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The highly anticipated The Super Mario Bros Movie was finally released on April 7, 2023, with fans rushing to the theaters to watch it. 2023 has been a fun year for millennial gamers born in the 1990s, with the release of several movies and TV shows that bring back fond memories.
After the critical and commercial success of The Last of Us, gamers have high hopes for upcoming film and television adaptations of their favorite games. The success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie at the box office shows that audiences want more films like it.
Here are 4 successful live-action movie adaptations of video games to watch along with The Super Mario Bros Movie to get that hit of nostalgia you've been craving for:
The Super Mario Bros Movie and 4 other commercially successful live-action films that will take you back in time
1) The Super Mario Bros Movie (2023)
The Super Mario Bros Movie, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, features the beloved Nintendo characters Mario and Luigi in a new adventure. The film follows the brothers as they journey through the Mushroom Kingdom to save Princess Peach from the clutches of the evil Bowser.
The movie stars Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, and Jack Black as Bowser while also featuring Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong and Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong.
To note, both critics and fans have had conflicting reviews about The Super Mario Bros Movie. While some have applauded the cast's performances, especially Chris Pratt's portrayal of Mario, others have criticized its plot and character development.
Despite the lackluster reaction, The Super Mario Bros Movie was a huge box office hit raking up to $692.9 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2023. The movie set box office records for the biggest worldwide opening weekend for an animated film and the highest-grossing film based on a video game.
The Super Mario Bros Movie is currently available to watch only in theaters.
2) Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019)
Pokémon Detective Pikachu was also tremendously successful at the box office upon its release in 2019. The mystery fantasy comedy film, directed by Rob Letterman, is a loose adaptation of the 2016 videogame of the same name.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu stars Justice Smith as Tim Goodman and Ryan Reynolds as the voice of the cute but wisecracking and caffeine-addicted Pikachu. The movie follows Tim and Pikachu as they team up to solve the mysterious disappearance of Tim's father.
The film was praised for its stunning visuals which delighted fans with a sense of nostalgia as they watched many of their beloved 'Pokemons' from the original 1997 Japanese anime come to life.
Ryan Reynolds received a lot of praise for his comedic performance as the beloved Pikachu, which was arguably one of the reasons why Pokémon Detective Pikachu performed well at the box office, earning over $433 million worldwide.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu is available to watch online with a subscription to Prime Video.
3) The Angry Birds Movie (2016)
The Angry Birds Movie, directed by Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly, was released in 2016 and is based on the popular mobile game of the same name.
The film follows a group of birds who are trying to protect their eggs from a group of pigs who have stolen them. The movie features an all-star cast, including Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage, Maya Rudolph, Sean Penn, and Danny McBride.
The Angry Birds Movie was a box office success, grossing over $352 million worldwide. A sequel titled The Angry Birds Movie 2 was released in 2019, given the success of the first installment.
The Angry Birds Movie is available to watch online with a subscription to Prime Video.
4) Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022)
The first installment, Sonic The Hedgehog released in 2020 right before the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown but still did quite well at the box office grossing over $319 million worldwide. Although, its sequel, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 was a super hit at the box office and set the record for the highest-grossing film based on a video game, raking up to $405 million worldwide until The Super Mario Bros Movie surpassed it in 2023.
The film, directed by Jeff Fowler, stars Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic and Jim Carrey as the villainous Dr. Robotnik alongside stars such as James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, and Idris Elba among others.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 received acclaim for its entertaining and compelling narrative as well as for Carrey's eccentric portrayal as the villain. The third instalment, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is currently in the works and set to release in 2024 along with a spin-off series titled Knuckles starring Idris Elba.
While the first installment can be rented on Prime Video, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is available to watch on the same streaming platform with a subscription.
5) Uncharted (2022)
Directed by Ruben Fleischer, Uncharted was released in 2023 and is based on the popular video game series of the same name developed by Naughty Dog. The film stars Tom Holland as treasure hunter Nathan Drake, and Mark Wahlberg as his mentor, Victor Sullivan.
Uncharted received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising Holland's performance and the film's action sequences, while others criticizing the movie for being formulaic and lacking in originality.
Despite the mixed reviews, Uncharted has earned over $401 million worldwide, making it the sixth highest-grossing film of all time based on a video game.
Uncharted is available to stream on Netflix with a subscription.
Video game adaptations have turned into a new genre of cinema that has seen a tremendous amount of success in recent years. With the success of movies like The Super Mario Bros Movie and the others mentioned on this list, it is evident that we will see a lot more movie and TV adaptations in the future. Some popular ones like Gran Turismo and Arcane: League of Legends Season 2 are already confirmed to release soon.
