It has surely been a weekend full of surprises after Nintendo's The Super Mario Bros. Movie exceeded expectations with its phenomenal opening at the box office.

Based on Nintendo's renowned Mario video game franchise, the computer-animated adventure film has left critics in awe after earning an impressive $146 million during its opening weekend, and a staggering $204.6 million within just five days of its release. The film's remarkable success has now set a new record for the biggest opening weekend of 2023, overtaking the previous record held by MCU's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which had earned $106 million.

Furthermore, The Super Mario Bros. Movie has broken the record for the biggest opening weekend for an animated film, surpassing Frozen II, with a total of $173 million earned at the international box office. It now stands at $377 million in global ticket sales. Based on initial projections, the Mario film was expected to generate at least $85 million during its opening weekend. However, subsequent revisions increased the estimated value to $125 million.

According to data collected from various cinemas, 60 percent of the ticket sales for the general audience were made by individuals aged 18 to 34. However, it is not surprising that the majority of the overall ticket sales were from families and children who were attracted to the film adaptation of the popular Nintendo game that spans across generations.

Amazon Studios' sports drama Air also made its theatrical debut this Easter weekend and managed to earn a respectable $20.2 million within its first five days of release. Although not as remarkable as The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it's important to note that Air is Amazon Studios' first film to have an exclusive theatrical release. As of now, Amazon has not disclosed when the film will be added to its streaming service, Prime Video.

The R-rated film by Ben Affleck revolves around the historic partnership between Nike and the iconic NBA legend, Michael Jordan. Rotten Tomatoes awarded the film a 92% fresh rating, with multiple critics lauding the outstanding screenplay and the exceptional performances of the cast.

Air features an ensemble cast consisting of Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, and Viola Davis.

Speaking of The Super Mario Bros. movie, the film continues to get bad reviews from critics despite its excellent box office showing. It remains to be seen if it can sustain its success.