It seems as if Super Mario fans everywhere are divided on whether “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was good or a huge let down. As someone who has played almost every Mario-related video game out there, I feel that this movie was anything but a letdown. 

With this movie, I do agree that you must have some knowledge of the Mario franchise in order to really enjoy the film. You do not have to know every detail about the Mushroom Kingdom, but at the bare minimum, know the difference between a Koopa and a Goomba. 

The film succeeds in bringing video games to life. Avid video games players of the Mario games will be able to see little Easter eggs throughout the film, such as when Bowser forgets the name of the Spinies, but Mario fans know exactly what the spiked red creatures are called. 

The graphics for this movie are some of the best I have ever seen in an animated film.  

Being able to see the Mushroom Kingdom become so detailed on the big screen is everything I had been wanting to see since I was a child. I felt as if I was actually there amongst all the Toads. The colors were so vibrant and rich, causing every detail on the screen to catch my attention.  

From the quick glimpse of the wild Yoshis running to the scene on the Rainbow Road, this film had multiple callbacks to various video games within the franchise.  

The scene where Mario and Donkey Kong are fighting is actually a callback to the first ever game that Mario made an appearance in, a video game called Donkey Kong. In the video game, Donkey Kong is throwing barrels at Mario as he tries to rescue Princess Peach. In the film, we see Donkey Kong throwing the infamous barrels as Mario jumps from platform to platform in order to avoid being hit by one. 

When it comes to the performances from the cast, one voice actor stole the show. Jack Black puts on a memorable performance that people have continued to talk about, despite this film being released in April 2023. 

Personally, Jack Black’s performance stood out the most to me as he brought in his comedic talents like he does in every roll he has landed. Plus, the song “Peaches” has been stuck in my head from the first time I watched this movie. Jack Black brings the usually feared character and makes him someone we kind of want to root for. 

In this entire franchise, I have never wanted Bowser to win more than while watching this film. Jack Black’s performance turned this from a Mario Bros movie into the Bowser show.  

Overall, this film was incredible to experience, and I hope the upcoming sequels will be just as good as the first.  

With Jack Black reprising his role as Bowser, I have no doubt that he will once against steal the spotlight and hopefully give us another catchy tune.