Nearly 30 years after Nintendo’s last movie based on their beloved Mario franchise — the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. film — the Japanese company has partnered with Illumination for a second attempt at a theatrical release with The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The film combines Illumination’s bright, candy-colored 3D animation style with Nintendo’s Mario world designs and assembles a star-studded voice cast worthy of the Mushroom Kingdom’s Superstar. However, while The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a love letter to Nintendo fans, it offers little else. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is chock-full of Nintendo Easter eggs, and it’s to the detriment of the story and its characters, which lack any real substance.
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In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are Brooklyn-based plumbers trying to make a name for their new business. When there’s a plumbing issue in downtown Brooklyn that threatens the neighborhood, Mario is quick to jump into action, dragging his little brother along with him. However, they find themselves near a mysterious green pipe that takes them to a strange new world. Separated in the pipes, Mario winds up in the Mushroom Kingdom, where he meets Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) and seeks the help of Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen). Meanwhile, Luigi falls into the clutches of Bowser (Jack Black), who’s determined to conquer the world.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie was directed by Aaron Horvath (Teen Titans GO! To the Movies) and Michael Jelenic (Teen Titans Go!) from a script by Matthew Fogel (Minions: The Rise of Gru). The plot of the movie takes a little while to get going, focusing on establishing Mario and Luigi as Brooklyn plumbers, their relationship with their family and their dynamic together. Even with that time spent on Mario and Luigi, the film doesn’t offer a strong sense of who they are beyond the archetypes of strong older brother and fumbling younger brother. Once they’re whisked to the Mushroom Kingdom, the plot progresses at such a breakneck speed there’s little time to get to know the characters more, let alone to have any of them undergo any kind of development or growth.

In terms of the performances, Black is easily the standout as Bowser, who is also the most interesting of all the movie’s characters, perhaps because Fogel puts an interesting spin on the King Koopa that feels fresh while still being true to the games. But Black’s performance is truly what makes Bowser sing, ensuring every scene featuring the villain is one of the movie’s highlights. Beyond Black, Day is also pitch perfect as Luigi and Rogen is extremely fun as Donkey Kong. Taylor-Joy and Key are good, if unmemorable as Peach and Toad. Pratt, whose casting as Mario was met with skepticism, doesn’t make a strong case for why he was a good choice to voice such an iconic character. He’s simply fine — not so bad as to be distracting, but not strong enough to be at all interesting either, which is about the same as The Super Mario Bros. Movie as a whole.

The film is filled with so many references and Easter eggs to the game that even die-hard fans will likely need a second (or third) viewing to catch them all, but that’s the film’s main offering. Its story is neither compelling nor strong on its own, and is simply used as a vehicle to take Mario from one game-based adventure to the next. Its characters aren’t developed or interesting, and there’s no real thematic through line other than a muddled message about Mario’s greatest strength being not giving up. This results in some of The Super Mario Bros. Movie being genuinely boring — like the opening scenes in Brooklyn —since all the film really has to offer is Nintendo nostalgia.

As a result, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is perfect for die-hard fans of the Nintendo brand, or those who have fond memories of playing the Mario games during their childhood. But, anyone without that love for Mario can skip this movie. It’s not the next The LEGO Movie, which transcended its IP to tell a well-developed and compelling story for all ages. Though The Super Mario Bros. Movie has jokes that are no doubt for its adult audience, and it moves quickly enough to hold the attention of most viewers, it’s not necessarily a strong or must-see movie. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is cute, candy-colored Nintendo nostalgia-driven fun, and is ultimately a largely enjoyable film, even though it’s lacking in story and substance.

The Super Mario Bros. begins playing in theaters Wednesday, April 5. It is 92 minutes long and rated PG for action and mild violence.

Key Release Dates The Super Mario Bros. Movie