain as expected, but he also had funny moments like playing the piano. Mario and Luigi's brothership was heartwarming to watch. A lot of great music like Gusty Garden in the end credits was used. I really don't understand why critics rate this movie so low.

It's safe to say that The Super Mario Bros. Movie is Illumination's Spider Verse. A gamer changing of the movie that will company for the better.

At first from hearing your thoughts on the story, I thought “oh no, he didn’t like this at all.” Then as the review progresses, I felt relieved. I especially love Peach’s wedding dress, which is mostly white with a pink trim at the skirt.

I've noticed the problem with reviewers complaining about the story is they want the film to establish the characters more as well as their goals. Sometime you don't need some deep, emotional pecos to establish a character. I feel the movies established enough and were not bored to tears with exposition!

This film was probably the best experience I had with watching a movie on the big screen since The Lion King back in 2011. If it wasn’t for the story and pacing, I would’ve given this a 10 out of 10 in a heart beat. But what we got was still fantastic. Most of the characters and voice acting are enjoyable, the humor ranged from okay to hysterical, plenty of the references were integrated surprisingly well, the score is one of the best I’ve heard in recent years, and the action had me on the edge of my seat. I can say it was definitely worth the wait and easily one of Illumination’s best films since the Despicable Me duology. 9/10

Do you think that Bowser and his troops invading the Mushroom Kingdom in this movie is a commentary on invading countries in the real world we live in?