THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE (2023)
Updated: Apr 10, 2023
The Famous Video Game Gets an Extra Life in This Animated Adventure.
Grade: A-
It took thirty years, but Hollywood has finally done Mario right. After the highly ambitious live-action feature Super Mario Bros. (1993) failed to win the hearts of critics and audiences, the famous plumber was largely confined to his original video game format. Now he is back on the big screen in an animated flick that is sure to delight young fans of the games, and maybe even some older fans, too. It is not always Pixar or even Dreamworks levels of storytelling, but it's still a fun and delightful little film.
Mario is played here by Chris Pratt, whose casting caused a great deal of ridicule online due to the idea of his distractingly distinctive voice coming out of the Italian character ("It’s-a me! Chris Pratt-io!”). But his voice is actually nowhere near as out-of-place as one might think. In fact, the entire cast does a good job, from Charlie Day as Luigi to Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, and especially Jack Black, who manages to pull off both menace and comedy as the malevolent Bowser. They all do justice to their video game counterparts-and in some cases manage to improve on them, as Peach goes from being a perpetual damsel-in-distress, as she is in the games, to a strong-willed fighter.
The opening scenes are a typical story of two down-on-their-luck characters constantly feeling put-upon, as Mario and Luigi are struggling with their plumber business. But then things get weird when they get sucked into a pipe in the Brooklyn sewers and become separated. Luigi ends up getting captured by Bowser, while Mario finds himself in the Mushroom Kingdom. When Mario learns that Bowser plans to take over the kingdom, he teams up with Peach and Toad (Keegan Michael-Key) to enlist the aid of Cranky Kong (Fred Armisen) and his son Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) to fight Bowser and his army of Koopa Troopas.
The pacing of the movie is one of its more obvious problems. While it’s not abnormal for animated films to move quickly along, The Super Mario Bros. Movie skims through some more important details and character development. Mario and Toad barely get to know each other before Toad decides they are friends, and his only qualification for joining Mario and Peach is him saying he’s brave, even though Mario had to go through a crazy obstacle course to prove himself. Additionally, some story elements are introduced, only to be left hanging. Where did those pipes come from that connect Mario’s world with the Mushroom Kingdom? And where did Peach come from? And the power-ups? Considering the track record of video game movies, though, the story could certainly be worse.
The movie's main purpose is to be an entertaining adventure that delights fans of the games, and it definitely succeeds in that category. The Mushroom Kingdom and surrounding lands are brought to glorious life and infused with countless musical cues and Easter Eggs (and Yoshi Eggs) from the games. Jellyfish-like Bloopers, Shy Guys, the Big Bob-Omb, and the infamous Blue Shell populate the screen. Instead of being distracting, as is often the case in movies, these references actually enhance the experience.
Meanwhile, characters drive go-karts down the Rainbow Road while fighting each other with Koopa shells and Bob-Ombs. Mario in a cat suit manages to get the drop on Donkey Kong in a huge arena. And later, he has to distract a giant, grinning missile from destroying the kingdom, all while wearing a raccoon suit that helps him fly. These and many other scenes are chock full of action, energy and fun, even without the added benefit of recognizing elements from the games.
It’s too soon to know for sure, but The Super Mario Bros. Movie seems destined to be a hit. And I’d say it deserves it. Here’s hoping that its sequel, when it eventually gets made, will be just as good-and maybe even better.
Directors: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
Screenplay: Matthew Fogel (Based on the "Super Mario" videogames by Nintendo)
Producers: Chris Melendandri, Shigeru Miyamoto
Cast: Chris Pratt (Mario), Anya Taylor-Joy (Princess Peach), Charlie Day (Luigi), Jack Black (Bowser), Keegan Michael-Key (Toad), Seth Rogen (Donkey Kong), Fred Armisen (Cranky Kong), Sebastian Maniscalco (Foreman Spike), Kevin Michael Richardson (Kamek)
Rated: PG (for action and mild violence)
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