SUPER MARIO BROS.

You can expect a colorful, imaginative action movie built around a parallel universe, superlative special effects, and an inventive set. The story is generally innocuous and does not present much that is unseemly or immoral. A positive reference to Jesus Christ as Lord opens the film, and good triumphs over evil.

The tradeoff is that the movie lags in places for want of real jeopardy, and its storyline and action can become confused. Its New Age and humanistic undertones are slightly unsettling, especially alongside ideas about parallel universes and psychic abilities.

For middle schoolers and older viewers who can exercise discernment, this is worth watching; parents should use their judgment for younger children.

Mario and Luigi are Brooklyn brothers who come to Daisy’s aid when construction-company thugs threaten an archaeological excavation near the East River. Their rescue mission soon pulls them through a mysterious portal into Dinohattan, a parallel dimension where reptiles have evolved into near-human beings.

There, the brothers encounter Koopa, a diabolical tyrant with plans that reach beyond his own dying world. What follows is a series of far-out adventures in Dinohattan’s phantasmagoric atmosphere.

Four stars means this is a strongly entertaining movie despite its weaknesses. The special effects are superlative, and the imaginative set gives the parallel world a distinctive, phantasmagoric atmosphere.

The film does lag in places because the danger does not always feel real. Its storyline and action become somewhat confused, and even Bob Hoskins does not give a particularly credible performance. Still, the source review finds enough invention and adventure to rate the movie four stars.

The film opens with a positive reference to Jesus Christ as Lord and presents a good-triumphs-over-evil framework. Its central conflict pits the Mario Brothers against Koopa, a diabolical tyrant seeking to save his dying world by merging it with the human world.

The worldview becomes less comfortable through its humanistic and New Age undertones. The storyline includes parallel universes and psychic abilities, while the villain promotes ideas of evolution and de-evolution. The film also includes demonic creatures. These elements do not erase its moral conflict between good and evil, but they do call for discernment.

The movie’s basic moral shape aligns with Scripture’s call to resist evil: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

SUPER MARIO BROS. offers imaginative effects and far-out adventure, with a clear good-versus-evil framework. Its confused stretches and New Age undertones call for discernment, especially with younger children. For middle schoolers and up, the answer is WORTH THE TRIP — MIDDLE SCHOOL AND UP.