“It’s a me, Mario!” The Super Mario Bros. Movie bursts onto the historically lackluster scene of video- game inspired movies, providing a much needed breath of fresh air for the genre. After years of unfaithful adaptations and movies that take themselves too seriously, the Mario Bros. cracked the code. 

With a star-studded cast, including Chris Pratt as Mario and comedic icon Jack Black as the antagonist Bowser, and smooth, visually-pleasing animation. This is a casually fun movie experience that even somebody who hasn’t played any of the video games can get fully immersed in. 

The story follows brothers Mario and Luigi, who after years of unsuccessful attempts to invigorate their plumbing business, find themselves sucked into a magical world. But that world finds itself in peril. Can this dynamic duo save it?

Standing in his way is Jack Black’s Bowser, the comedic anchor of the film. He commands attention and laughs every time he is on screen, bringing the movie from just good to great. Mario is accompanied by Princess Peach, voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy, and Donkey Kong, voiced by Seth Rogen. Their on-screen chemistry and banter is well written, the characters are likable and they all play their roles very well. 

Even with all these things going for it, it’s not a perfect movie. At times I felt like it sacrificed character development and emotional moments for constant spectacle. The seemingly endless jokes and visual gags and lack of substance made the movie fun, but when leaving the movie theater, many people could sum it up in one sentence; “It was a movie.” I highly recommend it as a movie to just turn your brain off and enjoy, but anyone looking for an impactful experience should look elsewhere.