The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a video game adaption movie brought to us thanks to a collaboration between Universal Studios, Illumination, and Nintendo. It is directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic with Mario Bros. creator Shigeru Miyamoto on board as a producer.

Brooklyn plumbers Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are having a rough time getting their business off to a start. After an incident, they stumble upon a mysterious green pipe that sucks them out of their world Mario ends up in the Mushroom Kingdom where he is greeted by Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) who takes him to Princess Peach (Anya-Taylor Joy). Meanwhile, Luigi is captured by the Koopa King Bowzer (Jack Black), who has captured the “Super Star” with plans on conquering the land. Mario and Peach’s only hope is to get the aid of the Kong Kingdom, but Donkey Kong (Seth Rogan) stands in their way.

I know this movie has been savaged by the corporate press critics eagerly wanting to shill for their more politically correct allies. They either did not watch it and released pre-planned reviews or they went into it ready to dislike. Either way, very few offered any real criticism and only kissed the boots of the competition.

They were wrong. Is there stuff to be criticized? Sure. The movie is a bit fast-paced and Peach just kind of welcomes Mario into her kingdom without knowing who he is. Also, Seth Rogan was a terrible Donkey Kong. The dude has seriously lost his mojo as an actor ever since he sold out for those big producer gigs.

Outside of that, WOW what a good time. I did not own a Nintendo while growing up. My mainstay as far as consoles were SEGA and later X-Box. Currently, it is Playstation. Sorry, I digress. The point is, I did not play a lot of Super Mario outside of when I would visit friends, but not once did I feel lost. The movie has a pretty straightforward plot that is fun, colorful, lively, and a nice break from the nihilistic nonsense Hollywood has been putting out recently.

The movie does not sideline Mario either. It is true that Princess Peach has one “girl boss” moment, but Mario is the primary focus of the movie. He is brave, heroic, and though he mistakes, he always finds a way to power up and be a hero. That was a nice touch.

When it came to the cast, everyone did a fantastic job. Pratt faced a lot of undeserved criticism ahead of the film’s release, but he showed up in style and delivered. Anya-Taylor Joy also did a fantastic job as Princess Peach. She gave it the right balance and I enjoyed her in the role.

With all that in mind, I can honestly say Jack Black is the standout performance here. He is brilliant as Bowzer and you could tell that he jumped into the shell with both legs. He even wrote the song that Bowzer sings about his longing for the love of Princess Peach. I think he was what truly makes the movie work.

Now onto the animation. It was brilliant. The animators did such an excellent job with every scene, action sequences, Easter eggs, and the emotion coming from the characters was sublime.

Bottom line, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a fun thrill ride for children of the nineties and for new fans. You will have a fun time and one that you can bring the whole family to see with you.

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Cartoonish violence, Some scary images

FAVORITE QUOTE: That is but a taste of our fury. Do you yield?

Check out the trailer below:

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or novel you would like me to review. While you are at it, check out my reviews of Catwoman: Hunted and The Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

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