The Super Mario Bros. Movie
The brief
This feels exactly like playing a Mario game, which is both its biggest strength and limitation - it's pure nostalgic sugar rush with incredible animation that makes every power-up and world feel tactile and alive. Chris Pratt's Mario is weirdly fine despite all the internet drama, but Jack Black absolutely devours every scene as Bowser, bringing genuine menace wrapped in musical theater camp. The pacing rockets along like a speedrun, cramming in every possible Nintendo reference without much breathing room for character development. Perfect for anyone who grew up button-mashing through these worlds and wants to see them rendered with Pixar-level craft, even if the story plays it safer than a 1-1 coin block.
The verdict
If you're a Nintendo fan craving pure nostalgic eye candy with incredible animation that brings every familiar world to vivid life, this is an absolute sugar rush of a good time. If you need substantial character development or storytelling depth beyond frantic video game references, you'll find this as hollow as an empty question block.
Watch with
- 👨👩👧👦 Perfect for families with Nintendo-obsessed kids
- 👥 Gamers wanting pure nostalgic sugar rush
- ⚠️ May bore adults without gaming nostalgia
Heads up
- Cartoon violence and mild peril throughout (moderate)
- Brothers separated early creating anxiety (brief)
Credits
- Director
- Aaron Horvath
- Cast
- Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen
Official synopsis
While working underground to fix a water main, Brooklyn plumbers—and brothers—Mario and Luigi are transported
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
Both are colorful animated adventures featuring beloved characters from classic franchises.
Total runtime: 1h 33m + 1h 40m = 3h 13m
