Well, this was certainly a movie … about Mario. I truly do not think there could have been any more references to Mario games in this movie, and I absolutely loved it. From “Mario Kart” to “Super Mario Galaxy,” almost every game (modern and classic) is referenced in this movie.

I have played nearly every Mario game since the Nintendo Wii came out, and it was a huge part of my childhood. Almost every scene had some sort of musical motif that is reminiscent of a past game or recognizable quotes, such as “Your princess is in another castle.”

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is definitely directed at kids, but it is enjoyable for people of all ages. I really enjoyed having the movie be around an hour and a half; the plot moves along really quickly, which is perfect for this kind of movie.

I wish that there would have been actual voice actors for this movie, rather than celebrities that everyone is familiar with. I was not as opposed to Chris Pratt voicing Mario as everyone else was, I know that I would personally get really tired of hearing every line of Mario’s dialogue in Charles Martinelli’s iconic high-pitched voice.

That being said, there are voice actors for a reason, to lend their voices to animated characters to help them stand out.

Contradicting what I just said, Jack Black absolutely stole the show as the feared King of the Koopas, Bowser. The song “Peaches” that he sings in the movie is widely popular and has taken over social media since the movie’s release.

Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong was an interesting choice; his laugh was funny the first time, but it just seemed like Rogen was talking in his normal voice for the character.

I think the already fun movie could have been a lot more exciting if trained voice actors had been utilized more.

As I mentioned previously, this movie is chock-full of Mario references, my favorite being when Mario and Luigi were walking in the New York sewer while the underground theme from the game played.

The music was done remarkably well: they intertwined the movie’s score with Mario sound effects and motifs which was a really fun audio experience.

The plot itself was directly out of a Mario game; Bowser wants to kidnap and marry Peach and Mario has to team up with some usual allies (and some unexpected ones) to save the day.

If you are looking for a cinematic masterpiece, this might not be the movie for you. However, as a Mario fan I would be remiss to miss this movie, the culmination of almost every Mario game put into a movie made my childhood self really happy.

There are some powerful messages of family love, gaining the respect and admiration of your parents and the importance of doing the right thing.

I do not think that those messages are necessarily the most important aspect of the movie, seeing Mario and co. on the big screen is a treat in itself.