Illumination and Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, is the second attempt at a big-screen adaptation of the much-popular video game franchise following the little-remembered live-action fantasy film Super Mario Bros (1993).

The Super Mario Bros. Movie feels like some wonderful celebration of how this property has developed over the years by giving uncomplicated video game enjoyment heightened by colourful images to the original fans. Throughout the previous two decades, many big developments have occurred. The mystical realm that makes up a big portion of the movie, Mario's Mushroom Kingdom, resembles the computer game almost exactly. All the superpowers that Mario previously obtained from blinking stars and question mark boxes continue to function and have the same sound as in the first game. The way the main character's appeal is created here in 1981 for a genre that mainly relies on winking humour is fairly hackneyed and predictable, despite the fact that these aspects are quite accurate.

This animated adventure, co-directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, centres on Mario (Chris Pratt) and his younger brother Luigi (Charlie Day), two upstart plumbers from Brooklyn who are zapped into the fantastical world of Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), and the evil Bowser (Jack Black). While the film's obsession with fan service frequently leads to decisions that make little sense in the context of the tale, many of the events have some basis in the original video games, in an oppressively pleasurable way. For instance, Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) and Mario and Peach decide to use a go-kart to escape Bowser's troops. But there is no logical justification for doing the same. So forget rationality and watch this 92-minute movie.

The primary character is voiced by Chris Pratt, who performs a decent job and makes phrases like "let's a-go" memorable. But what truly sticks out are the voiceovers for Bowser and Princess Peach by Jack Black and Anya Taylor-Joy, respectively.

The movie's soundtrack further ups the pleasure element by taking you back to the era of the video game. Although the plot of The Super Mario Bros. Movie is neither original nor complicated, it succeeds as a joyful, nostalgic journey that will enthrall children and bring back pleasant memories for adults.