Despite relatively positive social media reactions, the fact that the full review embargo only lifted the day before The Super Mario Bros. Movie hit theaters had fans worrying that the animated video game adaptation may not be up to snuff, and, so far, it seems those concerns were warranted.
The first reviews are in, and with 52 verdicts counted, the movie currently sits at a disappointing 46% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Though the critics who did like it seemed to really enjoy it, the negative reviews point to lame, unfunny jokes, a nonsensical story, and, yes, awful voice acting from the cast.
The visuals did come in for a lot of praise, however, and it sounds like fans of the classic Nintendo games will be very happy with the amount of Easter Eggs sprinkled throughout the vast animated world.
You can keep an eye on the movie's Rotten Tomatoes score at the link below.
"Based on the world of Nintendo’s Mario games, the film invites audiences into a vibrant, thrilling new universe unlike any created before in an action-packed, exuberant cinematic comedy event. While working underground to fix a water main, Brooklyn plumbers Mario (Chris Pratt; Jurassic World and The LEGO Movie franchises) and brother Luigi (Charlie Day; It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) are transported down a mysterious pipe and wander into a magical new world.
But when the brothers are separated, Mario embarks on an epic quest to find Luigi. With the assistance of a Mushroom Kingdom resident Toad (Keegan-Michael Key; The Lion King) and some training from the strong-willed ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy;The Queen’s Gambit), Mario taps into his own power."
The Super Mario Bros. Movie features an extraordinary comedic cast, including Jack Black (Jumanji films) as Bowser, Seth Rogen (Neighbors franchise) as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen (Portlandia, Saturday Night Live) as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson (American Dad!, Family Guy) as Kamek and Sebastian Maniscalco (Green Book) as Spike, plus a special voice appearance by Charles Martinet, who has voiced the characters of Mario and Luigi in the Super Mario games for more than 30 years.