The “Super Mario Bros. Movie” has now officially claimed the title of the top-performing movie release of 2023, amassing an impressive $500 million in revenue.
Released just before Easter weekend, the animated adaptation of the iconic Nintendo video game quickly secured $377 million in global box office sales and $204.6 million in domestic sales within the first few days.
In just nine days since its premiere, the family-friendly film has surpassed the $500 million mark, making it the number one film of the year to date.
Not only is “Super Mario Bros.” the highest-grossing video game adaptation ever made, outpacing previous record-holders “Warcraft” and “Detective Pikachu,” but it also ranks as the twelfth highest-grossing studio release worldwide since 2019.
The film is one of only 13 studio films to generate more than $500 million since 2019.
Although critic reviews for the movie were mixed, user reviews on Rotten Tomatoes were overwhelmingly positive. The animated film, featuring Chris Pratt, currently has a 58% critic rating on the platform, while its audience score stands at 96%.
Asher Luberto, a critic from L.A. Weekly, praised the film, stating, “Super Mario Bros. has been one of the most popular video games for nearly 40 years, and watching this joyous, colorful concoction it’s easy to see why.”
However, the U.K. Times called it “emotionally bland” while still being “garish enough to psychologically sedate the pre-teen Easter audience.”
An Observer reviewer commented, “It is the laziest possible version of a Mario movie, and for most viewers, young and old, that’ll be totally acceptable.”
On the other hand many audience members appreciated the movie’s family-friendly nature and lack of adult themes.
One viewer, who took their four-year-old son to watch the film, said, “I loved the humor in the movie, the colors and animation. It is a good story line and just a great family-friendly movie. I have no complaints.”
Another fan praised the film, stating, “As an adult who played the game as a kid, it was the perfect mix of old school and new. The graphics were excellent. And I was really invested in the characters.”
Another moviegoer shared their enthusiasm, writing, “Fans of video games and especially the Super Mario series will love it. A simple and sweet movie for the family filled with lots of care and love for the game series. Was smiling from ear-to-ear all the way through the movie.”