Super Mario Bros. (2004 film)

"This article is about the 2004 film. For the 1993 live-action film, see Super Mario Bros. (1993 film). For the upcoming 2023 animated film, see The Super Mario Bros. Movie. For the 1986 animated film, see Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!"Super Mario Bros. (sometimes titled The Super Mario Bros. Movie and titled Super Mario Bros.: The Movie internationally; Japanese: スーパーマリオブラザーズ. , Hepburn: Sūpāmarioburazāzu.) is a 2004 American computer-animated action-adventure comedy film based on the Mario franchise by Nintendo. The film is directed by Jeff Fowler and Shigeru Miyamoto and produced by Shinichi Ikematsu, Neal H. Moritz, F. Gary Gray and Ben Jameson based on a screenplay by Patrick Casey and Josh Miller and written by Casey, Miller, Shigeru Miyamoto and Chris Morgan. The film stars Chris Pratt as Mario, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Scarlett Johansson, Jack Black, Danny DeVito, and many others in supporting roles.

The film follows two Brooklyn brothers, Mario and Luigi (Pratt and DiCaprio respectively), as they navigate a fantastical world filled with danger and mystery. Among their power is Bowser (Black), otherwise known as King Koopa, leading his army of Koopa Troopas. A talking mushroom named Toad (DeVito) helps Mario and Luigi after Bowser captures Princess Peach (Johansson), the princess and ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. An international co-production between the United States and Japan, the film is produced by Fox 2000 Pictures, Regency Enterprises, Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, Nintendo Films, Nintendo Animation, Original Film and Team Blue Studios, with Sony Pictures Imageworks and Rhythm & Hues Studios providing animation services.

Premiering at the Regency Village Theater on August 5, 2004, Super Mario Bros. was theatrically released in the United States on August 13, 2004 by 20th Century Fox and internationally on August 19, 2004 by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received positive reviews from critics, praising its animation, voice cast (particularly Pratt and DiCaprio), visual effects, musical score by Harry Gregson-Williams and Tom Holkenborg and its story, though some criticized its runtime and plot. The film was a box office success, grossing $795.6 million worldwide on its budget of $80-95 million.

Due to the critical and commercial success, it spawned two sequels; Super Mario Bros. 2: The Lost World in 2007, and Super Mario Bros. 3: Bowser's Revenge in 2010. The series was to be extended for a six-film deal, but their deal with 20th Century Fox ceased in 2011. The rights for the three films were sold off to Universal Pictures on September 13, 2021.

Plot
The film opens with Mario and Luigi, two plumbers living in Brooklyn, New York. Mario is the older, more responsible brother, while Luigi is the younger, more carefree one. They run a small plumbing business together, but dream of bigger things. One day, while on a job, they stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to another world.

They find themselves in a colorful, mushroom-filled land called the Mushroom Kingdom, where they meet Princess Peach, the ruler of the kingdom. She tells them that her land is in grave danger, as the evil King Koopa has taken over and is turning everything into a barren wasteland. The only hope for the Mushroom Kingdom is the legendary Super Mushroom, which has the power to restore the land and defeat King Koopa.

Mario and Luigi agree to help Princess Peach on her quest to find the Super Mushroom. Along the way, they encounter a host of colorful characters, including a talking mushroom named Toad, a giant ape named Donkey Kong, and a group of mischievous Koopa Troopas, led by Bowser, King Koopa's right-hand man.

As they journey deeper into the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario and Luigi learn that the key to finding the Super Mushroom lies in a mysterious underground temple. They must navigate a treacherous maze of traps and puzzles to reach the temple, all while fending off attacks from Bowser and his minions. Finally, they reach the temple and find the Super Mushroom, but they are ambushed by King Koopa and his army. In a thrilling battle, Mario and Luigi face off against King Koopa and his minions, using their plumbing skills to outsmart and defeat them.

In the end, Mario and Luigi emerge victorious, and the Mushroom Kingdom is restored to its former glory. Princess Peach is grateful for their help and offers to take them back to Brooklyn. But Mario and Luigi realize that they have found a new home in the Mushroom Kingdom, and decide to stay and continue their adventures. As the film ends, we see Mario and Luigi back at their plumbing business, but with a new sign that reads "Mario Bros. Plumbing and Adventure Services." The camera pulls back to reveal the Mushroom Kingdom in the background, hinting at the many adventures to come.

Cast
"Main article: Characters in the Mario franchise"
 * Chris Pratt as Mario, a plumber from Brooklyn, New York and is the older twin brother of Luigi. Mario was originally a carpenter, but was given the job as a plumber. He is known for his heroic feats of saving the Mushroom Kingdom from the evil Bowser and his minions. Mario's main abilities include jumping and running. He serves as the main protagonist of the film.
 * Leonardo DiCaprio as Luigi, a plumber from Brooklyn, New York and is the younger twin brother of Mario, who has a sense of envy and reverence towards. He often serves as a sidekick to Mario and has similar abilities such as jumping and running. Luigi is known for being timid and sometimes fearful, but he has also displayed bravery and heroism when called upon.
 * Scarlett Johansson as Princess Peach, the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach is known for her beauty, kindness, and intelligence, and she has a strong bond with Mario.
 * Jack Black as Bowser, a large, fire-breathing turtle who seeks to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom and defeat Mario. He is known for his strength and power, as well as his cunning and deviousness. Bowser often employs his minions, such as the Koopa Troopas and Goombas, to carry out his evil plans.
 * Danny DeVito as Toad, a friendly, mushroom-like creature who serves as a loyal subject to Princess Peach. He is known for his cheerful demeanor and willingness to assist Mario and his friends.
 * Gilbert Gottfried as Kamek, an old yet powerful Magikoopa, adviser to Bowser and a high-ranking member in the Koopa Troop. He is the arch-enemy of Yoshi and serves as one of the secondary antagonists in the Mario franchise, alongside Bowser Jr.
 * Vin Diesel as Donkey Kong, a powerful gorilla who is often depicted as a friendly rival to Mario. Donkey Kong is often seen as a heroic figure, helping Mario and his friends on occasion.
 * Eric Bauza as Wario, an obese yet muscular, hot-tempered, and greedy man. He is Mario's yellow-and-purple clad arch-rival. He is known for his strength and his love of money, and often clashes with Mario and his friends.
 * Jason Statham as Waluigi, a tall, lanky character who is often portrayed as a foil to Luigi. Waluigi is often depicted as a scheming villain who is always trying to get the upper hand.
 * Frank Welker as Yoshi, a friendly green dinosaur who is known for his ability to eat enemies and turn them into eggs, which can be used as projectiles. Yoshi is often depicted as a loyal companion to Mario and his friends.
 * Dolores Rogers as Bowser Jr., the son of Bowser. In the games, Bowser Jr. looks up to his dad, and shares his ambition to defeat Mario, and take over the Mushroom Kingdom. He serves as the prince of the Koopas, heir to the throne to be the future king.
 * Wendee Lee as Larry Koopa, the youngest Koopaling who is often seen at the forefront of the Koopalings' antics, and he wields the orange magic wand. His main color representation is sky blue, although his shell was originally colored green, his hair was white in early sprites, and he lacked the small star on the side of his face.
 * Pamela Adlon as Lemmy Koopa, a small, fun-loving child who wields the green magic wand, and has been shown capable of being serious when the situation calls for it. His main color representation is orange. Although in Super Mario World, his shell was colored yellow and his hair was white, and his shell was originally green and he lacked the ponytail.
 * Joe Alaskey as Morton Koopa, the only Koopaling to have a brown skin tone and is often depicted as the largest Koopaling, wielding the red magic wand. His main color representation is black, although his shell was colored green, his skin was yellow in Super Mario World, and he lacked the distinctive star on his face in his early in-game sprites.
 * Trey Parker as Roy Koopa, whose head and sunglasses are pink (as was his shell originally), and he wields the black magic wand. His main color representation is purple, although his shell and head were colored lavender-purple in Super Mario World.
 * Colin Farrell as Iggy Koopa, a hyperactive, demented, and unpredictable Koopaling who wields the yellow magic wand. His main choice of color is yellow-green, although his shell was colored blue in early sprites and his hair was white in Super Mario World.
 * Tress MacNeille as Wendy O. Koopa, the sole female Koopaling; she wields the purple magic wand. Her main color representation is pink, although her shell was a shade of deep red in Super Mario World.
 * Corey Burton as Ludwig von Koopa, the eldest Koopaling who possesses a magnificent intelligence most likely superior to that of the other Koopalings, and wields the blue magic wand.

Pre-development
Prior to the film's release, Super Mario Bros., a 1993 live-action film, was released to poor critical and commercial reception. Shigeru Miyamoto had denied the production of any further Mario films to be made. Around the year 1996, Nintendo began experimenting with CGI animation for their N64 games. Nintendo EAD, the entertainment analysis and development division of Nintendo, began experimenting with CGI renders of Mario. Their render of Mario would later be used in Super Mario 64, the debut title for the N64.

Walt Disney Pictures had tried to make an adaptation of the franchise after Hollywood Pictures shut down, but Nintendo caught on quickly. The project was immediately shut down and was left in limbo for a year. Paramount Pictures, who had began experimenting with CGI, had tried securing rights to the Mario IP for film production, but Nintendo quickly turned down their attempts to secure their rights. Again, the film was left in limbo for several months.

20th Century Fox had been developing films utilizing CGI animation, with Blue Sky Studios. Fox had approached Nintendo about a film based on Mario. Shigeru Miyamoto, again, denied the concept due to the failure of the 1993 live-action film. But, an executive animator at Nintendo had approached Miyamoto after the idea was turned down, with high detail CGI renders of Mario and Luigi. While Miyamoto was still skeptical that the film would fail, he accepted an adaptation to the franchise, and attached 20th Century Fox to the project.

Development
Development of the film commenced in March 2000. Nintendo attached its film and animation divisions, Nintendo Films and Nintendo Animation, to the project two months prior. It was around this time that Patrick Casey and Josh Miller, two high school friends, were signed to the project, serving as the screenwriters. Shigeru Miyamoto would announce later on that he was signing to the project as the director and writer. The script and storyboard development process began on March 22, 2000.

Around this time, Neal H. Moritz, the founder of Original Film, had signed to the project as the producer. Shinichi Ikematsu additionally signed as producer of the film. Ben Jameson, the founder of Team Blue Studios, also signed to the project as the co-producer, though Team Blue was not credited in the final film. Throughout the script and storyboard development, there had to be alterations to its plot and story line.

Casting
Revealed by director Jeff Fowler in March 2002, during the animation process, Chris Pratt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Scarlett Johansson, Jack Black and Danny DeVito were revealed to voice Mario (Pratt), Luigi (DiCaprio), Princess Peach (Johansson), Bowser (Black) and Toad (DeVito) respectively. Fowler stated in a May 2002 interview with Inside Edition that the "casting of Chris Pratt as Mario would fit the subgenre of Hollywood blockbusters. Chris Pratt does deliver a good performance as the Brooklyn plumber", and the interview later shown an audio recording of Chris Pratt's voice of Mario.

The response to this was positive. Critics praised its choice of choosing an actor aside from the main cast. Director Shigeru Miyamoto revealed in September 2002 that Vin Diesel, Eric Bauza, Jason Statham, and Frank Welker would be added to the cast, to voice Donkey Kong (Diesel), Wario (Bauza), Waluigi (Statham) and Yoshi (Welker) respectively. Welker was credited for his vocal performance in films prior to Super Mario Bros., and response to this, again, was positive. When given test audio recordings from Diesel, Bauza, Statham and Welker, critics applauded Welker's performance of Yoshi, calling it "nearly perfect to Yoshi's original voice". Gilbert Gottfried was later casted as Kamek in early October 2002.

In November 2002, while the casting was underway, the team was looking for voices for Bowser Jr., Bowser's son, and the Koopalings, Bowser's nephews. Dolores Rogers, who voiced Bowser Jr. in Super Mario Sunshine for the GameCube, had been invited by Nintendo to provide his voice in the film. Wendee Lee, Pamela Adlon, Joe Alaskey, Trey Parker, Colin Farrell, Tress MacNeille, and Corey Burton had provided voice samples for the Koopalings. After thorough review, director Jeff Fowler accepted their vocal performance, and the seven actors were signed to the project.

Animation and visual effects
In December 2001, while the script was in its finalization process, Nintendo were looking for animation services for the film. Marionette, the animation service provider for Pixar's films, were to animate the film. But, around the same time, Sony Pictures Imageworks was to animate the film. After some corporate decision making, Nintendo settled with Sony Pictures Imageworks as its animation service provider. The process of CGI animation began on January 18, 2002.

Keeping the animation style faithful to the games, the style of the characters were altered in some way; Mario was slightly slimmed down, Princess Peach was given a new facial appearance and hairstyle, Donkey Kong was designed to be more muscular and mighty, and Bowser was given a huge revamp in style, with more details on his skin and a refurbished color palette for his shell and spikes. Textures for the film, including grass, water, sand, and snow, were rendered with high-quality hyper-realistic visual effects provided by Rhythm & Hues Studios. Hair textures for the characters were also rendered as hyper-realistic by Rhythm & Hues Studios.

Music
The score for the film was originally to be composed by Heitor Pereira. However, due to scheduling issues, Pereira left the project and was subsequently replaced by British composer Harry Gregson-Williams. Additionally, in July 2003, Tom Holkenborg, known by his stage name Junkie XL, signed to the project as an additional composer.

The score was released on July 21, 2004 through Varese Sarabande, while its soundtrack album was released on August 10, 2004 through Interscope Records. The song Do the Mario by Black Eyed Peas received acclaim from professional music critics, and earned 8x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, making it Nintendo's first song to receive a Platinum certification.

Marketing
Prior to the film's release, its first teaser trailer was released on June 30, 2003 by 20th Century Fox. The trailer depicts a question "?" block in a black room. As it rattles and jumps around a few times in the span of 18 seconds, the lid opens with the film's logo. In the months following, on November 26, 2003, the film's first theatrical release poster was revealed. The poster depicts Mario standing upon a rocky hillside, looking ahead towards Bowser's Temple, where Princess Peach has been kidnapped in. Bright orange lava glows below the hillside with a bridge leading towards the temple, with Podoboos leaping out of the lava, with some diving back down.

Several TV spots were seen during commercial breaks of normal broadcasts, with some notably being ABC, Citytv, CTV, and CBC. These TV spots include: "Flower Power", "Mushroom Power", "Tanooki Flight", and a 30-second teaser trailer. On February 14, 2004, the second theatrical release poster was revealed. This time, it featured Mario driving his signature go-kart through the twisted tracks leading to Bowser's Temple, with lava pillars shooting up left and right. It had its confirmed release date of August 13, 2004 stamped on the bottom.

Theatrical
The film was originally slated for a release date of January 16, 2004, after its teaser trailer was released on June 30, 2003. However, due to the film needing to be finished in time for its release, the film's release date was slated back by almost 7 months, to a release date of August 13, 2004. At the time, 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. Pictures slated the film to August in order to bring in the summer audience before the school season began.

Keeping its release date intact, the film had its official premiere on August 5, 2004 at the Regency Village Theater in Westwood, Los Angeles. 8 days after its premiere at the Regency Village Theater, 20th Century Fox theatrically released Super Mario Bros. on August 13, 2004. Warner Bros. Pictures, who was also tied into the project, released the film in international markets on August 19, 2004, while Roadshow Entertainment released the film in Australia and New Zealand on September 12, 2004. The film was rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for some violence, peril and mild language.

Home media
Super Mario Bros. was released on VHS and DVD by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on October 29, 2004. The film was later released onto Blu-ray and Universal Media Disc (UMD) on September 14, 2007. The DVD and Blu-ray ports were released internationally on later dates by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, and in Australia and New Zealand by Roadshow Entertainment on further dates. The DVD sales peaked at $49.3 million, with Blu-ray and UMD sales peaking at $92.7 million by the end of 2009. A 10th anniversary re-release on Blu-ray + DVD was released on November 26, 2014.

On the original 2004 release of the film on VHS and DVD, it contained a special teaser for Super Mario 64 DS, the 2004 3D remaster to Super Mario 64, as well as a trailer for the Nintendo DS, which was later released on November 21, 2004.

Box office
Super Mario Bros. opened on August 13, 2004 in the United States, and on August 19, 2004 internationally. The film grossed $342.4 million domestically and $435.1 million overseas for a worldwide total of $795.6 million on its budget of $80-95 million. The film was declared the second-highest grossing film of 2004, behind DreamWorks' Shrek 2, the second-highest grossing animated film of 2004, also behind Shrek 2, and the 22nd-highest grossing animated film of all time, behind Disney's Coco.

United States and Canada
In the United States and Canada, Super Mario Bros. was released alongside Alien vs. Predator. In its first opening weekend, the film grossed $58.3 million ($53.1 million + $5.3 million in Friday night previews), making it the biggest summer opening weekend of 2004, and hit #1 on the domestic box office charts. In its first opening week of projections, estimates were $50-60 million. The film broke its projections with $85.2 million at the domestic box office, keeping its #1 spot on the charts. Its second opening weekend box office projections was raised by 1.2% and grossed $72.6 million ($65.2 million + $7.4 million in Friday night previews), and the film kept its #1 spot on the charts, until its second opening week. Its projections were estimated to $60-75 million, and the film projected less than its estimates, grossing $52.4 million in its second opening week, dropping to #3 on the domestic box office charts. Box office projections soon concluded on February 11, 2005.

Other territories
Meanwhile overseas, the film had a high opening weekend, grossing $69.5 million ($62.4 million + $7.1 million in Saturday night previews), and peaked at #2 on the overseas box office charts. Its opening week's projections were estimated to around $50-60 million, and it broke the projections and brought in $103.4 million in the overseas box office, and its position went from #2 to #1 in a day, as on Wednesday, it grossed $59.5 million. Its second opening weekend earnings dropped by 0.6% and grossed $58.4 million ($53.3 million + $5.1 million in Friday night previews). Its second opening week, however, keep its projection grind going, as estimates were raised to $75-95 million. The Super Mario Movie dominated projections and grossed $148.5 million. Box office projections soon concluded on February 11, 2005.

Critical response
Super Mario Bros. was opened to critical acclaim. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports an approval rating of 88% based on reviews by 185 critics, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Staying faithful to its source material, with lots of action, beautiful animation and outstanding visuals, Super Mario Bros. tells Mario's story in its fullest potential, with so many easter eggs laying around in it. A good super mushroom would go better with it." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore assigned the film an average grade "A" on its A+ to F scale, while those on PostTrak assigned the film a grade of 98%, with 91% of audiences definitely recommending it.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times rated the film three stars out of four, and stated "Super Mario Bros. isn't your typical video game film. It's a well-crafted, perfectly executed film that ties the strings together to make one long, joyful and laugh-filled adventure." While he praised its animation, visual effects, vocal performances of Chris Pratt and Scarlett Johansson and its musical score by Harry Gregson-Williams and Tom Holkenborg, calling it "heart-warming" and "uplifting", he criticized the plot. He wrote in his review that the plot "was thin, and doesn't have the strongest narrative".

Kevin Lally of Film Journal International described Super Mario Bros. as "fun, exciting and heart-pounding". Peter Rainer of New York Magazine additionally praised the film, calling it "a well-crafted movie for any video game fan to enjoy". Steven Rosen of The Denver Post wrote; "It is a standalone second shot from Nintendo after their failed live-action predecessor, but its animation is in the most pristine condition possible. Although some fans don't like the choice of leaving Charles Martinet absent from the film with Chris Pratt taking the role as the beloved plumber, Chris still delivers an outstanding performance."

Cinema Blend founder Joshua Tyler praised the film's animation, saying it is "possibly the best animation in the history of video game films". Additionally, Tyler praised its changes to the film, saying; "The changes to the characters are admittedly pretty nice. Mario is slimmed down slightly, Peach has a whole new facial appearance, DK appears more strong and muscular, and Bowser has had a complete redo, with much more detailed skin textures, including the texturing of his own shell!" Carla Meyer of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that "Super Mario Bros. keeps the same charm like the games, but modifies it for the big screen. Its voice cast is altered, their appearances are modified in an acceptable way, the musical score is heartfelt and uplifting, and for it being reliable to the source material, it works in so many ways."

Sequels
Following the success of the first film, a sequel was developed and released on August 10, 2007.

Trivia
TBA