Super Mario Bros. Movie Is Rocking an Epic Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes

By Cameron Bonomolo

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is 1-upping critics with an audience high score. On review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, only 54% of the first Mario movie reactions from reviewers gave the new animated movie a thumbs up: the "rotten" score is the sixth green splat for studio Illumination after Hop (24%), The Lorax (54%), Minions (55%), The Grinch (58%), and Despicable Me 3 (59%). But since hitting theaters on Wednesday, Nintendo and Illumination's Super Mario Bros. Movie is faring better among moviegoers. The movie currently sits at 95% approval from more than 250 verified ticket buyers.

Patrick Cavanaugh wrote in his review for ComicBook: "Passionate Mario fans will find a lot to love in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, as nearly every scene is full of tributes to the beloved brothers and their gaming legacy, to the point that these will distract you from the fact that you came to see a movie. Younger audiences will likely be enraptured by the bright and playful sequences, as well as the physical antics of the adventure. For all other viewers, the experience feels similar to watching someone repeatedly die in a Mario game and promising, "Just one more try!" as you hope to move on to something more exciting in your life, harmlessly irritating you until you see the sweet relief of a 'Game Over.'"

Critics seem to agree: the Mario movie is a faithful adaptation of the iconic Nintendo video games, but light on plot. In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Brooklyn plumbers Mario (Chris Pratt) and brother Luigi (Charlie Day) are transported down a mysterious pipe and wander into a magical new world. But when the brothers are separated, Mario embarks on an epic quest to find Luigi. With the assistance of a Mushroom Kingdom resident Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) and some training from the strong-willed ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Mario taps into his own power to defeat would-be ruler Bowser (Jack Black). 

Also featuring the voices of Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is now playing only in theaters.

Trending Now: