While it's a beloved movie now, the Super Mario Bros. Movie had everything working against it. The long-living curse of game adaptations may seem to have expired in recent years, but 1993's Super Mario Bros. is a stain on our favorite red-hatted plumber's 40-year history. Fortunately, it blew all expectations and concerns out of the green pipe, and you can watch this brilliant animated film for free right now.
Mario dominates our best Switch games list, as he did with the DS, Wii U, Wii, and other consoles from Nintendo before. But the big screen was dangerous new territory for the platforming character, moving away from the safety of his videogame stomping grounds, yet the Super Mario Bros. Movie proved to be a brilliant origin story for the mascot.
Of course, it takes some creative liberties compared to the old and new Mario games, with the iconic plumber struggling to start his business with brother Luigi, and as both of them get sucked into a Warp Pipe and find themselves in different areas of the franchise. In the former's case, he ends up in the peaceful Mushroom Kingdom, while Luigi gets caught in the horrifying Dark Lands.
Not only does it take you on a cinematic adventure through some iconic Mario lands, but it also offers plenty of Mario characters driving their karts, and the world-famous Donkey Kong is a major part. Jack Black's performance of Bowser gives the villain some humor and fun behind the simple 'kidnap Peach' routine.
Without going further into why this is a great movie, as the magic truly happens during the film, there's a good reason why the Super Mario Bros. Movie is the highest-grossing videogame adaptation of all time. With a sequel set to launch in 2026, there's no better time to enjoy Mario's first (good) movie.
Right now, you can watch the Super Mario Bros. Movie for free with Amazon Prime in the US. While you'll need an Amazon Prime subscription to access it, you can always get a free trial, meaning that you don't have to spend anything to take a break away from your handheld console and, well, watch another screen.
After enjoying the Super Mario Bros. Movie, you can always keep an eye on our upcoming Switch games guide for any future titles releasing that include Nintendo's mascot. Alternatively, catch up with the best Mario games you may have missed, including some underrated gems like Mario + Rabbids duology.