‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’ receives mixed reviews from critics — but fans are happy

Margaret Darby
·4 min read
4
This image released by Nintendo and Universal Studios shows Mario, voiced by Chris Pratt, left, and Luigi, voiced by Charlie Day, in Nintendo’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”
This image released by Nintendo and Universal Studios shows Mario, voiced by Chris Pratt, left, and Luigi, voiced by Charlie Day, in Nintendo’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” | Nintendo and Universal Studios via Associated Press
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The highly anticipated “Super Mario Bros. Movie” has officially hit theaters. Initial reviews from critics are torn. Some are praising the animated movie for its intricate visuals while others continue to roast the decision to cast Chris Pratt as Mario.

“The Pratt called upon here is of the blandly sincere, hire-a-hero variety, delivering lines like ‘let’s-a-go!’ and ‘mamma mia!’ with all the vigour of a contractual obligation and not a trace of Italian,” panned the Independent.

Several critics are comparing the 2023 movie to the notoriously bad 1993 “Super Mario Bros.” movie — which was slammed by critics.

“‘Super Mario Bros.,’ a leaden dud released 30 years ago, had the dishonor of being the very first one,” wrote Variety.

“‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ takes full advantage of the sculptural liquid zap of the computer-animation medium. Yet it also has a fairy-tale story that’s good enough to get you onto its wavelength.”

While critics are divided on how to feel about the movie, fan reviews are positive — it’s earned a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Here is what critics and fans are saying about “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”

Positive critic reviews of ‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’

  • “‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie,’ with its vistas of primary colors, is here to brighten our dreary springs,” Jake Coyle raved in The Associated Press. “Visually, it’s a dream.”

  • Rolling Stone wrote, “As Nintendo’s first serious attempt at conquering filmmaking, it’s a lovingly crafted entry point with the potential for more.”

  • “Its ingenuity is infectious. You don’t have to be a Mario fan to respond to it, but the film is going to remind the millions who are why they call it a joystick,” praised Variety.

  • The Verge declared, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the new gold standard for video game films,” and added “Universal’s new Mario movie is everything a video game adaptation should be.”

  • “It’s a 92-minute injection of kid-friendly joy that whizzes by fast enough to keep adults from getting enraged or bored,” shared David Sims in The Atlantic.

Not-so-positive critic reviews of ‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’

  • “Beautifully animated, and about as faithful and affectionate as a corporate cash-in is possible to get — but it still doesn’t come close to the experience of actually playing the games,” John Nugent wrote in Empire Magazine.

  • In a harsh review of the movie, the BBC wrote, “The film has an astonishing lack of jokes, twists, memorable lines, exhilarating stunts, touching emotional moments, and anything else that might engage any viewer who isn’t playing spot-the-allusion.”

  • “The latest animated blockbuster from Illumination is their most soulless to date, a film that feels like ChatGPT produced it after data and imagery from the games were fed into a computer,” panned Brian Tallerico on Rodger Ebert.

  • “The internet was right. Chris Pratt is all wrong as the title character in The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” wrote Globe and Mail. “Flush ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ down a toilet even the plumbers can’t fix.”

  • Mashable criticized, “In the end, it feels like one long commercial. Sure, I walked away wanting to revisit my old Mario games. But I also walked away with no wish to ever again hit play on The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”

Fan Reactions to ‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’

Despite mixed reviews from critics, fans were pleased with Universal Studio’s adaptation of “Super Mario Bros.”

  • “Pure nostalgia. I absolutely loved it. If you’re Mario fan, I would 10/10 recommend seeing those because there is a ton of Easter eggs and you will enjoy it,” Noah wrote in a Rotten Tomatoes review.

  • “Went into it with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised,” Gonzo shared on Rotten Tomatoes. “Enjoyed myself and it was fun and kept me entertained.”

  • Eddie O. declared “SOOO. MANY. EASTER EGGS!!!!!,” per Rotten Tomatoes.

  • “If you’re a Mario fan you will love this adaptation. It has plenty of references from the games and tons of music from various games in the series. Very pleased,” Joel praised on Rotten Tomatoes.

When does ‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’ get released in theaters?

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is currently in theaters. It was released April 5.