Damian Ríos

This is one of, if not, THE best Illumination movie ever! The animation is beautiful throughout the entire movie. Each setting looks really well designed. The characters were overall excellent! Chris Pratt did a really good job as Mario, despite the controversy from the trailers. Charlie Day as Luigi was a near-perfect choice. It just fits so well! Anna-Taylor Joy as Peach was great, and a big step-up from the games. Instead of being the usual damsel in distress, she’s actually a strong character! She’s a baddie! Jack Black as Bowser is the best character in my opinion. He managed to be intimidating and funny at the same time! I also loved that “Peaches” song he performed. Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong was a great casting despite what others say. Keegan-Michael Key as Toad was amazing. He was so energetic and willing to protect Peach no matter what. Kamek was good, but not the best. The blue star, named Lumalee, was pretty funny but got on my nerves. His suicidal thoughts and intentions mixed with a childlike voice was creepy but silly. I also liked all the references in this movie. They went all out from playing background music from Mario games, to referencing different games (for example, Punch-Out Pizzeria, Mario playing Kid Icarus). The music and score was great! My only complaint is that there weren’t any original songs outside of the “Peaches” song. Another complaint I have is that it’s weird that Mario and Luigi are actually from Brooklyn instead of the Mushroom Kingdom. I understand they want to connect to the old Super Mario cartoons (specifically, the Super Mario Bros. Super Show), but it just doesn’t make sense when you compare it to the games. Overall, this is a very good movie. Fans of Mario will absolutely adore it. I rate it an 8/10.