That was SO ENJOYABLE!


As someone who grew up with Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Party, this is an even better Illumination film when compared to their other works (even the Despicable Me franchise). The world-building, the comedy, the action, the animation, the voice acting (Jack Black being the best actor in the whole movie), the music... a spicy cinematic spaghetti meatball. Ok, it's not in the same league as Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, but it's SO DAMN CLOSE! Sorry for being too excited.

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I took my boys to see it tonight (first movie we've seen in the theater since "Tom & Jerry" in early 2021).

We all loved it also. I think if you're a fan of the Mario video games, then you'll like the movie. As a parent, I'm just thrilled that there was finally another movie that I could take my boys to that they really wanted to see.

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You're one of the people who survived the pandemic?

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Yes...I believe I actually had COVID in early March 2020. It kicked my tail...I thought it was a sinus infection and went to the doctor. The nurse swabbed my throat and I was diagnosed with the "Type A Flu," but I believe what I really had was COVID (This was about 10 days or so before things started shutting down...and before "COVID" became such a familiar term).

It was nice to be back in the theater again! My boys and I had a blast.

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I got COVID back in May 2022 during my trip to Nashville.

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Also, Sonic the Hedgehog 2020 was the last movie I saw back in 2020 before the pandemic and I had to stay inside my house for three months and going back to work on Tuesdays and Thursdays that year. It was CRAZY! Wasn't until a year later that I went back to seeing movies in theaters starting with Raya and the Last Dragon.

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I preferred sonic, had more adult humor

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Agreed, the humour fell flat a lot of the time, Sonic 1 & 2 and Detective Pikachu were way funnier.

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It was delightful. We loved it

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As a kids movie it's fine. Though even as a kids movie, for a theatrical feature it did feel very, fluff.

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Exactly how i felt.

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Honestly, I'm a HUGE Mario fan, but I found it boring and unbalanced. It really didn't have much to appeal to adults besides Mario game nods and easter eggs. I heard almost no laughs in a packed theater. The story was as basic as possible and offered no surprises or stimulation besides eye candy. The movie looked great and the voice talent was fine, but there was nothing below the surface. It's interesting you praise the world building, because there really wasn't any.

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At least the movie didn't try to make the side characters of the Mushroom Kingdom Minions-esque, which would have made the movie suck even more. So I'm glad the studio decided to go a different route. That being said, I do respect your opinion.

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Then why did critics dislike it?

I'm waiting for the digital release.

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I saw it yesterday. This is definitely the best Illumination movie of all time. Though this isn't as good as Detective Pikachu or the Sonic movies. If this does come out with a sequel, I would be okay with seeing it.

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Agreed, it was a very fun, entertaining and enjoyable film. Regardless of whether you love Mario or not.

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Now, I'm not saying this is a masterpiece and it does have some problems, but I really think this is my number 1 favorite Illumination movie when compared to the other stuff the studio made despite not being a fan of the studio mostly due to their reputation of appealing to a young audience instead of making quality films. The first Illumination movie I've seen in theaters before Super Mario Bros was Sing 2, a passable sequel to a passable first film.

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Fair enough.

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