Rushdown Review: The Super Mario Bros. Movie

The long-awaited The Super Mario Bros. Movie has finally arrived, and it’s time to see if it’s a hit or a miss. Here’s a quick rundown to help you decide if you should jump into theaters to catch this flick.

Brooklyn plumbers Mario and Luigi, while fixing a water main underground, enter a magical new world through a mysterious pipe. The brothers get separated, and Mario embarks on a quest to find Luigi with the help of Toad and Princess Peach. Along the way, Mario taps into his own power with some training from Princess Peach.

Let’s start with the positives. Visually, this movie is stunning. Illumination has a great track record with animation, and they’ve really nailed it with the environments and characters in this movie. From the bright and colorful Mushroom Kingdom to the bustling streets of Brooklyn, New York, everything looks amazing. All of the characters are expressive and full of life.

And speaking of characters, the voice acting is top-notch. Chris Pratt did a decent job as Mario, and Jack Black absolutely steals the show as Bowser. Charlie Day is great as Luigi, and Keegan Michael-Key as Toad is a delight. And for the super fans out there, the movie is filled to the brim with references to the Mario games and other Nintendo properties. It’s a real treat for the die-hard fans.

Now, onto the not-so-great aspects. While some of the voice acting was excellent, others fell flat. Anya Taylor-Joy didn’t quite capture the perky personality we’re used to from Peach, and Fred Armisen’s Cranky Kong was just plain boring. Even Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong wasn’t always the barrel of laughs we were hoping for.

And while the music was great overall, some of the licensed tracks felt a bit out of place. It would have been nice to hear more music from the games themselves. Finally, the story is a bit of a nitpick, but we could have used a little more screen time with Luigi and Peach. And it’s a bit strange to see Peach not portrayed as a damsel in distress in an origin story.

Overall, we highly recommend seeing this movie in theaters. Even if you’re not a big Mario fan, it’s a fun time that anyone can enjoy. What did you think of the movie? Let us know in the comments!

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