What Worked and What Didn’t: The Super Mario Bros. Movie Review

Last night, I was seated for a showing of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. A packed theater filled with teenagers and adults who are fans of the Italian plumber. Expectations seeped in as the Rotten Tomatoes scores rolled in with a 54% for critics but a 96% for audiences. I’ve been here before with the Sonic 2 Movie receiving mixed reviews from critics but a high audience score. After watching the movie in its full glory in Dolby Cinema at AMC, I can confidently say it’s a fun time for any Mario fan. Whether you have played every game in the series or casually play Mario Kart, you can find enjoyment in The Super Mario Bros. Movie by Illumination. They made these characters come to life like never before. The visuals are amazing while being set in the fictional world of the Mushroom Kingdom. The fan service and references are subtle, never taking over the overarching story of the movie. While predictable, it is a fun ride through and through. Anyone with a slight interest and/or history with Mario should watch it in theaters.

⚠️ Spoilers Ahead ⚠️

How they construct this world for the Mario Bros. in Brooklyn before sucking them into the Mushroom Kingdom is cool. This is a setting where the brothers aren’t usually in the games, so seeing them as small-time plumbers in Brooklyn is a breath of fresh air. The duo being…