It's April 5th and Super Mario Bros. is back in theaters. The famous plumber of the Nintendo universe returns to the big screen in an animated version adapted from video games. A risky bet, as video game adaptations have long been failures. Fortunately, this has changed in recent years, especially because of directors who better respect the world of games. It is therefore with impatience, doubt and enthusiasm that we return to the room to find the hero of our childhood.
Super Mario Bros. in cinema: 30 years later
Mario's story in cinema is, so far, linked to a failure. The film, released in 1993, is very often classified as nanar and worst game adaptation. 
Yet, sold at the time as the blockbuster that would mark the entry into the digital age, with 150 shots in computer graphics, more than any film before it. In the end, this first adaptation traumatized Nintendo and a large part of the spectators. It was a bitter failure at the global box office, collecting only $20 million against an estimated budget of $48 million. By France, the film had attracted fewer than 400,000 spectators.
Super Mario Bros: 2023, animated adventure
It took 30 years to see our favorite plumber again in a new adventure on the big screen. It is therefore a risky bet, but, which promises us a beautiful odyssey in the incredible world of the mustachioed in overalls the most famous on the planet.
Synopsis (spoiler-free)
Mario and his brother Luigi try to repair an underground pipe, but the two plumbers find themselves immersed in a new fairytale universe through a mysterious conduit. From then on, the two brothers are separated, it is then that begins a gigantic and perilous journey for Mario, to find Luigi. During his journey, he finds himself in the Mushroom Kingdom, where an inhabitant, named Toad, helps him. He will also be able to count on the help and advice of Princess Peach. And any help is good to take for our hero, who will find himself by a combination of circumstances to have to face the terrible Bowser.
About the film: A story as animated
A collaboration that starts badly
What if the real story around this film had started in the 80s? At the time, video games were not the thriving industry we know today. But, one actor is still noticed, it is Nintendo with its game Donkey Kong released in 1981. The Universal studio, is then strongly interested in this new trend, it even thinks of launching on this new market … . Before deciding, finally, that it would be more lucrative to sue the Japanese company. The reason for this lawsuit is that, according to Universal, the character of Donkey Kong is a plagiarism of King Kong, for which the studio holds the rights. With this lawsuit, Universal then thinks: either recover the Donkey Kong license, or remove the game from the market. But obviously, Nintendo won the case. Indeed, the character of King Kong being more than 50 years old, he had entered the public domain. Moreover, Donkey Kong was not considered a mere copy of his elder. 
But, which ends well!
So 40 years ago, the least we can say is that the two firms are not on the best possible terms. Fortunately, four decades later, the two companies seem to have settled their differences. They even collaborate to the delight of Super Mario fans. The agreement allowed the creation of Super Nintendo World zones in Universal amusement parks related to the Nintendo universe and mainly Super Mario. A proposal whose success was not guaranteed, but which is a real success. It is therefore natural that Universal Studios has been chosen as a distributor to meet the new challenge that this new Super Mario Bros. film represents.
A new association
The production of the film Super Mario Bros 2023 is above all the result of the association between the mythical video game company Nintendo and the animation studio Illumination, to whom we owe Tous en scène, The Minions, Despicable Me or Like Beasts. Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination, is delighted with this first collaboration between these two entities:
"The main ingredients of the Nintendo game series lend themselves particularly to entertaining, original and inventive film projects aimed at viewers who are not familiar with the game world at all."
Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo CEO and creator of Super Mario Bros., added:
"As soon as I meet a Hollywood producer, he tends to explain to me that our license can lead to a successful film, but with Chris-san, we mostly noticed in the course of the conversation that we had a similar conception of the artistic. Therefore, our approach in the production of the film was very close to my method of developing the games, and luckily it was very enjoyable for me."
and an association that works
Directors Aaron Horvach and Michael Jelenic have been chosen to direct this new Super Mario. The two men have worked together many times before, notably for the animated film Teen Titans Go!To the movies, for which it was the first time they co-directed a film, and even for Michal Jelenic, the first time he directed a feature film. The writing of the screenplay was entrusted to Matthew Fogel, who is the author of Minions 2: Once Upon a Time Gru. For the music, it is the composer of the sagas Expendable and Fast and Furious, Bryan Tyler, who was appointed to create the soundtrack of this Super Mario Bros. It should also be noted that a large part of this feature film was produced in France, in the Parisian studios of Illumination. This new film is therefore the result of many collaborations that did not always start well, but then proved their worth. This new Super Mario has something to intrigue skeptics and excite fans.
Different returns
Quite harsh press opinions
Press reviews are generally quite average for this film, with ratings on Allociné, ranging from 1 star to 5 (only for the geek's diary) and an average rating of 3/5. The majority of press critics mainly criticized the film for its script. For them, the film is commercial, goes too fast and chains sequences without really developing them. The most virulent reviews were written by Première and L'Obs magazines. The magazine Première, having titled an article on the film "Super Mario Bros, the movie is no better than a big ad for Nintendo". For the author of the article: " By being content to be an official Nintendo product, Super Mario Bros tells a story that is both soft (Bowser wants to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom because) and pie (Mario wants to prove to his dad that he is worth something as a plumber -seriously?), all punctuated by hits of the 80s like Take On Me." For its part L'Obs, writes: "Between the Kingdom of the Jungle – marketing – and the Mushroom Kingdom – non-hallucinogenic, unfortunately – Mario runs at a hundred per hour, the colors fart and the imagination remains at a standstill. Pass three funny lines. And an antiphrase: "It's not advertising, it's cinema." "
Still, the public loves it.
Spectators rated 4.3/5 this return of Super Mario to the cinema, with 179 reviews to 5 stars out of 336 in total (more than half) and are mostly happy (only 7 reviews below 3/5) to have found the universe of the hero who rocked their childhood. An audience generally satisfied with this film, which does not hesitate to emphasize that the spirit of the games is respected and that the animation is excellent. Unlike some press critics, viewers like the fact that the film is dynamic and had a good time in front of the adventures of their hero.
Our rating
4/5 for people who are new to the Mario universe. 4.5/5 for fans. We cannot totally disagree with the press critics about the development of the script, it is true that this one is quite simple. But, at the same time, we must remember that we are talking about a film for all audiences, based on video games, so the scenario of such a film can not be the priority. We found that this film is very successful and that it is accessible to everyone, whether you are a gamer or not, there is no real need to have the references of the games to appreciate this film. We navigated with pleasure between the different universes, feeling like the hero, which is ideal for children. The messages that Super Mario Bros. conveys are simple, but positive. It encourages perseverance and mutual aid. For us, the animation is excellent, the film is fast-paced and colorful, with a lot of references related to the different Super Mario and Donkey Kong games. Super Mario Bros is therefore a film that we recommend to go see, whether you are a fan of video games or not.
Super Mario Bros, a second movie?
While nothing has been announced by either Nintendo or Universal, the end of the film leaves us considering a sequel. A tip: Do not leave before the end of the credits, you may miss the 2 post-credits scenes. The return of Super Mario Bros. to the cinema had to wait 30 years. If, in terms of animation, the film is almost unanimous, it is its scenario that is mainly criticized by part of the press. For our part, we side with the majority of viewers who enjoyed this film. Mario, who celebrated his 35th birthday three years ago with the game Super Mario 3D All Stars, does not seem to age. In addition, everything suggests that Super Mario Bros could return in a second part… .
