Ahead of its release later this month, the social media embargo has lifted for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and as expected, Illumination’s adaptation of the beloved Nintendo IP is winning many critics over. A combination of family-friendly storytelling, slick visuals, slick animation, and a (mostly) solid cast of celebrity voice actors is proving to be a strong combination, and for longtime fans of the franchise, there’s no shortage of Easter eggs either.
Most of the positive buzz describes the film as a love letter to the entire Mario series, and several critics have noted that composer Brian Tyler has crafted a powerful score for the film. Illumination’s animation has also been praised, and the Mario brothers have great–but brief–chemistry with each other as they find themselves transported to the Mushroom Kingdom. For the cast, Jack Black’s Bowser and Charlie Day’s Luigi are the highlight of the film according to critics, while Chris Pratt gives a solid–but not remarkable–performance as Mario. Overall, you can probably expect this Mario movie to be better than the 1993 film.
While the red carpet premiere had plenty of positive things to say about the film, a few other critics pointed out some of the weaker aspects of the movie. A kids film at heart, don’t expect a complex plot as this movie aims to be a crowd-pleasing adaptation. Expect a formulaic story, one that plays to Illumination’s crowd-pleasing strengths.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie opens on April 5 and it’s expected to be a box office blockbuster that could become one of the highest-grossing video game movies ever. It’ll need to beat Warcraft’s global box office haul of $439 million if it wants to take top spot, and if successful, you can expect more from Nintendo and Illumination as The Super Mario Bros. Movie ends with a post-credits scene that sets up a sequel.
#SuperMarioBrosMovie’s embargo is up. The Mario worlds are brought to life with top-notch animation and energetic action that will delight kids and fans. Full of loving Easter eggs and cameos.
That said, it’s a Mario movie made by illumination and I’ll leave it at that. pic.twitter.com/95Sh1gjI6o— Rendy Jones (@rendy_jones) April 2, 2023
Wahoo! #TheSuperMarioBrosMovie is the ultimate love letter to every era of Mario. Loved the humor & especially Jack Black’s Bowser. I felt the same way watching the movie as I do playing the games. It’s just joyful. Also, stay for the credits! pic.twitter.com/ZcKn17E3PO
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) April 2, 2023
The #SuperMarioMovie: I really wanted to like it but I did not.
A few solid scenes capture the spirit of the game but mostly it’s an overly goofy, bare-bones plot, filled w/ bad jokes & worse song choices.
It looks great but I was more bored & annoyed than entertained. pic.twitter.com/D3CnNvbaaN— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) April 2, 2023
#SuperMarioBrosMovie
is NOT great. That being said it’s PERFECT. I haven’t felt like this for an animated movie since THE 2014 LEGO MOVIE . Stunning animation, and music by Brian Tyler. It’s gonna be BIG. Give me the Cinematic Universe! 10/10 pic.twitter.com/D6cqjLBOHJ— deo.???? (@frickyuu) April 2, 2023
Can’t stop smiling after watching the #SuperMarioBrosMovie premiere! It’s everything I hoped for and more. We’ll have a vlog and a special podcast out next week!
— Krysta Yang (@breath0air) April 2, 2023
The Super Mario Bros. Movie was awesome. Teared up from hype more than once. The music is the star of the show. Nintendo fans are gonna be obsessed. I’m not sure ANY movie in history has ever had THIS MANY easter eggs. AND GOOD ONES! pic.twitter.com/CxvDvPzTnQ
— Tim Gettys (@TimGettys) April 2, 2023
#SuperMarioBrosMovie REVIEW: HILARIOUS & MAGICAL DELIGHT. A charming adventure with the Nintendo plumbing duo, full of FUN cameos that’ll drain your warp pipes. This isn’t just another video game movie, it’s one of the BEST family films ever! A fitting end setting up what’s next pic.twitter.com/X8hRkznjqj
— Atom (@theatomreview) April 2, 2023
The Super Mario Bros movie is an utterly delightful thrill ride that is as joyful as it is magical. It’s a movie that is for Mario fans first, and despite a somewhat shallow narrative, is a blast. Nearly moved me to tears seeing Mario realized so beautifully ????#SuperMarioMovie
— André (@AndreSegers) April 2, 2023
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