The Super Mario Bros. Movie First Reactions: Entertaining But Formulaic Family Fun

gamespot.com:

Ahead of its release later this month, the social media embargo has lifted for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and as expected, Illumination's adaptation of the beloved Nintendo IP is winning many critics over. A combination of family-friendly storytelling, slick visuals, slick animation, and a (mostly) solid cast of celebrity voice actors is proving to be a strong combination, and for longtime fans of the franchise, there's no shortage of Easter eggs either.

Most of the positive buzz describes the film as a love letter to the entire Mario series, and several critics have noted that composer Brian Tyler has crafted a powerful score for the film. Illumination's animation has also been praised, and the Mario brothers have great--but brief--chemistry with each other as they find themselves transported to the Mushroom Kingdom. For the cast, Jack Black's Bowser and Charlie Day's Luigi are the highlight of the film according to critics, while Chris Pratt gives a solid--but not remarkable--performance as Mario. Overall, you can probably expect this Mario movie to be better than the 1993 film.

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Now Playing: The Super Mario Bros. Movie Official Teaser Trailer

While the red carpet premiere had plenty of positive things to say about the film, a few other critics pointed out some of the weaker aspects of the movie. A kids film at heart, don't expect a complex plot as this movie aims to be a crowd-pleasing adaptation. Expect a formulaic story, one that plays to Illumination's crowd-pleasing strengths.

The Super Mario Bros.