Early Super Mario Bros. Movie reactions call it a love letter to "every era of Mario"

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The first few critical reactions to The Super Mario Bros. Movie have landed. Let's-a go!

The Super Mario Bros. Movie
(Image credit: Universal)

Wahoo! Early reactions from the world premiere of the The Super Mario Bros. Movie are in, with critics saying Illumination and Nintendo’s animated adventure is a fitting tribute to the long-running (and long jumping) Mario franchise.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie "is the ultimate love letter to every era of Mario. Loved the humor & especially Jack Black’s Bowser," wrote Fandango’s Erik Davis. "I felt the same way watching the movie as I do playing the games."

"Teared up from hype more than once," said Kinda Funny’s Tim Gettys. "The music is the star of the show. Nintendo fans are gonna be obsessed. I'm not sure ANY movie in history has ever had THIS MANY Easter eggs."

Despite decrying a "shallow narrative," Game Xplain’s Andre Segers praised The Super Mario Bros. Movie as an "utterly delightful thrill ride" and a movie that is for "Mario fans first." Not to be overshadowed by his brother, Charlie Day’s Luigi is apparently "the highlight of the movie" according to another audience member.

Not every reaction is full of praise, however. Gizmodo’s Germain Lussier wrote, "A few solid scenes capture the spirit of the game but mostly it's an overly goofy, bare-bones plot, filled w/ bad jokes & worse song choices. It looks great but I was more bored & annoyed than entertained."

Despite it sounding like classic Mario, Princess Peach voice actor Anya Taylor-Joy has spoken to the Inside Total Film podcast about reinventing the series’ ‘damsel in distress’.

"From the very first meeting that the creators and I had about her, I was really impressed and excited by the fact that we were all on the same page as to who Peach should be in this new era," Taylor-Joy said. "When I first saw the film, I came out so unbelievably excited and quite moved that this is now somebody that kids could have as a role model, and that this is what female leadership is. This is how we're presenting female leadership. I just felt so proud to be a part of that.”

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is out in cinemas April 5. For more on what’s coming your way, check out our guide to 2023 movie release dates.

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Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.