The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Eye candy is one element of the sensory overload that drives The Super Mario Bros. Movie, an animated adventure that gradually becomes more exhausting than amusing.

This visually striking adaptation of the classic Nintendo videogame is a feature-length collection of self-referential sight gags and one-liners held together by a thinly sketched plot aimed squarely at youngsters with short-attention spans.

In this hyperactive origin story, the simplicity and ingenuity of the game becomes overwhelmed by constant mayhem filling every frame. In other words, the mindset is more about fitting its title characters into a trendy superhero mold than conveying any meaningful nostalgic appeal for those who grew up playing the game with quarters at the arcade.

The story positions pint-sized siblings Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) as bumbling underdog dreamers trying to launch their Brooklyn plumbing business.

While trying to make their mark in the underground sewer system, they are transported through a magical green tunnel into a land of polka-dotted mushrooms, lava rivers, brick walkways suspended in thin air, and creatures both good and evil. It also features a princess (Anya Taylor-Joy) who’s much more than just a damsel in distress.

The brothers become separated in the Mushroom Kingdom, with Mario forced to summon his courage as Princess Peach is drawn to his scrappy determination. Meanwhile, their quest is threatened by evil Koopa leader Boswer (Jack Black), an ill-tempered giant turtle with eyes for the princess who sees Mario as a threat to his eternal happiness.

Children might appreciate the lively action scenes and vibrant fantasy landscape, but accompanying adults are left to endure a barrage of self-conscious winks, Easter eggs, and corny Italian jokes.

There’s a clever early sequence in which Mario navigates obstacles in an urban construction zone. Yet while the film inventively incorporates some of the sights and sounds from the source material throughout, the screenplay veers off course while barreling toward an inevitable final showdown.

Almost by default, this effort by rookie directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic is an improvement upon the disastrous 1993 live-action movie, even if it gets carried away with a cameo by Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) — or is it a crossover?

Overall breezy and innocuous, The Super Mario Bros. Movie reinforces why it’s more fun to play than to watch. While the game has endured for generations, however, the film doesn’t deserve any extra lives.

Rated PG, 92 minutes.