Super Mario Bros. (SCU film)

Super Mario Bros. (also known as The Super Mario Bros. Movie) is a 2022 animated adventure film based on Nintendo's Mario video game franchise. Produced by , , Topaz Central and Nintendo, and distributed by Universal, it is the first film in the Smash Cinematic Universe (SCU). Directed by and from a screenplay written by Matthew Fogel and ShadicMCGS (who was also credited as a creative consultant/supervisor), the ensemble cast includes , , , , , , , and . The film features an origin story for the brothers Mario and Luigi, Italian-American plumbers who are transported to an alternate world and become entangled in a battle between the Mushroom Kingdom, led by Princess Peach, and the Koopa Troop, led by Bowser.
The movie serves as a co-production between Topaz Central and , the latter of which handling the majority of production. Production was underway by 2020, and the cast was announced in September 2021.
Super Mario Bros. premiered at Regal LA Live in Los Angeles on December 17, 2022, and was released in the United States on December 21. Although it received mixed reviews from critics, the film grossed $1.36 billion worldwide and is the highest-grossing film produced by Illumination. It was released as the first film in Level One of the SCU. A sequel is set to be released in 2027.
==Synopsis==
The Mario Bros. live a normal life in New York City as plumbers, cleaning the sewer systems of the city. One day, the two find a Warp Pipe that 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 Mushroom Kingdom resident Toad and some training from the strong-willed ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach, along with some unlikely allies, the brothers tap into their own powers, before it's too late.
==Plot==
Note: While most of the plot synopsis is derived from the actual 2023 film, there are certain differences such as the inclusion of additional characters, location differences, and additional plot points that currently warrant a full plot summary.
===Prologue===
The evil Koopa king Bowser, accompanied by his assistant Kamek and the rest of his army, invades the Frozen World using his massive castle ship. The penguin inhabitants, led by their brave king, fight to defend their home by throwing snowballs, but their attacks are ineffective against Bowser, leading to them being easily defeated and captured. Bowser then burns their palace down with his fire breath and steals their most prized possession, a shining Power Star.
===Act 1===
In New York City, the Italian-American brothers Mario and Luigi have started Super Mario Bros. Plumbing, a small plumbing business servicing the districts of Brooklyn and Queens. At the Crazy Cap Shop, the brothers proudly watch the commercial for the business that they spent their life savings to produce, but they then encounter their antagonistic former boss Spike, who derides them for leaving him to start their own business, which is made even more embarrassing by Luigi constantly bringing up past jobs that they have failed at. Undeterred, Mario and Luigi go to do their biggest plumbing job yet at Mayor Pauline's house, but despite the problem not being entirely their fault, they could not find the actual problem and it ends in the destruction of her bathroom.
The brothers return home for a meal with their family, most of whom mock their plumbing business and commercial, with only their mother being supportive of them. Luigi becomes anxious after being criticized by his father in particular, and becomes disheartened when telling Mario he doesn't know when to give up and begins to doubt the business. After he and Luigi see a newscast reporting about a significant leak in manholes throughout the Brooklyn streets, Mario promptly sees this as an opportunity for them to prove themselves, dragging a reluctant Luigi along with him. When they arrive, Pauline reluctantly lets the brothers fix the broken water main, but threatens them with a shutdown of their business should they fail to do so. Luigi attempts to fix other pipes that allow Mario to fix the water main, only to assist his brother to fix it. This results in the flood being over in the city and leaves Pauline impressed, but the brothers crash through a brick wall while trying to get back up.
While exploring the sewers, they arrive in a large room filled with pipes and investigate a large green one, which sucks them into the Warp Zone. There, the two brothers are separated, with each one going through a different Warp Pipe. Mario ends up in a forest filled with large mushrooms, where he meets with the adventurous Toad, who informs him that he has arrived in the Mushroom Kingdom and decides to bring Mario to the kingdom's ruler, Princess Peach, who insists that he meet her. Meanwhile, Luigi briefly searches for Mario in the a dark and barren wasteland, where he is chased by a swarm of Dry Bones and tries to escape by hiding in an abandoned castle, only to bump into Professor E. Gadd who explains the whole situation to him.
Toad and Mario traverse the kingdom's town and reach Peach's Castle. When they arrive, the Toad guards outside the door refuse to let them in because the Princess is indeed "in another castle". In the same pipe the two arrived in, Princess Peach arrives alongside her trustworthy advisor Toadsworth and meet Mario shortly afterward, with the former being surprised to encounter another human. Mario explains his story and is told that his brother has landed in the Dark Lands, the home of Bowser. Not knowing who Bowser is, Peach brings him inside the castle.
In the throne room, Princess Peach holds a council with many Toads, where Toadsworth describes Bowser's recent actions and that he is headed towards the Mushroom Kingdom, claiming that his possession of three Power Stars makes their destruction inevitable. The princess, however, refuses to give up and reveals her plan to defeat Bowser by travelling to the Sand Kingdom to find the hidden Power Star, and then head to the Kongo Island to lend their Power Star and their fiercest warrior to fight Bowser, despite the fact that their king usually declines alliances. Toadsworth reveals that they also got a Power Star from Dinosaur Land, from their closest allies the Yoshis.
After hearing Mario's plight and seeing how determined he is to save his brother, Peach tests his skill with a training course full of obstacles and agrees to take him with her if he can finish it. After demonstrating her own skills, she then explains that he can clear the course using power-ups such as Super Mushrooms, which make Mario bigger and stronger (which he reluctantly agrees to do despite his hatred of mushrooms). Mario fails to complete the course on many attempts and makes Peach actually leave at one point, but because of his persistence, he eventually comes close enough that Peach takes him along anyway. Unbeknownst to either of them, they are being spied on by several Goombas from the distance.
Meanwhile, Bowser holds a banquet for the Koopa Troop in his throne room in celebration of their recent conquest and seizing of the three Power Stars. During this, Bowser reveals to the soldiers in attendance that he is deeply infatuated with Princess Peach, and that his motive for acquiring the Stars was to impress her and ask for her hand in marriage, much to their confusion. Despite concerns that the three Power Stars are only in their disposal, Bowser believes that it's enough and finds it redundant if they destroy every kingdom. He then states that if she refuses, he will use the Power Stars to demolish her kingdom, to the elation of everyone in his army. During this time, Luigi is caught up to speed by E. Gadd, who saves him from a Boo using the Poltergust 3000. Elvin believes that finding the leftover Power Star will allow them to revert the kingdom back to its original state.
===Act 2===
In the morning, Mario and Peach begin their journey to the Sand Kingdom and Kongo Island, with Toad joining as well due to his desire to protect the princess and his backpack containing various tools and supplies. Meanwhile, Bowser plays on his piano, singing a song expressing his obsessive love for Peach, before Kamek interrupts him to inform him about Mario and his association with Peach. This causes Bowser to see Mario as a potential rival for the princess's affection, and Kamek alerts the Koopa General to follow the heroic trio. They are seen traveling through several locales, such as the Bob-omb Battlefield, Sparkling Waters, Yoshi's Island, the Rock-Candy Mines and the Sunshine Isles, on their way to the Sand Kingdom.
As Mario struggles to walk through the Sand Kingdom, an underground temple emerges which reveals the kingdom's Power Star in the hands of the Koopa General. Mario, Peach and Toad chase the General and his troops through the kingdom's ruins and canyon and frantically swap control the Power Star, ultimately putting Mario's skills to the test. As Mario struggles against the General, Toad swoops in and saves him, allowing the trio to retrieve the Power Star. After the battle, the trio sets up camp in the Fire Flower Fields, where Mario becomes disappointed in himself and begins to doubt his ability to save Luigi. Peach inspires him to keep going even if he's not there yet, remarking that he was initially persistent for him to join the adventure.
Meanwhile, Luigi and E. Gadd continue to explore the abandoned castle where they are intercepted by King Boo, causing Luigi to faint in front of an unsuspecting E. Gadd. King Boo captures E. Gadd and is amused when Luigi points the Poltergust back at him, only for Luigi to fail spectacularly and ends up being captured as well. The two are sent to Bowser by a group of Shy Guys led by a Snifit. When the two are brought before Bowser, the Koopa king interrogates Luigi about the Princess. The Koopa General informs Bowser that Mario is a non-threat, but after some confusion between the two brothers, Bowser angrily scolds the General for not bringing the Power Star and Mario to him and tells him to finish him off. He then interrogates him about Mario, where Luigi resists at first, but eventually admits his relation to Mario after Bowser loses his patience and begins pulling on his mustache. Luigi and E. Gadd are then placed in a cage above a pit of lava, where others, such as the penguins and a demented Lumalee, have also been caged.
Upon arriving at Kongo Island, the heroes are transported to the palace by a Kong driving a kart. At the palace, Peach consults the Kongs' king, Cranky Kong, and asks for the kingdom's Power Star to support them in fighting Bowser. He accepts the offer, but then laughs because he accuses Peach for hiding the fact that she was going to request the help of the kingdom's fiercest warrior. After Cranky demands that they have to earn it, Mario stands up to him and will take on Donkey Kong in a duel, much to Peach's dismay. Mario, however, wants to prove to Peach and everybody else that he can do whatever it takes, determined to save his brother.
During the fight, Mario initially struggles against Donkey Kong's immense strength, so he attempts to use power-ups from the several Question Blocks set around the arena to gain an advantage. After failing to use several power-ups such as a Mini Mushroom (causing Mario to be shrunk down and flicked away by Donkey Kong) and a Fire Flower (where Mario fails to use it properly), Mario continues to get pummeled, but remains persistent. Peach then encourages him to hit another block, which contains a Super Bell that turns him into Cat Mario. With his new speed, agility, and claws, Mario is able to dodge all of Donkey Kong's attacks and scratch him until he is ultimately defeated. Impressed, Cranky Kong surprisingly agrees to assist the heroes.
At Donkey Kong's home, Peach congratulates Mario for his tenacity, while Donkey Kong is frustrated with Mario and claims to have let him win. Cranky suggests that they use karts to quickly return to the Mushroom Kingdom via a shortcut so that they can ambush Bowser and his forces during their attack. In a large garage, Mario, Peach, and Toad each create their own karts, and they drive alongside the Kongs back to the Mushroom Kingdom through a secret passage that leads to Rainbow Road. On the way back, Peach begins questioning Mario about the world he originates from and decides to visit Brooklyn sometime.
Meanwhile, Bowser is practicing his marriage proposal to Peach, with Kamek taking her place. However, they are interrupted by the Koopa General, who has discovered the heroes' plan and reports it to Bowser. At this, Bowser decides to have his army use karts of their own to ambush the heroes as they traverse Rainbow Road, with the Koopa General himself chasing Mario with a bulldozer. During the chase, Mario's kart is destroyed, but he manages to hijack another while Peach saves Toad from falling off the road. After losing his second kart, Mario then moves to Donkey Kong's kart, and DK fires one of his kart's Rocket Barrels to explode on the bulldozer. Infuriated, the Koopa General locks himself in his winged, spiky Blue Shell and crashes into Mario and Donkey Kong, destroying the latter's kart and a part of the road. The two plummet to the ocean below, much to Peach, Toad, and Cranky's despair, and all of the Kongs besides Donkey Kong are captured and sent to Bowser's dungeons. After landing in the ocean, Mario saves Donkey Kong from drowning using the Frog Suit, but both are then devoured whole by a large Unagi.
===Act 3===
Peach and Toad manage to make it back to the Mushroom Kingdom, where Peach warns the citizens of Bowser's imminent arrival. She orders the Toads in the town and the castle to evacuate while she holds off Bowser, but Toad decides to stay at the princess's side instead of leaving, not letting her face him alone. Bowser then arrives in the Mushroom Kingdom aboard his ship and finally proposes to marry Peach. She initially rejects him, but after he has Kamek torture Toad, she reluctantly agrees to the marriage on the condition that Bowser does not harm her subjects. Back at the prison, Cranky notices Luigi, confusing him for Mario, who he thought to have survived. Luigi becomes worried as Elvin fails to cheer him up. Kamek then informs all of Bowser's prisoners that they are "invited" to Bowser and Peach's royal wedding to be ritualistically sacrificed, much to their horror (and Lumalee's delight).
Meanwhile, Mario and Donkey Kong, trapped inside the Maw-Ray's stomach, despair over their situation. After the two attempt to bond over their issues with their respective fathers, an argument ensues and Donkey Kong begins thrashing around the stomach, causing the Maw-Ray to burp. Mario and Donkey Kong both realise this as the latter proceeds to thrash the stomach more, and they escape from the stomach along with the Power Stars. As they land in the ocean, they are saved by Donkey Kong's pal Dorrie and helps the heroes go back to the Mushroom Kingdom, hurrying to Peach and Bowser's wedding.
At the wedding, Bowser reveals that he intends to execute all of his prisoners by burning them in lava in Peach's honor, with Toad being held hostage and witnessing the wedding. 
Peach is helpless to do anything, as she sees the prisoners slowly descend into the lava. Suddenly, Mario and Donkey Kong arrive, leaving Peach surprised and Bowser enraged. The heroes narrowly escape being shot by a Bullet Bill, and are forced to fight through Bowser's minions in the town. Mario uses a Super Mushroom while Donkey Kong uses a Fire Flower, but both end up losing their power-ups in the fight. Mario then finds a Super Leaf, allowing him to fly up to Bowser's ship as Tanooki Mario.
When they reach the wedding, Kamek gets distracted, giving Toad the opportunity to use an Ice Flower and freeze the winch that was lowering the prisoners. He then gives Peach another Ice Flower so she could freeze Bowser. During the wedding fight, Luigi attempts to escape from the cage using the Poltergust, saving E. Gadd but putting himself in danger. While fighting at the wedding, Peach uses a spear to light King Bob-omb's fuse, causing him to explode - the explosion blows her back and causes her to lose her ice power before she could re-freeze the winch, with Luigi's cage touching the lava and having its bottom part burned off. However, before the prisoners can be burned, Donkey Kong arrives and manages to stop the winch with his own strength, making Cranky proud. Luigi then falls out of his cage towards the lava, but Mario saves him with his flight, and the two rejoice at being reunited.
As E. Gadd recommends to Peach that they can use the Power Stars to restore their original kingdoms, an enraged Bowser frees himself from the ice and orders a Banzai Bill to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom. The Banzai Bill is fired, but Luigi has a plan: have Mario fly with him to use the Poltergust to stop the Banzai Bill from destroying the Mushroom Kingdom. Before it can hit Peach's Castle, Mario manages to knock it off course by hitting one of its eyes with his suit's tail, causing the brothers to chase it down. Mario and Luigi notice that it leads through the forest where he first entered the Mushroom Kingdom. They are able to stop it just before it enters the pipe, but suddenly enters the pipe due to how near it was. The Banzai Bill explodes in the Warp Zone, causing everyone and everything in the surrounding area to be sucked into the pipe and transported to Brooklyn, with Bowser's ship bursting out and landing in the middle of the street, much to the shock of Spike and other citizens.
The Super Star lands in front of Mario, but a furious Bowser stops him from getting it and pummels him while blaming him for his wedding being ruined. Mario and Luigi, discouraged, end up hiding in the Crazy Cap Shop as Bowser taunts them both, and despite their best efforts to stop them, Peach and Donkey Kong are both overpowered by Bowser and his army. However, after seeing a damaged television play the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing commercial, Mario and Luigi regain their resolve and stand up to Bowser, stopping him from killing Donkey Kong. Kamek restrains both Peach and Toad as Bowser taunts Mario, with six Power Stars in his possession. Bowser tries to incinerate him with his fire breath, but Luigi defends him by sucking the fireball using the Poltergust and blows the fireball back. However, Luigi loses control the Poltergust as it launches a treasure chest towards Bowser, revealing it to have a Power Star inside. Mario and Luigi obtain the Power Stars and become invincible just in time.
Using the Star's powers, the Mario brothers work together to defeat Bowser and his entire army. Upon his defeat, Bowser is force-fed a blue mushroom by Peach and shrunk to miniature size, allowing Toad to imprison him in a jar. In the end, the Mario brothers and their new friends from the Mushroom Kingdom are celebrated and hailed as heroes by the residents of Brooklyn, including Spike, Mayor Pauline and the brothers' parents, with the father now proud of the brothers' heroics. The story concludes with the brothers taking up residence in the Mushroom Kingdom and relocating their plumbing business there, alongside visiting their friends and allies before going back through a Warp Pipe.
===Epilogue===
Before the credits begin, Lumalee appears and tells the audience that since the film is over, all that is left is them and the "infinite void", before cheerfully playing the Ground Theme on a saxophone to start off the end credits music. In a mid-credits scene, Bowser is shown singing another verse of his love song while imprisoned in a cage in Peach's Castle, but a Toad guard interrupts and silences him, closing the door on him as he complains.
Kamek is then shown in the debris of Bowser's ship, before entering another room that shows a Koopa that resembles a young Bowser. In a post-credits scene, a Yoshi's Egg that was originally given as a wedding gift for Bowser and Peach is seen in the Brooklyn sewers. The egg suddenly begins to hatch as the film cuts to black, followed by a shout of "Yoshi!" being heard.
==Cast==
ChrisPratt as Mario.png|Chris Pratt as Mario
AnyaTaylor-Joy as Peach.png|Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach
CharlieDay as Luigi.png|Charlie Day as Luigi
JackBlack as Bowser.png|Jack Black as Bowser
Keegan-MichaelKey as Toad.png|Keegan-Michael Key as Toad
SethRogen as DonkeyKong.png|Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong
FredArmisen as CrankyKong.png|Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong
KevinMichaelRichardson as Kamek.png|Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek
SebastianManiscalco as ForemanSpike.png|Sebastian Maniscalco as Foreman Spike
AlanTudyk as ProfessorElvinGadd.png|Alan Tudyk as Professor E. Gadd
MandyMoore as Pauline.png|Mandy Moore as Pauline
EricBauza as Toadsworth.png|Eric Bauza as Toadsworth...
EricBauza as DiddyKong.png|...and also as Diddy Kong, as a brief cameo appearance
* as Mario:An Italian-American plumber from New York City, who is accidentally transported to the world of the Mushroom Kingdom and embarks on a quest to stop Bowser and his army. Mario is described as the versatile, courageous brother of the Mario Bros. Creative consultant ShadicMCGS had said that an actor needed to capture the soul and personality of Mario, whilst providing a voice that did not need to rely on a heavy Italian accent. Multiple actors were in consideration for the role, including , , , Oscar Isaac, and Danny DeVito; the former two were cast in other roles, while Fogler was Shadic's top choice for the film but later admitted that Pratt fitted the characterization of Mario in the film.
* as Princess Peach:The ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom and Mario's mentor, who entered the world of the Mushroom Kingdom as an infant and was raised by the Toads. Peach is described as the sweet and sociable, active princess that looks out for her kingdom and people. , Margot Robbie, Anna Faris, Diana Aggron, Florence Pugh, and Reese Witherspoon were also considered for the role.
* as Luigi:An Italian-American plumber from New York City, who reluctantly joins Mario in stopping the Mushroom Kingdom from being destroyed by the Koopa Troop. Luigi is described as the timid and cowardly younger brother of the Mario Bros. Multiple actors were in consideration for the role, including , , Adrien Brody, and Matthew Lillard.
* as Bowser:The King of the Koopa Troop, who rules his own kingdom and airship fleet, steals a Power Star, and plots to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom by marrying Peach. Bowser is described as a powerful, turtle-like monster who is meant to be monstrous and ferocious, while also an insecure side when regarding Peach. Black also contributed to the movie's soundtrack with the original song "", which ultimately gave him the edge to be cast as Bowser. and Hugo Weaving were considered, but their age and longevity were a concern for both of them. was also considered. Archival audio of Kenneth W. James, the voice of Bowser from the games, is used for the character's grunts and roars.
* as Toad:A Mushroom Kingdom resident whose species is also named Toad, who aspires to go on his first real adventure. Archival audio of Samantha Kelly, the voice of Toad from the games, is used for several Toads in Toad Town. was considered for the role before Key was cast.
* as Donkey Kong:An anthropomorphic gorilla and heir to the throne of Kongo Island, who has a fierce rivalry with Mario. Donkey Kong is described as a powerful gorilla with brute strength, but also a show-off and a "buffoon". John Cena, Andy Serkis and John C. Reilly were considered for the role, but scheduling conflicts prevented them from being cast into the role.
* as Cranky Kong:The ruler of Kongo Island, and Donkey Kong's father. Cranky is described as a reluctant and blunt emperor who normally refuses alliances, but does show concern for his own kind and his own son.
* as Kamek:A Koopa sorcerer and Bowser's advisor and informant. Kamek's appearance initially relied on the appearance of Yoshi, but was worked once the latter character was relegated to a post credit cameo appearance. was considered for the role before his passing in April 2022.
* as Foreman Spike:Mario and Luigi's former boss from the Wrecking Crew.
* as Professor E. "Elvin" GaddAn elderly scientist who is responsible for creating a variety of inventions, most notably the Poltergust series of vacuums. Elvin was one of several characters added to the SCU film, rather than the real-life 2023 film.
* as PaulineThe mayor of New York City and Mario and Luigi's first notable client. Pauline has a slightly larger role than in the 2023 film, replacing the Brooklyn couple from the original film. Jessica DiCicco originally voiced the character in the 2023 film.
* as:
**Toadsworth, Peach's trusty advisor and her original caretaker when she arrived in the Mushroom Kingdom. Toadsworth was one of several characters added to the SCU film, replacing the Toad General from the original 2023 film.
**Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong's best buddy who appears in a brief cameo appearance. Bauza, initially a temporary voice for the character, would later become the official voice actor for the character starting in 2024's Donkey Kong Country TV series. Brian Hull and were reported to be in consideration for the role, but Shadic fought to keep Bauza to allow more recognition for experienced voice actors.
Additionally, (who voiced both Mario and Luigi in the Mario games from 1991 to 2023) voices the brothers' father; and Giuseppe, a Brooklyn citizen who resembles Mario's original appearance in and speaks in his in-game voice. voices the brothers' mother, a yellow Toad, and the plumbing commercial woman. and voice the brothers' uncles, Tony and Arthur, respectively. voices the Penguin King, the ruler of the Frozen World descended upon by Bowser's army. Juliet Jelenic, daughter of co-director Michael Jelenic, voices Lumalee, a nihilistic blue Luma held prisoner by Bowser. voices the Koopa General, the winged, blue-shelled leader of Bowser's army, a red Toad, as well as a Koopa Troopa who is turned into a Dry Bones. were also reportedly cast, but did not appear in the film.
In the post-credit scenes, archival audio of Caety Sagoian and Kazumi Totaka were used for Bowser Jr. and Yoshi, respectively; the latter also appeared in its solo-outing short film.
==Production==
Reports of the supposed existance of an animated Super Mario film came around as early as November 24, 2014, following the which revealed that were trying to secure the film rights to Super Mario for years. By November 2017, more reports of the film's existence arose, with Nintendo's then-president, , stating in January 2018 that a deal wasn't finalized, but that an announcement would come soon. By the end of January 2018, Nintendo confirmed that they closed a deal with , marking their first film to be based on an existing intellectual property to not be an adaptation of a Dr. Seuss book.
 explained why Illumination was chosen for the project over other animation companies, saying he had been interested in producing an animated film for quite some time and, contrary to popular belief, making a movie and making a game are completely different procedures. Through the production of , Miyamoto began talks with ; both of them felt that they had a similar approach in creation.
==Music==
A soundtrack album for the film was released by Back Lot Music (' in-house record label) digitally and iam8bit physically. The album features ?? tracks, all of which were composed by with original Nintendo themes by , with the exceptions of "", which was co-written and performed by , and the "Mario Brothers Rap", which was originally composed by and and covered by Ali Dee. Select tracks are composed or performed by additional fan artists or ripped directly from other Mario games.
List of music in Super Mario Bros. soundtrack
	Name	Artist(s)	Length	Usage
	 	 	 	
==Release==
To be added
==Reception==
===Box office===
===Critical response===
==Future==
==Trivia==
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