SUPER MARIO BROS.
IMDb Rating
180K+
IMDb Votes
59%
Rotten Tomatoes
$1.36B
Box Office
Synopsis & Review
Brooklyn plumber brothers Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day), struggling to get their fledgling business off the ground, are swept through a mysterious pipe into the Mushroom Kingdom and separated on arrival. Mario teams up with Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and recruits Donkey Kong's army to rescue Luigi, who's been captured by the ruthless Bowser (Jack Black) — a Koopa king intent on marrying Peach and conquering every kingdom that stands in his way.
Illumination's adaptation plays almost entirely as fan service — a rapid-fire tour through Mario Kart tracks, Donkey Kong jungles, and power-up mechanics rendered with glossy, video-game-accurate visual fidelity — and largely succeeds on those terms even as critics found the plot thin and the character work minimal. Jack Black's Bowser is the clear highlight, equal parts menacing and absurd, and his surprise musical number "Peaches" became a genuine pop culture moment in its own right. The film never aims for the emotional depth of Illumination's better work, content instead to be a glossy, high-energy nostalgia machine — and by that narrower measure, especially for anyone who grew up with the games, it mostly delivers.
Why Watch This Movie?
Jack Black's Bowser and "Peaches"
Black's over-the-top, love-struck Bowser is the film's clear MVP, and his surprise piano ballad "Peaches" became a legitimate Billboard Hot 100 hit and one of the year's most memorable movie musical moments.
The First Billion-Dollar Video Game Movie
The film grossed $1.36 billion worldwide, becoming the first video game adaptation to ever cross the billion-dollar mark and the second-highest-grossing film of 2023 overall, right behind Barbie.
Nintendo's First Approved Film Adaptation Since 1993
After the notorious critical and commercial failure of 1993's live-action Super Mario Bros., Nintendo was famously reluctant to license the franchise for film again — making this the studio's long-awaited chance to get a Mario movie right.
Cast & Crew
Directors
Aaron Horvath & Michael Jelenic
Screenplay
Matthew Fogel
Studio
Illumination / Nintendo
Mario
Chris Pratt
Princess Peach
Anya Taylor-Joy
Luigi
Charlie Day
Bowser
Jack Black
Donkey Kong
Seth Rogen
Toad
Keegan-Michael Key
Official Trailer
© Universal Pictures / Illumination / Nintendo. Trailer embedded via YouTube.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did critics and audiences disagree so much on this movie?
Critics scored it around 59% on Rotten Tomatoes, citing a thin plot and light character development, while general audiences gave it a 96% approval rating and an "A" CinemaScore. The gap reflects the film's design: it prioritizes nostalgic fan service and visual fidelity to the games over conventional narrative depth, which pleased longtime fans far more than it satisfied critics looking for a stronger story.
Why didn't Chris Pratt use an Italian accent for Mario?
Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic wanted Mario to sound like an authentic Brooklyn plumber rather than lean on the exaggerated Italian accent used in the games, treating the character's Italian-American heritage more like a real New Yorker's than a cartoon stereotype. The casting decision was controversial with some fans ahead of release but became a non-issue for most viewers once the film came out.
Is there a sequel?
Yes — a sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, was officially announced in March 2024 with the original directors and writer returning, and it was released in 2026. It's confirmed to expand the scope of the story with new characters alongside returning favorites.
Was this Charles Martinet's last time voicing Mario?
Charles Martinet, who voiced Mario and Luigi in the video games from 1994 to 2023, doesn't play either brother in this film — that role went to Chris Pratt and Charlie Day — but Martinet does appear in a cameo voicing the brothers' father, along with a background character resembling Mario's original 1981 Donkey Kong design.
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