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 2023 computer-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 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) leading his army of Koopa Troopas, Goombas, the Koopalings (see cast below), and his son, Bowser Jr.. 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, Super Mario Bros. 3: Bowser's Revenge in 2010, Super Mario Bros. 4: Leveling Up in 2014, and Super Mario Bros. 5: The Final Chapter in 2021. The rights for the three films were sold off to Universal Pictures on October 7, 2022.

Plot
Set in present day Brooklyn, Mario and Luigi, two Italian American plumbers, had opened their own plumbing business. Once they got their first call, which was down the street, they rushed to the leakage right away. It was a pipe blockage in a sewage system. Fixing the blockage, they paid the customer less than most other plumbing companies. Upon their first few calls, they received international attention from multiple news outlets. Pleased, the two plumbers keep doing business around Brooklyn.

One day, while playing on their Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Mario received a call on his cellphone. Answering it, it was a desperate call for help of a pipe leakage in an underground pipe system. That day, while investigating the problem, Mario looked over the pipes and discovered the leak. While fixing it, Luigi discovered a giant green pipe, and then got sucked through it. Mario looked down, and saw that Luigi had disappeared. He jumped down and went up to the pipe. Then, like what happened to Luigi, Mario got sucked through the pipe and landed in a strange world inhabited by anthropomorphic creatures like talking mushrooms, giant turtles, and fire-breathing dragons. Soon after arriving, they meet a mushroom creature named Toad who informs them that the evil Bowser and his army of Koopa Troopas, Goombas, the Koopalings, and Bowser's son, Bowser Jr., have taken over the Mushroom Kingdom and have kidnapped Princess Peach, the ruler of the land.

Toad enlists Mario and Luigi's help to rescue the Princess and restore peace to the Mushroom Kingdom. The brothers set out on a perilous journey through the strange and dangerous world, facing numerous obstacles and challenges along the way. They encounter strange creatures and navigate treacherous environments, including deep caves, dark forests, and boiling lava pits. As they travel deeper into the Mushroom Kingdom, they uncover Bowser's evil plan. His plan was to merge the Mushroom Kingdom with his land, the Lava Kingdom, to create a disastrous hellscape.

The brothers realize that they must stop Bowser and his army before it's too late. With the help of their new friends, including Toad and a beautiful and powerful fire-breathing dragon named Yoshi, Mario and Luigi confront Bowser and his army in an epic final battle. The fate of the Mushroom Kingdom rests in their hands as they fight to save Princess Peach and defeat Bowser once and for all. As they journey through the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario and Luigi encounter various allies and enemies. They encounter a friendly mushroom named Toadette, who provides them with valuable information and assistance throughout their journey. They also meet an energetic princess named Daisy, who is friends with Peach.

In their quest to defeat Bowser and rescue Princess Peach, Mario and Luigi must overcome several challenges. They have to navigate treacherous landscapes, solve intricate puzzles, and combat powerful enemies. Along the way, they acquire various power-ups and upgrades that enhance their abilities, such as the ability to shoot fireballs or fly through the air. Meanwhile, Bowser and his army are preparing for the final battle. They have constructed a massive fortress, complete with traps and defenses designed to keep the Mario brothers and their allies at bay. The fate of the Mushroom Kingdom hangs in the balance as the two sides prepare for the ultimate showdown.

Eventually, Mario and Luigi saw Bowser's Airship, which started shooting cannon balls down to the Mushroom Kingdom. Then, they saw a cannon near a convenience shop. They climb into the cannon, as it aims for the Airship. The two land on the deck, and are confronted by bullet bills. The two head in separate directions, with the bullet bills chasing them. Soon, they encounter Rocky Wrenches, as they throw wrenches at the plumbers. Dodging them, they do a "return to sender" move and sends the wrenches back at them, eliminating them. Then, they discover a pipe, and decide to head down it. They land in a room, confronted by Bowser's kids, the Koopalings, which consist of: Lemmy, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy, and Ludwig. Each Koopaling has their own ability, but those did not stop Mario and Luigi from plummeting through them. As they climb up a dangling ladder, they exit through a pipe. There, they see Princess Peach being carried away by Bowser in his Koopa Clown Car. Mario and Luigi then jump from the Airship, landing back on the ground.

As Mario and Luigi continue their adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom, they were informed by Toad and Toadette that Bowser had a backup plan in case he was defeated. He had hidden a powerful weapon in a secret location, which could be used to merge their world with the Mushroom Kingdom. The brothers must embark on a new quest to find and destroy this weapon before it's too late. Their journey takes them to the Rainbow Road, a colorful and treacherous path in the sky that connects different worlds. As they make their way along the road, they encounter a group of Koopa Troopas who are guarding the entrance to the secret location. Mario and Luigi engage in a fierce battle with the Koopa Troopas, using their power-ups and skills to defeat them.

A blue-shelled Koopa Paratroopa, named the Koopa General by Bowser himself, chases after Mario and Luigi with a giant go-kart with a built-on death machine. In an attempt to get away, Mario retreats to a shortcut on the track, leaving Luigi to go without him for the rest of the track. This shortcut would prove to be a hell zone for Mario, as it was full of twists and sharp turns. The Koopa General's death kart inched closer and closer to Mario. Then, there were an array of mystery boxes up ahead. Grabbing one, Mario received a green shell and tossed it back at the death kart, making it swerve around on the track. Then, a Bob-omb was sent back at the death kart, blowing it up.

As Mario raced down the twisted track, the General becomes infuriated, and retracts to his shell as it speeds towards Mario, who was only moments from reaching the end of the shortcut. Terrified, Mario floors the gas pedal as it races down the twisted track, spiraling through loops and clearing near-impossible bends on the track. As the blue shell neared closer and closer to him, Mario had a plan to maneuver the shell and trick it into going for another entity. He grabs a mystery box and retrieves a red shell. He shoots it towards another Koopa Troopa's kart, to which the blue shell heads for it. Relieved, Mario raced back onto the main track, meeting up with Luigi and his newfound friends. Upon reaching the entrance to the castle, Mario and Luigi decided to go by themselves, and decided to thank Toad and his friends for helping them out. With a crowd of racers cheering them on, Mario and Luigi head towards the castle.

They both head inside. It was dark at first, due to there being no light down the hall. Soon, they stumble upon a giant lava pit. Across the pit were moving platforms, floating brick blocks, and several question blocks floating with brick blocks around the area. As Mario climbed up onto a moving platform, he jumps towards the floating brick blocks and hits a question block, and a Super Leaf pops out. Grabbing it, Mario transforms into Raccoon Mario, which gives Mario the ability to fly once he got a running start. Luigi hits a question block as well, which pops out an Ice Flower. Much like the Fire Flower, Luigi's colors transform as he's able to shoot ice balls, similar to the Fire Flower power-up, where he can shoot fireballs.

In the final battle, Mario and Luigi use the power-ups that they have and the skills that they have learned from his friends to take on Bowser and his army. They must navigate through the fortress, dodge traps, avoid lava pits, and defeat various enemies before finally confronting Bowser himself. Mario flew over the lava with his Raccoon power, while Luigi turned the lava into stone with the Ice Flower. In a fierce battle, Mario and Luigi use their wits and strength to defeat the evil king and rescue Princess Peach. With Bowser defeated and peace restored to the Mushroom Kingdom, Peach offered to take Mario and Luigi 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 "Super 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.

In a post-credit scene, a dark, stormy sky reigns over a mysterious island. Lava balls fall from the sky as they cause mayhem on said island. We pan to a sign that says "Welcome to Yoshi's Island", before a lava ball destroys the sign, hinting that a second part was coming.

Cast
"Main article: Characters in the Mario franchise" Additionally, Charles Martinet appears in the film as Mario and Luigi's father, Papa Mario. Martinet's voice work of Mario is seen on TV advertisements for Super Mario Bros. Plumbing Services. Grey DeLisle voices Mario and Luigi's mother, Mama Mario, and voices a blue toad. Dan Castellaneta voices Lakitu, a Koopa who flies on a cloud, and is the announcer for the Mario Kart races. Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane voices a blue-shelled Koopa, named the Koopa General by Bowser, who, when Mario is nearing the finish of Rainbow Road, bombs him, preventing him from finishing the race. Other additional voices include Khary Payton, Peter Cullen, Dee Bradley Baker, Maurice LaMarche, Billy West, Carlos Alazraqui, Cindy Robinson, Dorothy Elias-Fahn, Brina Palencia, Phil LaMarr, and Cherami Leigh.
 * Chris Pratt as Mario, an Italian American 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, an Italian American 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. He also serves as a secondary protagonist with Mario.
 * 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. She is portrayed as the damsel-in-distress in the film.
 * 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, and serves as the main antagonist.
 * 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.
 * Welker also provides the vocals for the Koopa Troopas, Goombas, and several other main enemies present in the film.
 * 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.
 * Adlon also voices Princess Daisy, a tomboy, a trait first stated in her debut appearance and is Luigi's love interest. Her name, attire, emblem, and special abilities are all flower-based.
 * 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.
 * Farrell also voices 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.
 * 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.
 * MacNeille also voices Toadette, a commonly recurring female Toad in the Mario franchise, who has been shown to be on good terms with such characters as Princess Peach, Daisy, Toad, Toadsworth, Yoshi, Luigi, and Mario. Toadette's defining traits are her bouncing pigtails, cheerful and energetic personality, and occasional bursts of creativity.

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. Around this time, Australian-based animation production studio Buddy Studios was interested in developing a feature Mario film with Nintendo, though the latter ended up denying of the adaptation.

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. Throughout the script and storyboard development, there had to be alterations to its plot and story line. Moritz expressed in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that "being with the production team for a Mario film was unreal to me. It was always my dream to be a producer for a video game movie, as [I] myself have been a big Super Mario fan in the '90s." Originally, during production, Paramount Pictures was to be tied into the project, but Paramount ended up backing out due to work on other films, including The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

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, and Tress MacNeille had provided voice samples for the Koopalings. After thorough review, director Jeff Fowler accepted their vocal performance, and the six 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.

Soundtrack
The music for the film involved several songs from acclaimed artists, including Eminem's song "Lose Yourself" from the 2002 motion picture "8 Mile". The soundtrack album was released on August 1, 2004 through Interscope Records and Aftermath Entertainment. 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.

Additionally, rappers Dr. Dre and 50 Cent composed an exclusive track based on the film and released through Interscope and G-Unit Records, and Aftermath Entertainment on July 30, 2004. A music video for the song was released on October 29, 2004. Around this time, Nintendo established its own music label, simply named "Nintendo Records".

Track list

 * 1) Coldplay - "Heartbreak" - 3:25
 * 2) Gym Class Heroes - "Super Star" featuring Adam Levine - 2:48
 * 3) Dr. Dre and 50 Cent - "Super Mario Bros." - 4:17
 * 4) Kendrick Lamar - "Thin Ice" featuring will.i.am, Ludacris and Eminem - 3:37
 * 5) OneRepublic - "It's-a Mario Time!" featuring Coldplay - 2:31
 * 6) Smash Mouth - "Hang On" - 2:53
 * 7) Bruno Mars - "You Can't Do This to Me" featuring Ludacris and Adam Levine - 3:55
 * 8) Nicki Minaj and Drake - "Forever Together" - 3:16
 * 9) Ice T - "If You Put Your Mind to It" featuring Lil Wayne and will.i.am - 3:04
 * 10) Smash Mouth - "Getting Better" (from Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat (2003) Soundtrack) - 2:23
 * 11) Black Eyed Peas - "Do the Mario" - 3:44
 * 12) Eminem - "Lose Yourself" - 5:20

Original score
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 scoring process began on April 21, 2003, and took place at the Eastwood Scoring Stage at Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, California. Harry Gregson-Williams and Tom Holkenborg worked closely with Mario composer Koji Kondo to incorporate elements from the classics songs into the film. The album contains 23 tracks from the film, composed by Gregson-Williams and Holkenborg, and was released on August 10, 2004 through Varèse Sarabande.

Track listing

 * 1) Opening Scene
 * 2) Beautiful Brooklyn
 * 3) Our First Job
 * 4) Super Nintendo
 * 5) Pipe Leak/Investigation
 * 6) Warped
 * 7) The Mushroom Kingdom
 * 8) The Super Mushroom
 * 9) Bowser Attacks
 * 10) The Princess Is Kidnapped
 * 11) Airship
 * 12) The Koopalings
 * 13) Rainbow Road
 * 14) Attack
 * 15) Blue Shell Chase
 * 16) Bowser's Temple
 * 17) Tanooki Flight/Crisp As Ice
 * 18) Final Boss
 * 19) Plumber Power
 * 20) Princess Peach Is Saved
 * 21) Victorious
 * 22) Super Mario Bros. Plumbing And Adventure Services
 * 23) Suite

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. 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", "MEGA Mushroom", "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 later released on December 25, 2004 in Japan by Toho. 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.

Furthermore, throughout its third, fourth and fifth opening weekend, the film performed poorly in projections, making more than $95 million combined. Despite having a rough few weekends, there was more to come. Throughout the third and fourth week, the film made a combined total of over $120.6 million. Projections then dropped by 24% to a total of $9 million per week, grossing below its projections of $60-70 million. Box office projections soon concluded on February 11, 2005.

Other territories
Meanwhile overseas, the film had a high opening gross, making $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 at 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. Super Mario Bros. crashed through its projections and grossed $148.5 million. Box office projections soon concluded on February 11, 2005. Its highest-grossing countries were Germany ($102.7 million), France ($53.3 million), Austria ($49.1 million), Russia ($37.6 million), and the United Kingdom ($32.6 million).

Critical response
Super Mario Bros. was opened to critical acclaim. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports an approval rating of 93% based on reviews by 185 critics, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Staying faithful to its original 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, with some extra 1-ups there as well." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 87 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore assigned the film an average grade "A" on its A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by PostTrak assigned the film an approval of 98%, with 93% 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." 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. Some fans enjoy Charles Martinet's cameo appearance as the brothers' father from the Super Mario Bros. Super Show with Chris Pratt taking the role as the beloved plumber. Some die-hard fans of the classic games disagree with the choice of Chris Pratt taking the role of Mario, Chris still delivers an outstanding performance."

CinemaBlend 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."

Television show
Following the critical and commercial success of the film, Nintendo Television, the television division of Nintendo, partnered with Fox Television Studios, Regency Television, Warner Bros. Domestic Television and Roadshow Television to produce The Super Mario Bros. Show, paying homage to the 1989 Super Mario Bros. Super Show television show. The show first aired on December 21, 2004 on ABC in the United States, while it aired on Cartoon Network internationally on December 23, 2004.

Sequels
The critical and commercial success of the film spawned four sequels; Super Mario Bros. 2: The Lost World, which was released on August 10, 2007, Super Mario Bros. 3: Bowser's Revenge, which was released on August 20, 2010, Super Mario Bros. 4: Leveling Up, which was released on August 15, 2014, and Super Mario Bros. 5: The Final Chapter, which was released on August 20, 2021. The five films made a combined total of $6.240 billion ($795.6 million for the first film, $947.1 million for the second film, $1.482 billion for the third film, $1.681 billion for the fourth film, and $1.334 billion for the fifth film), making it one of the highest grossing film series of all time.

Trivia

 * This is the first successful Mario film.
 * This is the first film in the Super Mario Bros. film franchise.
 * This is the first Mario film to be produced by 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. Pictures simultaneously after Hollywood Pictures went defunct.
 * This film was originally supposed to be produced by Walt Disney Pictures in late 1990s, as well as Paramount Pictures after Walt Disney Pictures had to drop the project due to Nintendo finding out they were trying to secure the film rights.
 * This is the first Nintendo film to be produced by Ben Jameson's film company Team Blue Studios.