Normally I don't really like games which are spin-offs of movies. But this game was the exception. Whether the film existed or not this would still make a great game. This game redefined the genre and has been the benchmark used for all similar predecessors.
I don't think this game beats the original on the SNES but it did offer new features. Such as slip streaming, mutiple '?' items such as triple red shells or bananas. It was also the transition of Mario Kart into a truely 3D game. I also enjoyed the fact that they introduced more track shortcuts into the game.