The title of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” says it all.

And that’s OK.

Mario and Luigi are as much fun as ever in the animation feature film.

Mario is the guy in the red cap. He’s voiced by Chris Pratt.

Luigi is the guy in the green cap. He’s voiced by Charlie Day.

The duo are even cuter on the big screen than they are in the video game. You don’t have to have played the Nintendo game, introduced in 1985, to enjoy the feature movie, but it helps. There are lots of “Easter eggs” (visual and other references for fans) in the film.

In “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” Mario is on a quest to The Mushroom Kingdom to rescue his brother Luigi.

Mario encounters Princess Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy), who rules the Mushroom Kingdom.

Mario opposes Bowser (Jack Black), King of the Koopas, ruler of the Dark Lands, who has stolen the Super Star and wants to marry Princess Peach and conquer the Mushroom Kingdom.

Other fun characters include Donkey Kong (voiced by Seth Rogen), a gorilla; Spike (Sebastian Maniscalco), Mario and Luigi’s Wrecking Crew former boss; King Cranky Kong, (Fred Armisen), ruler of the Jungle Kingdom, and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), who lives in the Mushroom Kingdom.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is big, boisterous, splashy, colorful computer-generated animation. The movie is produced by Illumination Entertainment, which includes the hit feature animation movies, ”Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” 2022; “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” 2022, and “Despicable Me,” 2010.

Chris Renaud, Parkland High School, Class of 1985, who attended the Baum School of Art. Allentown, has directed Illumination Entertainment films, “Despicable Me,” 2010; “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax,” 2012; “Despicable Me 2,” 2013, and “The Secret Life of Pets,” 2016.

I could not find a credit for Renaud for the “Super Mario” movie, so I am not sure if he was directly involved in its production. Renaud was listed as co-director in 2017 with a completely different cast of voice actors.

The animation of the characters in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” especially Mario and Luigi, have a plasticine doll quality that emphasizes their humorous, energetic and pugnacious personalities. Bowser, a dragon-like character, makes like Godzilla. Donkey Kong romps around like King Kong. Princess Peach is like a Disney princess, but with karate chops. Toad is a mushroom-hatted charmer.

The settings for the movie, especially the Brooklyn neighborhood exteriors and home interiors of Mario and Luigi and their family are realistic with just the right amount of exaggeration. The Mushroom Kingdom has a “Wizard of Oz” quality to it.

There could have been more character dialogue between Mario and Luigi. Admittedly, they are separated because of the storyline.

Scenes between Mario and Luigi and their family are humorous. The silent-film style physical comedy of Mario and Luigi on their disastrous first plumbing company assignment is hilarious.

The movie is dominated by fighting scenes between Mario and Donkey Kong and Mario and the Princess opposing Bowser. Of course, fighting is the game children play with figurines.

The movie recreates the chutes and ladders, blocks, staircases, jumps and other visual imagery of the Nintendo platform video game.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” isn’t the first theatrical motion picture adaptation of the Nintendo game.

“Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!” (1986) is one of the first two theatrical animation movies based on a video game. The other one was “Running Boy: Star Soldier’s Secret” (1986).

The first live-action theatrical motion picture based on a video game was “Super Mario Bros.” (1993), starring Bob Hoskins (Mario), John Leguizamo (Luigi) and Dennis Hopper (President Koopa).

For “Super Mario Bros. The Movie,” directors Aaron Horvath (director, “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies,” 2018) and Michael Jelenic (producer, “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies”) and co-directors Pierre Leduc (animation director, “The Grinch,” 2018) and Fabien Polack (computer graphics supervisor, “The Grinch”) work from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel (screenplay, “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” 2022).

The soundtrack includes pop hits, “Mr. Blue Sky,” Electric Light Orchestra”; Take on Me,” a-ha, and “Peaches,” performed by Jack Black.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” should delight children, pre-teens and entertain adults or guardians who accompany them.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie,”

MPAA rated PG (Parental Guidance Suggested Some material may not be suitable for children. May contain some material parents might not like for their young children.) for action and mild violence; Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy; Run time: 1 hour, 22 minutes; Distributed by Universal Pictures.

Credit Readers Anonymous:

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” has a mid-credits scene of a white spotted green egg hatching, said to be a foreshadowing of Yoshi, Mario’s pet dinosaur. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” includes Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero,” also heard and also referenced in “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.”

At the Movies:

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was seen in Dolby Cinema at AMC, AMC Center Valley 16. The movie has many scenes seemly created for the 3D format. The movie has many rumble-through the seats sound effects.

Theatrical Movie Domestic Box Office,

April 14 - April 16: “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” continued its “super”-iority at the box office, continuing at No. 1, with an impressive $87 million in 4,371 theaters, $347.8 million, two weeks. It was the best second weekend ever for an animated film.

2. “The Pope’s Exorcist,” starring Russell Crowe, opening, $9.1 million in 3,178 theaters. 3. “John Wick: Chapter 4” dropped one place, $7.9 million in 3,033 theaters, $160.1 million, four weeks. 4. “Renfield,” starring Nicolas Cage as Count Dracula, didn’t take much of a bite out of the box office, opening, $7.7 million in 3,375 theaters. 5. “Air” dropped two places, $7.7 million in 3,507 theaters, $33.2 million, two weeks. 6. “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” dropped two places, $7.3 million in 3,324 theaters, $74 million, three weeks. 7. “Mafia Mamma,” starring Toni Collette and Monica Bellucci, opening, $2 million in 2,002 theaters. 8. “Scream VI” dropped three places, $1.4 million in 1,288 theaters, $106.7 million, six weeks. 9. “Nefarious,” opening, $1.3 million in 933 theaters. 10. “His Only Son” dropped four places, $518,971 in 1,037 theaters, $12 million, three weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of April 16 is subject to change.

Unreel,

April 20:

“Padre Pio,”

R: Abel Ferrara directs Shia LaBeouf and Asia Argento in the Biography Drama. The story of Roman Catholic Saiint Padre Pio is told. The National Centre for Padre Pio is in Barto, Berks County.

Unreel,

April 21:

“Chevalier,”

PG-13: Stephen Williams directs Kelvin Harrison Jr., Minnie Driver, Lucy Boynton, Samara Weaving and Sian Clifford in the Biography Drama. The movie is based on the story of French composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges.

“Beau is Afraid,”

R: Ari Aster directs Joaquin Phoenix, Parker Posey, Nathan Lane, Richard Kind and Patti Lupone in the comedy drama. After the death of his mother, a man proves you can go home again. Or can you?

Movie opening information from Internet Movie Database as of April 16 is subject to change.

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes