What age is The Super Mario Bros Movie appropriate for?

The Super Mario Bros Movie is rated PG and PopcornCheck recommends it for ages 5+, based on reading the actual screenplay. Most of the action is cartoon-style and consequence-free, but several scenes may unsettle younger children — particularly Bowser threatening to destroy the entire kingdom with a Bomber Bill, Mario and Luigi being taken prisoner and facing 'ritual sacrifice,' and Luigi being threatened with digestion by an eel creature in the Dark Lands.

Does The Super Mario Bros Movie have swearing or bad language?

The Super Mario Bros Movie has Very Mild language. Characters say 'stupid' (x2), 'insane' (x2), 'hell' or 'hellhound' (x1), 'nuts' (x1), and 'psycho' (x1) — all classified as mild.

Is The Super Mario Bros Movie violent?

The Super Mario Bros Movie has Mild violence. Bowser's army launches an assault on an enemy kingdom, described as delivering 'a taste of our fury' — shown as a large-scale cartoon battle with no graphic injuries.

Is The Super Mario Bros Movie scary for children?

The Super Mario Bros Movie has Mild scary scenes. Luigi falls alone into the Dark Lands through a pipe — he is separated from Mario and left in an ominous, threatening environment, establishing sustained peril for a central character.

Is The Super Mario Bros Movie OK for Kids?

Name: The Super Mario Bros Movie
Director: Michael Jelenic
Genre: Family, Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy, Animation
Released: 2023
Duration: 93 min
Cast: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key

FamilyComedyAdventureFantasyAnimation

PG⭐ 7.0 / 102023 · 1h 33m

Michael Jelenic

Where to Watch

United States

Stream

Rent

Rent or Buy on Amazon

Streaming data by JustWatch

What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay

🗡️Violence

Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Cartoon / Comedic

Action & Peril

Injuries & Death Shown

Graphic & Disturbing

Bowser's army launches an assault on an enemy kingdom, described as delivering 'a taste of our fury' — shown as a large-scale cartoon battle with no graphic injuries.
Mario fights Donkey Kong in a boxing ring in a prolonged sequence involving repeated punches and knockdowns — played for action and comedy, with Mario ultimately winning by using a cat power-up to scratch DK.
Bowser's forces mount a full attack on the Mushroom Kingdom, and Princess Peach is captured and directly threatened by Bowser.
During Bowser's wedding, Mario and Luigi fight Bowser's minions in a brawl that is chaotic but cartoon in tone.
The final battle sees Mario face Bowser powered by a Super Star, with the confrontation involving large-scale destruction — Bowser also fires a Bomber Bill weapon threatening to obliterate the kingdom.
Luigi is threatened with being digested alive by an eel creature in the Dark Lands — played as perilous rather than gory, but may disturb younger children.
No characters are shown dying graphically — all violence is action-level or slapstick cartoon with no blood or visible wounds. The overall tone is playful and consequence-light.

💬Language

Very Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mild Words

(damn, hell)

Moderate

(ass, b**ch)

Strong

(sh*t)

Extreme

(f**k)

Characters say 'stupid' (x2), 'insane' (x2), 'hell' or 'hellhound' (x1), 'nuts' (x1), and 'psycho' (x1) — all classified as mild.
No moderate, strong, or extreme profanity of any kind — no a**, b**ch, s**t, or f-words detected.
No slurs, no creative insults beyond the above, and no near-profanity that stands out as inappropriate for a family audience.

👻Scary Scenes

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mildly Tense

Startling Moments

Genuinely Scary

Deeply Disturbing

Luigi falls alone into the Dark Lands through a pipe — he is separated from Mario and left in an ominous, threatening environment, establishing sustained peril for a central character.
Guards suddenly appear yelling 'Intruder!' — a startling moment likely to make younger children jump.
Bowser reveals his plan to destroy the entire kingdom if Princess Peach refuses to marry him — a scene of genuine menace where the villain's power and cruelty are made explicit.
Princess Peach is placed in the position of agreeing to marry Bowser under duress to protect her people — a tense moral hostage scenario that may be distressing for younger viewers.
Mario and Luigi are captured as prisoners and face what is described as 'ritual sacrifice' — the stakes are high and the threat is direct, though the scene does not depict graphic harm.
Bowser, empowered by the Super Star, becomes invincible during the climax — a visually intense and threatening sequence.
The Bomber Bill launch sequence — where Bowser fires a massive weapon to destroy the kingdom — is described as the most overwhelming moment in the film and may frighten children under 7.
Scary scenes are resolved through Mario and Luigi's teamwork and the defeat of Bowser — the film ends on a celebratory, reassuring note.

💕Romance

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Crushes & Holding Hands

Kissing & Dating

Suggestive

Sexual Content

Bowser is obsessively in love with Princess Peach — he sings a song describing her appearance (her 'heart-shaped bangs' and tiara) and attempts to propose to her using the Super Star. This is played partly for comedy but also establishes him as a genuine threat.
Bowser forces Peach to agree to marriage under duress to save her people — a coercive dynamic that parents may wish to acknowledge with younger children.
There is mild romantic tension between Mario and Princess Peach during their training and journey together, and Mario is shown flirting with Peach during a high-speed rainbow road drive.
No kissing occurs between main characters, no sexual content is shown or implied, and no nudity of any kind. The romantic content is entirely age-appropriate crush-level material.

🍺Substances

Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mentioned in Passing

Shown Casually

Featured Prominently

Glorified or Abused

Mushrooms appear throughout the film as magical power-ups that grant abilities — this is core to the video game world the film is based on and is presented as fantastical, not as a drug reference.
In one moment of dialogue, Mario warns another character 'Do not touch that mushroom! You'll die!' — a safety-framed mention rather than a glorification.
Characters consume mushrooms on screen to gain powers — shown casually as part of the adventure. There is no alcohol, tobacco, or real-world drug use of any kind in the film.

⚡Stimulation

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Gently Engaging

Exciting

Intense

Overwhelming

The film maintains an energetic pace throughout, with frequent action sequences, bright saturated visuals, and a high-energy score drawing heavily from the video game soundtracks.
The Mario vs. Donkey Kong fight sequence and the high-speed kart chase on rainbow road are both classified as intense — rapid editing, loud sound design, and back-to-back action.
The Bomber Bill launch and kingdom destruction sequence is the film's most overwhelming moment — chaotic, loud, and visually dense. Children under 7 or those with sensory sensitivities may find this sequence too much.
The final showdown between Mario, Luigi, and Bowser involving Super Star powers combines all of the above into a climactic sequence of high stimulation.
Parents of sensory-sensitive children should be aware that much of the film's second and third act is fast-paced and loud — quieter moments exist but are brief.

The Super Mario Bros Movie — Heads Up for Parents

Despite the film's cheerful, family-friendly tone, the scene in which Mario and Luigi are taken prisoner and described as facing 'ritual sacrifice' may catch parents off guard — it is played for action rather than horror, but the language and framing are more directly threatening than most parents will expect from a U/PG-rated animated film based on a children's video game.

About The Super Mario Bros Movie

The Super Mario Bros. Movie follows Brooklyn plumbers Mario and Luigi, who are sucked through a mysterious pipe into a fantastical world split between the colourful Mushroom Kingdom and the dangerous Dark Lands. When Luigi is captured by the villainous Bowser — a giant fire-breathing turtle king obsessed with forcing Princess Peach to marry him — Mario must team up with Peach and Donkey Kong to rescue his brother and stop Bowser from destroying the kingdom. The film is a vibrant, fast-paced animated adventure that stays true to the joyful, energetic spirit of the beloved video game series.

👨‍👧

Best watched together

The film is appropriate for children aged 5 and up, but Bowser's coercive marriage threat, the ritual sacrifice scene, and the Bomber Bill destruction sequence give younger or more sensitive children the best experience when a parent is present to contextualise the threat and reassure them that the brothers will be okay.

Family Takeaways from The Super Mario Bros Movie

What it gets right

✓The film centres its entire emotional core on the bond between two brothers — Mario and Luigi's relationship is treated with genuine warmth, and Mario's refusal to leave Luigi behind gives children a concrete, moving example of what loyalty looks like in practice.
✓Princess Peach is written as a competent, self-sufficient leader who trains Mario, devises the plan to stop Bowser, and sacrifices her own freedom to protect her people — a strong female character who drives the plot rather than simply reacting to it.

The Super Mario Bros Movie Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

Values & Themes

●Traditional family values

Mario's entire quest is driven by protecting his brother Luigi and proving himself to his disapproving family. The film's emotional core centers on sibling loyalty and earning family respect through sacrifice.

Community Notes

Some critics noted that Bowser's obsessive, coercive pursuit of Peach — including forcing her agreement to marriage under duress — frames a controlling romantic dynamic that younger children may not have the context to identify as unhealthy without a parent's guidance.

Cast:Chris PrattAnya Taylor-JoyCharlie DayJack BlackKeegan-Michael Key