The Super Mario Bros. Movie
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| The Super Mario Bros. Movie | |
|---|---|
 Logo for the movie | |
| Directed by | |
| Screenplay by | Matthew Fogel |
| Based on | Mario by Nintendo |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Edited by | Claire Dodgson |
| Music by | Brian Tyler (score) Koji Kondo (themes) |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Countries |  United States Japan |
| Budget | $100 million |
| Box office | $1,023,241,390 |
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a 2023 American computer-animated adventure comedy film based on the video game franchise by Nintendo. Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, It was produced by Nintendo and Illumination, and distributed by Universal Pictures.
The movie was released in the United States on April 5, 2023. It received mixed reviews from critics, while reviews from the audience were mostly positive. A sequel, titled The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, was announced on March 2024 and was released on April 1, 2026.
Plot
[change | change source]Italian-American brothers Mario and Luigi operate a struggling plumbing business in Brooklyn, to the derision of their ex-foreman Spike and the disapproval of their father. After seeing a significant water main leak on the news, Mario and Luigi go underground to fix it but are sucked into a Warp Pipe and separated.
Mario lands in the Mushroom Kingdom, ruled by Princess Peach, while Luigi arrives in the Dark Lands, ruled by the evil Koopa king Bowser. Bowser seeks to marry Peach and will destroy the Mushroom Kingdom using a Super Star if she refuses. Seeing Mario as a competition for Peach's love, Bowser imprisons Luigi to threaten him. Mario meets Toad, who takes him to Peach. Peach plans to ally with the primate Kongs to help repel Bowser, and trains Mario before allowing him and Toad to travel along. During their journey, she tells Mario that she ended up in the Mushroom Kingdom as a baby, where the Toads took her in and eventually made her their leader. In the Jungle Kingdom, King Cranky Kong agrees to help if Mario defeats his son, Donkey Kong, in a fight. Despite initially being overpowered by Donkey Kong's strength, Mario defeats him using a Cat Suit.
Mario, Peach, Toad, and the Kongs use karts to drive back to the Mushroom Kingdom, where Bowser's army ambushes them on Rainbow Road. When a blue-shelled Koopa General destroys part of the road, Mario and Donkey Kong plummet to the ocean while the other Kongs are captured. Peach and Toad return to the Mushroom Kingdom and urge the citizens to evacuate. Bowser arrives aboard his flying castle and proposes to Peach, who reluctantly accepts after Bowser's advisor Kamek tortures Toad with magic. Mario and Donkey Kong, having been swallowed by a giant eel, learn they both want the respect of their fathers. They escape the eel by riding a rocket barrel from Donkey Kong's kart and hurry to Bowser and Peach's wedding.
At the wedding ceremony, Bowser intends to sacrifice all of his prisoners in Peach's honor. Toad smuggles an Ice Flower into Peach's bouquet, which she uses to freeze both Bowser and the chain lowering the prisoners into the lava. Mario and Donkey Kong fight their way through Bowser's army and free the prisoners, with Mario using a Tanooki Suit to save Luigi. Bowser frees himself and launches a Bomber Bill to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom, but Mario knocks it off-course and directs it into the Warp Pipe, where it detonates, creating a vacuum that sucks Bowser's castle and its occupants into Brooklyn.
Mario attempts to grab the Star but is attacked by the enraged Bowser, who swiftly defeats Peach, Toad, and Donkey Kong. Mario sees his business' commercial on a television and is motivated to face Bowser, who almost incinerates him. Luigi uses a manhole cover to save Mario, and they both grab the Super Star. Becoming temporarily invincible, they defeat the Koopas, destroy Bowser's castle, and incapacitate him. Peach shrinks Bowser with a blue Mini Mushroom before Toad imprisons him in a jar. Mario and Luigi are hailed as heroes by Brooklyn's populace, including their parents and Spike.
Sometime later, after moving into a house in the Mushroom Kingdom, the Mario brothers begin a day of plumbing work together.
Voice cast
[change | change source]- Chris Pratt as Mario, a struggling plumber from Brooklyn, New York, who is accidentally transported to the world of the Mushroom Kingdom and embarks on a quest to save his brother
- Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom and Mario's love interest.
- Charlie Day as Luigi, Mario's timid younger fraternal brother and fellow plumber, who is captured by Bowser and his army.
- Jack Black as Bowser, a dragon-turtle hybrid and the King of the Koopas, who rules the Dark Lands, steals a powerful Super Star, and plots to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom by marrying Peach.
- Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, an anthropomorphic mushroom whose species is also named Toad, who aspires to go on his first real adventure.
- Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, an anthropomorphic gorilla and heir to the throne of the Jungle Kingdom.
- Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, an elderly anthropomorphic gorilla, the ruler of the Jungle Kingdom, and Donkey Kong's father.
- Sebastian Maniscalco as Foreman Spike, Mario and Luigi's antagonistic former boss from the Wrecking Crew.
- Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, a Koopa sorcerer and Bowser's advisor and informant.
- Eric Bauza as Diddy Kong, an anthropomorphic monkey and Donkey Kong's nephew.
- Scott Menville as Koopa General, the winged, blue-shelled leader of Bowser's army.
- Charles Martinet as Papa, Mario and Luigi's father
- Jessica DiCicco as Mama, Mario and Luigi's mother
Marketing
[change | change source]On September 23, 2021, a teaser poster was released following the cast announcement. On October 4, 2022, another teaser poster was released featuring Mario in the Mushroom Kingdom. On October 6, 2022, a teaser trailer was released. The teaser shows Bowser and Kamek fighting penguins, Mario arriving in the Mushroom Kingdom, and Luigi being chased by Dry Bones. Black and Key were praised for their roles as Bowser and Toad while Pratt was heavily criticized for sounding too similar to his regular voice.
On November 28, 2022, another teaser poster featuring Peach's Castle was released. The next day, a trailer was released online. The trailer shows Mario losing a fight to Donkey Kong, Peach rallying the Toads for a battle against Bowser, who is seemed to have kidnapped Luigi, Mario training on a Super Mario-themed course, and many characters racing on Rainbow Road. During the 2022 Game Awards, a clip was released. The clip features Toad showing Mario around the Mushroom Kingdom. Pratt's performance in the clip seemed to get better.
On January 29, 2023, a new ad was released. The ad features Cat Mario and Rogen's voice for Donkey Kong.
On February 3, 2023, an official poster for the film was released featuring the Rainbow Road track from the second trailer, the cast of characters, Peach's Castle, and the Dark Lands. 3 days later, a promo for the film featuring Mario constantly going through the pipes was released on the film's Twitter account. More new posters featuring Mario, Luigi, and Peach were released the following days before an ad for the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing company was released on February 12, followed by more new posters featuring Bowser, Donkey Kong, and Toad.
Sequel
[change | change source]A sequel, titled The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was released on April 1, 2026.[1]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Moreau, Jack Dunn,Jordan (2025-09-12). "'Super Mario Bros. 2' Officially Titled 'Super Mario Galaxy Movie'". Variety. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
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