Things aren’t looking to great in the critical department for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, as it movie misses a fresh rating with a 46% score on the site. This score is even worse than the financial disaster that is Shazam: Fury of the Gods (which got a 50% score).
The movie is reportedly heavy on fan references but light on actual plot, story, and stakes. Of course, critics don’t sell tickets, and this movie has enough of a built-in fan base that it’s going to be fine. Still, there were some high hopes for this one.
Let’s take a look at what some critics are saying. Eric Francisco is a movie critic at Inverse, and he called the premise of the movie “pixel-thin” and “overstuffed,” but also “colorful, inoffensive fun.”
Kristy Puchko from Mashable said “it feels like one long commercial.” While the movie made her want to play her old games, it didn’t make her want to watch the movie ever again. Little harsh, but OK.
One brutal review from the BBC said adults with kids might wish “they were watching the Hoskins and Leguizamo film instead.” That’s a little much. The reviewer is referencing a 1993 abomination of a movie simply called Super Mario Bros. that was lambasted at the time for good reason, but is kind of a cult classic today.
Not all the reviews are so vitriolic. Legendary movie critic Richard Roeper at the Chicago Sun-Times said the movie is a “solid kickoff to a new chapter in this enduring, multi-platform franchise.”
Over at Rolling Stone, critic Christopher Cruz said “it’s a lovingly crafted entry point with the potential for more.” He also points out something that these critics seem to be missing: it’s a kid’s movie. Relax everybody.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie stomps into theaters on April 5.