After Nintendo’s first foray into filmmaking with the notoriously bad, Super Mario Bros in 1993, it was easy to see why they chose to stick with gaming. However, one of the most interesting elements of their partnership with Universal/Illumination is how they’ve somehow made a brand-new feature-length film that acts less of an adaptation and more of a celebration of their landmark franchise. This is The Super Mario Bros Movie.
In The Super Mario Bros Movie, Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are introduced as new small business owners in the blue collar district of Brooklyn. At the constant berating of another small business as well as the lack of confidence from their own family, the brothers are bent on making a name for themselves against all odds. Despite the painful ridicule, Mario and Luigi share a bond that insists, as long as they stick together, they can do anything.
Needless to say, this attitude and heartwarming resilience are what sets Mario and Luigi on an otherworldly adventure neither would ever expect.
After discovering a strange pipe in the sewers of Brooklyn, the brothers are sucked into another dimension and separated almost immediately. While Luigi finds himself in a netherworld of fire, brimstone, and Koopa zombies, Mario ends up in the whimsical world of the Mushroom Kingdom. Meanwhile, the reptilian tyrant, Bowser (Jack Black), is on a quest to destroy the world hoping to impress Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) enough to take her hand in marriage. All 3 stories collide when Mario reluctantly agrees to aid Peach while on the quest to find his brother.
Because The Super Mario Bros Movie moves at a breakneck pace, its astonishing directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic have time to tell a coherent story, much less one that manages to fit in franchise lore and easter eggs every millisecond. But they managed to pull it off far better than I could imagine. Even more so when you take into account Nintento’s apprehension about merely green-lighting the film. It’s Horvath and Jelenic’s attention to detail that really elevates this from being a simple cash grab to an all-out celebration of the Super Mario IP.
With that in mind, The Super Mario Bros Movie just might be relying on a divine miracle as opposed to movie magic.
Of course, one can’t talk about The Super Mario Bros Movie without mentioning the casting discourse of Chris Pratt as the titular character. I will be the first to admit, I was a little hurt that franchise mainstay Charles Martinet wasn’t voicing Mario. But Pratt does a decent job bringing the character to life. It’s worth noting how petty the controversy really is, considering the character is mostly known by Wa-hoos and Yipeees. In fact, the entire film’s voice acting was spot on! Keegan Michael Key is adorable as the mischievous Toad, Seth Rogen’s turn as Donkey Kong steals nearly every scene he’s in, and Jack Black’s over-the-top hammy performance as Bowser owns the entire film.
Surprisingly, my favorite element of The Super Mario Bros Movie was the chemistry between Mario and Luigi, despite spending half of the film apart.
Obviously, brotherly chemistry is sort of mandated by the story itself, but Pratt and Day are perfect. Even as a video game adaption made for children, it has a lot of heart. So much so, I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel a tear well up a time or two especially when the brothers inevitably team up in the final act. Seeing as I have a close relationship with my own brother as well as owning a small business with him, I found myself actually relating to the characters. The film just wouldn’t have worked if it weren’t for the performances. So it’s great to see the most controversial aspect people (myself included) thought would sink the film be the thing that saves it.
The animation is absolutely gorgeous from a stylistic and technical perspective. Unfortunately, The Super Mario Bros Movie isn’t perfect though. Notably, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach is severely underutilized. Also, I wish the film hadn’t stooped to a few cinematic tropes, the most glaring is the use of slow motion for comedic effect.
Additionally, quite a few 80s pop-rock songs that stuck out as overtly corny. It was fun to hear The Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep Til Brooklyn” early on as well as AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” during a Mario Kart montage. But we did not need Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out For A Hero” during an action scene, and A-ha’s “Take On Me” had no business being in a roller coaster sequence. Also, with so much heart and soul within the character development between Mario and Luigi, I wish there was just a pinch more sentimentality throughout Mario’s arc.
I’m not entirely sure anyone has ever played a Mario game for a deeply philosophical story. And make no mistake: The Super Mario Bros Movie doesn’t have one.
But when it goes there, it gets it right. Maybe better than it should. While we all love the Mario games for brightly colored, upbeat fun, I think the secret ingredient is really the resilience of the character. Despite being small, pudgy, and unassuming, Mario has never failed to rise to the occasion and save the day. In a world of overstuffed comic book movies or tactless horror, the same could be said for The Super Mario Bros Movie. It’s a colorful and breezy adventure with just enough heart. Thanks to its momentum and craft, its the most fun I’ve had in a cinema in a very long time. Let’s-a Go!
The Super Mario Bros Movie is now playing in theaters nationwide.