We are living in a golden age of cinema, with much to enjoy and look forward to; The Barbie Movie, The D&D movie, Puss in Boots, just to name a few, and, as we are here to discuss, The Super Mario Bros Movie is absolutely no exception. 

When The Wolf made the decision to review the Mario movie this issue, frankly I was ecstatic to write what I assumed would be an entirely-ironic, absolute-joke of a review. My expectations were admittedly incredibly low. I was expecting a technically-enjoyable movie because of the hype and nostalgia, but objectively terrible as a cinematic experience, a real The Hangover 3 type movie, which happens to be the best kind of movie to write a review for. This is why my excitement only skyrocketed when seeing the 56 percent critics score.

This is why, dear reader, I am shocked to deliver the news that The Super Mario Bros Movie is perhaps, possibly, the greatest movie of all time. 

From the moment, the very first moment, Mario appeared on screen, and the entirely, almost-violently-American voice of Chris Pratt left his lips, I knew this movie was gold. 

It may sound like I am pulling your leg, and this is admittedly laying it on a little thick, but this movie is genuinely fantastic; it is nostalgic, it is fun, the soundtrack is phenomenal, the cast is star-studded from Jack Black to Anya Taylor Joy, the plot is enjoyable, the humor is light and executed perfectly, the animation is stunning, the references are well-placed and thoughtful and, perhaps most importantly, it is entirely self-aware. 

This movie knows exactly what it is – a joke. Not in the sense that it is a bad movie, but in the sense that it is a movie made for a generation that grew up on the games and whose sense of humor is taking on a new absurdist nature. The movie not only acknowledges this fact, but entirely plays into it, which makes it not only entirely entertaining, but also holistic within itself. It does not feign to be part of something larger. It is a movie about Mario, and that is all it tries to be. As cinema increasingly tries to be a part of something larger, as the notion that everything we experience is art and everything has value and meaning is continuously crammed down the throats of movie-goers, something entirely aware of what it is and its objective to entertain, and aims to just be that – to exist for the sole purpose of thoroughly entertaining its audience – is incredibly refreshing and enjoyable. 

Genuinely, I don’t think I stopped smiling a single time during the 90 minutes I spent in my chair, and sometimes the laughter in the theater was so uproarious you could not hear the film. 

I went to the theater to be entertained, and for 90 wonderful minutes all I did was watch the characters I loved in childhood fight the villains they always do, and all I was, was a person in a movie theater watching a movie. No notes.