Lets-a-go! The most prolific video game franchise of all time has made its way onto the big screen – and is now available to rent or purchase on VOD. ‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’ brings iconic characters like Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser, Toad, Donkey Kong, and more to life in the Illumination animated feature film.
The official synopsis for ‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’ is below:
“With help from Princess Peach, Mario gets ready to square off against the all-powerful Bowser to stop his plans from conquering the world.”
‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’ opened in theaters domestically on April 5th, 2023. The movie was a hit with fans, garnering a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film has grossed over $566.2 million domestically and $1.3 billion worldwide since its release.
The cast of ‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’ includes Chis Pratt (‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’) as Mario, Charlie Day (‘Fool’s Paradise’) as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy (‘Amsterdam’) as Princess Peach, Jack Black (‘Tropic Thunder’) as Bowser, Keegan Michael-Key (‘Keanu’) as Toad, and Seth Rogen (‘The Fabelmans’) as Donkey Kong.
Easter Eggs A-Plenty
With any video game adaptation, ‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’ faced a significant challenge – how to incorporate some of the most iconic moments in its video game archive into the movie. Let’s start with the soundtrack composed by Brian Tyler (‘Fast X,’ ‘Scream VI’). Tyler honored the original video game composer Koji Kondo by using an estimated 130 game references for his score.
Due to the game franchise’s expansive library, countless cameos and easter eggs are sprinkled throughout the movie, from nods to retro games like ‘Punch-Out!’ to a group of wild Yoshis. Of course, there are other not-so-hidden easter eggs, such as the original voice actor for Mario, Charles Martinet who played Mario and Luigi’s father and Giuseppe, and the original DK rap, performed by Seth Rogen.
One major cameo was the inclusion of Mario Kart and its vibrant course Rainbow Road. The iconic track was featured in the film, showing the gang (and their choice vehicles) racing down the prismatic raceway ‘Mad Max‘ style, complete with items like green shells, Bullet Bill, and of course, the dreaded blue shell.
Related Article: Movie Review: ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’
Superstar Voice Cast
‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’ has a stacked cast, with Chris Pratt as the titular hero Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, and Keegan Michael-Key as Toad. Other voice talents include Fred Armisen (‘The Bubble’) as Cranky Kong, Charles Martinet as Guiseppe and the brothers’ dad (name unknown), Khary Payton (‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’) as King Penguin, Sebastian Maniscalco (‘About My Father’) as Spike, and Kevin Michael Richardson (‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’) as Kamek.
After the initial trailer was released, the casting of Chris Pratt sparked debate among fans – with many pointing out that the classic Mario accent was missing. However, the movie quickly explained the reason why the brothers don’t speak with an Italian accent but instead have a Brooklyn accent. Classic Mario catchphrases like “Mamma Mia,” “Wahoo,” and “Let’s-a-go” can still be heard throughout the movie.
Jack Black’s performance as Bowser won over the audience, and uses his musical skills to give us his rendition of a love song to Princes Peach called “Peaches.”
Where Can I Watch ‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’?
The film was released theatrically in the United States on April 5th, 2023, and was available in regular formats, IMAX, and 3D. While the movie is available to rent on digital, you can still enjoy it in the theater, so be sure to check with Moviefone below for showtimes in your area. ‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’ has a total runtime of 1 hour and 32 minutes.
Buy Tickets: ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Showtimes
Watch the official trailers for ‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’ below:
Can’t make it out to the theater? You have the option to rent or purchase the movie on VOD. Services such as Amazon Prime Video, Direct TV, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft, YouTube, AppleTV, and Redbox allow you to rent the movie for $24.99 or purchase it for $29.99.
DVD and Blu-Ray will be available on June 6th, 2023. Retailers such as Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, and Target will offer exclusive editions as well:
Walmart – comes with a collectible Star DVD tin
Best Buy – steel book edition
Target – 3D lenticular packaging
Buy ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ on Amazon
As far as streaming goes, Universal Pictures or Illumination has not announced an official date or which platform it’ll end up on. However, since the film is distributed by Universal Pictures, it is likely to end up on its own streaming platform Peacock.
Where To Watch: ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Online
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