Why Super Mario Bros. Reviews Took Jack Black By Surprise In The Worst Way

Jack Black has never been the sort of guy to mince words, but sometimes, even the gregarious actor is left speechless by certain facets of the movie industry — specifically the critics who chronicle the artistic ups and downs of those who work in it. 

In this case, the cause of said puzzlement was the Rotten Tomatoes score for "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," an instant yes project for Black when it was pitched to him.  The actor, who voices the evil Bowser in the movie, told Total Film in January 2024 that he got to see the finished product months before the general public did, and he had a wonderful time during the showing. "They screened it for me a month before it hit theaters. I was like, 'We've got a hit on our hands.' I'm laughing and smiling the whole way through this movie." 

That's why Black was startled by the score the review aggregation website attached to the film — a middling 59% with 280 critics weighing in. Noting the slate of negative reviews, he said, "I was like, 'What movie did they see?' Luckily, the world didn't listen to Rotten Tomatoes, and it was one of the biggest hits of all time."

Indeed, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" ended up grossing over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, and its audience score stands at an impressive 95% at press time. But it was far from Black's poorest-reviewed film on Rotten Tomatoes.

What's the lowest-scored Jack Black film on Rotten Tomatoes? That dishonor falls to "Envy," a 2004 comedy where Black portrays Nick, a schemer with a big dream. Tim (Ben Stiller) is used to his best friend's outlandish ideas, so he doesn't put any stock in Nick's latest notion — a vaporizer that can eliminate any organic matter. Tim doesn't invest, but when The Vaporizer goes on the market as a dog doo removal system, it becomes a runaway success. Tim watches in increasingly violent paroxysms of jealousy over Nick's success, culminating in a fight that could ruin their friendship for good.

This movie hit a low point with many critics. For instance, Jo Berry of Empire Magazine castigated the film for taking the typically funny Stiller and Black and making them dull. The end result was an 8% critical approval score on Rotten Tomatoes. But unlike "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," there is no audience groundswell to protect its reputation — it has a 27% approval score from viewers. Thankfully, at least Black's had plenty of other films that have gotten critical and audience approval since then.