10 Wishes The Super Mario Bros. Movie Delivers On After 3 Decades Of Waiting

The 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros movie bombed, making fans wait 3 decades to see some of their favorite things in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie granted wishes thirty years in the making for fans who never thought they'd get to see another movie based on the popular video game series, especially after the box office bomb that was the live-action version in 1993. The film follows plumber brothers Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) from Brooklyn to the Mushroom Kingdom, with lots of levels from various Super Mario Bros. games along the journey. When Luigi ends up getting captured by Bowser (Jack Black) in the Dark Lands, Mario teams up with Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) to rescue him and defeat the King of the Koopas.

From the dazzling Illumination animation and engaging vocal performances to fun action and silly humor, there's something for everyone in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Longtime fans disappointed with the 1993 live-action film starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo, who previously had to contend with wildly inaccurate interpretations of their favorite characters, were treated to a movie that in some cases exceeded their expectations. To finally see their favorite elements of the franchise on film, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was worth waiting three decades for.

Surprisingly, one of the best worlds in The Super Mario Bros. Movie happens to be Brooklyn where Mario and Luigi operate their plumbing business. It sets the stage with character development for the brothers as they face adversity building their business, offers context for their personal lives, and grounds the movie in reality before the fantastical fun begins. It also provides the perfect opportunity for a cameo by Mario's original game voice actor, and a section that pays homage to Jumpman, the earliest version of Mario from Donkey Kong before he starred in his own franchise.

In one of the most kaleidoscopic sequences in a movie bursting with more color than a box of Fruit Pebbles, Mario, Peach, Toad, and the Kong family get on the Rainbow Road from Mario Kart. Pursued by koopalings wielding shells and the rest of the arsenal from the game, they drift and careen along the iconic animated autobahn with chaotic glee. What might have been difficult to imagine in live-action is perfect within the world of animation where any crazy moment can be captured no matter how outlandish.

In the 1993 live-action movie, there was very little attempt to make Bowser look like he does in the Super Mario Bros. video games, but because The Super Mario Bros. Movie is animated, it's much easier to bring a giant spiked turtle to life. Not only were fans treated to an authentic version of Bowser, but he was also more than a two-dimensional villain. Thanks to his unrequited love for Princess Peach, Bowser was humanized and actually allowed to show an emotion other than anger, making him one of the more fully developed characters (as well as a scene-stealer).

Koopa airships weren't something the live-action movie could execute very well, but seeing them in The Super Mario Bros. Movie had quite the impact. Not only that, but seeing Bowser's airship fortress hover over the Snow Kingdom as well as the Mushroom Kingdom conveyed the power and brutality of Bowser in the best way. Bowser being able to leave the Dark Lands and carry his Koopa Troop on a conquering campaign made him even scarier as a villain.

Two magical ingredients come together to make one hilarious scene when Princess Peach introduces Mario to the franchise's famous power-ups. Mario seeks out Princess Peach with Toad when he lands in the Mushroom Kingdom and needs help saving Luigi from Bowser's dungeon, but in order to take on the Koopa King, Peach needs to know he's ready for battle. She puts him through his paces in a grueling gauntlet that incorporates many of the most famous levels from Super Mario Bros 2 and beyond, as well as power-ups like mini mushrooms, while also showcasing the melee skills that make Peach anything but a damsel in distress.

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Themes and leitmotifs from dozens of Mario games and levels are sprinkled throughout The Super Mario Bros. Movie from the moment Mario and Luigi enter one of the tubes. Many of them are woven into the beautiful score by Brian Tyler in a way that makes sense for the narrative, as opposed to being shoved in to be spotted as a Super Mario Bros Easter egg. They're perfect for the rousing quest Mario, Peach, and Toad find themselves on, and capture the jubilance of the games enjoyed by so many fans.

While the depiction of Donkey Kong's character through Seth Rogen's vocal choices might have upset some fans, it was still fun to see Kong, Mario's original rival, in his natural jungle habitat. Kong Country is truly unique and impressive with its scale, and it's fun to see how all the levels from DK 64 are incorporated into one massive domain. Having Kong and Mario fight in an homage to their original altercation is a wonderful showcase of their abilities, particularly because it means finally seeing Mario wield his power-ups with conviction.

Part of the time in Brooklyn with Mario and Luigi is spent getting to know their family, which adds layers of authenticity to them as characters. Their family is full of eccentric stereotypes that spoof the Italian accent Mario and Luigi are known to have in the Super Mario Bros games and add a little tension for the brothers as they start a new chapter in their lives that will take them away from their comfort zones. This helps Mario and Luigi feel more like real people rather than one-dimensional protagonists.

There's no greater joy than watching Mario perfect his famous jumps leaping from mushroom to mushroom in the Mushroom Kingdom. The 1993 Super Mario Bros. live-action movie never gave fans a glimpse of Peach's castle or her kingdom, preferring to keep the majority of the action in a gritty inner city environment with a very simple color scheme. Seeing the toads go about their daily lives gives fans the opportunity to feel like the Mushroom Kingdom is a living, breathing place that will be affected by Bowser's rule.

The live-action Mario movie famously removed Luigi's mustache, so it's important that The Super Mario Bros. Movie gives him back his signature piece of facial hair. It's just one element of accurate character representation that makes the movie work on multiple levels, including all the background antagonists like Dry Guys, Shy Guys, and more. Some of the creative interpretations of characters, like the adorably grim Lumalee star, make a character not only look like they do in the games, but are also given even more depth and personality.