The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

★★★
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a fun animated adventure full of colorful landscapes and amusing characters. It has a simple plot, but it makes the most of its short runtime by inserting many references to its source material and various other adaptations over the years. I really liked the commercial jingle taken straight from the television series starring Captain Lou Albano as Mario from the late '80s. The movie is also a referendum on the modern state of film criticism and the D.E.I. culture that has become widely vocal over the last six years. I don't wish to position Illumination's latest success story in the culture war, but its attackers have forced the issue. The movie has no motivation behind it other than to entertain. Children will love it for its beautiful character design and humorous situations. It is thrilling in all the ways that will captivate its young fans. Adults who are long-time devotees of the games—along with those who are not, this is not a movie that excludes curious outsiders—will appreciate the attention to detail and the respect given to Nintendo's mascot. This is a passion project. Nevertheless, leave it to the race hustlers to attack it for not fitting into their agenda.