It’s been a long time coming—over 30 years since the last time the heroic plumbers last graced our screens, in fact—but at long last the wait is over. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is in cinemas now!
Based on the wildly popular Nintendo video game franchise, the film is brought to us by CGI studio Illumination, the folks behind Despicable Me. The Super Mario Bros. Movie sees struggling Brooklyn plumbers Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day) sucked into a weird alternative universe, where they must help Princess Peach (Anya Taylor Joy) defend the Mushroom Kingdom from the evil Bowser (Jack Black, and that’s some good casting right there). Along the way they encounter a ton of your old school console faves, including Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen), cute lil mushroom guy Toad (Keegan Michael Key).
If you know the games, you know what to expect. After the old live action Mario movie strayed too far from the formula, this adaptation cleaves close to the original blueprint, offering up a wealth of fanservice and Easter eggs, including Mario Kart racing and Super Smash Bros. brawling. There’s also an awful lot of jumping involved. For fans, it’s manna from heaven.
Critics have reacted coolly, though, with The Super Mario Bros. Movie currently sitting at 57% on Rotten Tomatoes. But the film has proved to be a box office smash, having taken just shy of $380 million globally, making it the biggest opening for an animated film of all time. Bright, brash and eager to entertain, it’s proved a winner with kids and parents alike, with veteran Nintendo heads introducing the next generation to the plucky plumbers. So get along to your local cinema for some top notch Mario madness—Tanooki Suit optional.
