You all know him. You all love him. He singlehandedly saved the video game industry. He’s a pesky plumber who fell in love with the princess. It’s the man himself, now back up on the silver screen! Everyone seems to have some sort of special exposure to Mario. Whether it’s from playing something like Mario Kart on the N64, or diving into some recent releases like Super Mario Odyssey, everyone has an idea of Mario built up in their mind. But, while he’s conquered TV screens since the 80’s, he’s not been able to sucessfully leap on to the big screen. 1993 saw an attempt that passes off as a Blade Runner/Jurassic Park love child more than it does a Mario film, and it’s lived in infamy ever since. But, years later, producing company Illumination has churned out an animated attempt at an adaptation. The general gist of the movie is what you’d expect; Mario and his brother Luigi form a plumbing company, with a passion to fix pipes. But when they come across and get pulled into a strange pipe, they find themselves in a world unlike anything they’ve seen before. With the help of the princess who lives there, Mario must stop the evil Bowser and save his brother, before this newfound world, and his world, will meet their end. This movie was lovingly made, wonderfully simple, and an entertaining ride. It falls a little short in some places, but chief among them is the pacing. The narrative moves so fast that you could almost miss something if you stop paying attention for even a few seconds. It would benefit from an extra ten minutes of screen time. But, on the other hand, it doesn’t waste the time it has. It’s all killer, no filler with this one. On top of the quick pace, it packs in so many wonderful easter eggs that even the most hardcore fan may not pick up on. It’s a lovingly crafted film, and it shows through to the final product. Despite any shortcomings it may have, Super Mario Bros. is a wildly entertaining romp, and one I can happily recommend.