The Super Mario Bros. Movie is one of the most anticipated films of 2023. However, after the 1993’s live-action Super Mario Bros film bombed at the box office, Nintendo became overly cautious in adapting its video game franchises. But with animation powerhouse Illumination at the helm, will The Super Mario Bros. Movie be a power up or game over for Nintendo?
The Super Mario Bros. Movie follows the adventures of brothers Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day), Brooklyn plumbers who’ve just powered up by starting their own plumbing business, much to the chagrin of their dad. After witnessing a massive pipe leak on the nightly news, the two spring into action to save the day, only to get sucked into a mysterious Warp Pipe.
While hurtling through the pipe, brothers get separated: Luigi crashes in the ominous Dark Lands, where the Koopa king Bowser (Jack Black) imprisons him; Mario pops out in the vibrant Mushroom Kingdom, teaming up with a humanoid mushroom creature named Toad (Keegan-Michael Key). Toad takes him to the kingdom’s ruler, Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), who has just learned that Bowser is in possession of a Super Star, intending to use its invincibility powers to conquer her realm. With Bowser’s threat looming large, Peach joins forces with Mario, setting off to convince the primate Kongs to form an alliance to defeat Bowser once and for all.
You don’t need any previous familiarity with the Mario characters or franchise to enjoy The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Matthew Fogel’s script makes it easy to jump into this world with a simple, light-hearted and enjoyable plot. And while The Super Mario Bros. Movie was made to appeal to wide audiences, as the film is brimming with countless Easter eggs, which will excite fans of the most hardcore fans of the games. (Speaking of eggs, stay until the end for a fun post-credits scene.)
Story-wise The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a bit disjointed, as if the feeling filmmakers are speed-running through a Mario Wiki check list—Warp Pipes, Peach’s castle, brown brick obstacle course, kart racing, Rainbow Road…the list goes on and on. It’s also a letdown to see that Luigi is relegated to the damsel-in-distress role, so fingers crossed a sequel gives him a chance to level up.
Visually, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a delight. The Mushroom Kingdom and Kong Jungle are bright and colorful and are juxtaposed by the scary and moody Dark Lands. The CGI designs of characters stay close to their video game counterparts, which have had quite a few looks and iterations over the years. Their look is original to this movie, while not a total deviating from what we expect.
Brian Tyler’s score perfectly balances creating a new score while utilizing many iconic Mario leitmotifs by composer Koji Kondo. It’s not overwhelming with so Mario sounds and jingles that you’re taken out of the film, but instead he weaves them into the score, creating a very balanced and nostalgic soundtrack. Going back to the archives and using the theme song from 1989’s The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and “DK Rap” from Donkey Kong 64 were unexpected treats. The musical highlight is “Peaches”, a power ballad co-written by Black where Bowser sings at the piano about his undying love for Princess Peach. It is hilarious and no doubt will be sung by kids for years to come. However, trite pop songs were unnecessary, distracting from the score and taking you out of the moment.
The voice acting is a bit generic. There are no thick Italian accents, Peach doesn’t have her high-pitched charm, Donkey Kong is voice by Seth Rogen for some unknown reason. Chris Pratt—who was initially criticized for his casting—performing better than expected, Anya Taylor-Joy was unmemorable, and Jack Black stole the show with his hilarious performance. Hardcore fans might be disappointed that the characters’ traditional voices weren’t used, but one of Mario voice actors, Charles Martinet, made a cameo as the brothers’ father. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a simple video game movie that has much to offer for kids, adults, and hardcore Mario super fans. There is something for everybody, and you will leave the theater feeling like you just got an extra life.
★★★★
The Super Mario Bros. Movie jumps into theaters on April 5, 2023.
