The Super Mario Bros. Movie star Jack Black shares his candid thoughts on the negative reviews the movie received upon its release. Directed by Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, and Pierre Leduc, Illumination Entertainment’s adaptation of the hit Nintendo video game franchise hit theaters in April 2023, with Chris Pratt providing the voice of the eponymous plumber. While an immediate hit with audiences, the Super Mario Bros. Movie critic reviews were far more mixed.
Now, in an interview with Total Film (via GamesRadar) Black recalls being somewhat surprised by the mixed reviews for The Super Mario Bros. Movie. According to the actor, he was expecting the movie to go over well with all audiences after his own positive screening experience. Check out Black’s full comment below:
“They screened it for me a month before it hit theaters. I was like, ‘We’ve got a hit on our hands.’ I’m laughing and smiling the whole way through this movie.
“And then it came out and it got horrible reviews. I was like, ‘What movie did they see?’ Luckily, the world didn’t listen to Rotten Tomatoes, and it was one of the biggest hits of all time.”
The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s Critical Reception Explained
Super Mario Bros. is one of the most recognizable and beloved video game IP’s in existence, and pressure was on for Illumination to deliver a strong adaptation. There was some question regarding just how well-suited the franchise was to a big-screen adaptation, however, with the 1993 live-action movie failing to impress either critics or audiences. That’s not to mention that Pratt’s Mario voice was the subject of much debate in the months leading up to the film’s release.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘s Rotten Tomatoes score currently sits at 59%, meaning the film has earned the “Rotten” designation. For the most part, reviews praise the film for being fun, well-animated, and full of Easter eggs and references to the games, but the critical consensus is that there perhaps isn’t very much substance to the story or characters. The audience score, on the other hand, is a strong 95%, suggesting that general audiences were much more receptive to the movie’s charm. Check out a chart comparing the two Super Mario Bros. adaptations below:
Title | RT Critics Score | RT Audience Score |
|---|---|---|
Super Mario Bros. (1993) | 29% | 29% |
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) | 59% | 95% |
The strong Rotten Tomatoes audience score is reflected in The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘s box office performance. The film ended its theatrical run with over $1.36 billion worldwide, a remarkable feat that speaks to its crowd-pleasing nature. Hopefully, the inevitable Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel will manage to continue to please audiences while perhaps also offering up a stronger story and more powerful themes.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Mario jumps to the big screen in The Super Mario Bros Movie, directed by Teen Titans Go! collaborators Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic. Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser, and more appear in this animated comedy that pits the characters in an all-new adventure set in the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond. You can buy The Super Mario Bros. Movie right now for $13, down from its usual price of $20.
- Release Date
- April 5, 2023
- Director
- Aaron Horvath , Michael Jelenic
- Cast
- Chris Pratt , Charlie Day , Jack Black , Anya Taylor-Joy , Keegan Michael Key , Seth Rogen
- Runtime
- 92 Minutes
- Writers
- Matthew Fogel
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Franchise(s)
- Super Mario Bros.
