The Super Mario Bros. Movie
While The Super Mario Bros. Movie has been a resounding success at the box office, the Chris Pratt-led animated film feels like the natural endpoint of a group of suits trying to stuff every focus-tested idea and banal reference into a 90-minute movie. It has its moments like Bowser’s now-viral “Peaches” song and the titular brothers’ early escapades in Brooklyn before they’re isekai’d into the Mushroom Kingdom, but most of it boils down to references some cynical suit believes will make long-time Mario fans clap. It’s beautifully animated and has some good jokes, but it stops short of including the heart and soul that makes Mario so beloved after all these years. — Kenneth Shepard
