Wahoo! The Super Mario Bros. Movie was finally released today after a long-anticipated wait from fans. Going into this film with high expectations and a childhood love for Mario, I was not disappointed. The fun animation style, the comedic yet touching storyline, and the iconic characters from the Super Mario franchise makes this movie enjoyable for adults and children alike.
The Plot
With a modest run time of an hour and 44 minutes, this movie brings a classic Super Mario plotline with some new twists and still has time for game references to please the fans. One of my favourite twists to the usual plotline was building up Princess Peach’s (Anya Taylor-Joy) character. Having her as a fighter instead of the damsel in distress really gave her more depth. It’s great that children can watch this and have a classic, well-known female character to look up to. Since Peach is taking care of herself (as well as an entire kingdom), Mario’s (Chris Pratt) target to save is his own brother, Luigi (Charlie Day).
The plot follows the brothers trying to start their own business together (rather unsuccessfully) as they are suddenly transported into the Mushroom Kingdom. Here they are separated and have to fight to find their way back to one another. It is a heartwarming tale of brotherly love. One gripe I do have is the lack of screen time given to Luigi. While it was necessary for the plot, if a sequel were to come out then seeing more of him interacting with the Mushroom Kingdom would be amazing.
One relationship I was thrilled to see on the big screen was Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) and Mario’s friendly rivalry. The back-and-forth digs between the two were hilarious to watch and really gave more depth to these video game characters.
Easter Eggs
As expected, the film contains many easter eggs and references to several games from the franchise in a fun way, so you can’t wait to see what you spot next. One reference that stuck with me was to the Mario Kart series with a colourful race down Rainbow Road. A huge part of the games are the ‘power-ups’ you can hone through mushrooms. The way this movie handled them was fantastic and it was a thrill to see them put to use in such a spectacular style of animation.
Everyone who has ever played a videogame must be familiar with the catchy music that the Super Mario franchise uses. Brian Tyler worked his magic with Koji Kondo’s famous Nintendo themes and transformed them into a soundtrack as playful and cinematic as this film.
Cast
Of course, we cannot forget all of the great work of the voice actors. They really brought their characters to life in this movie. Chris Pratt being cast as Mario caused a lot of controversies online when it was announced. While I do agree that they could’ve picked someone more suited to the role, Pratt certainly does a great job with Mario. Keegan-Michael Key as Toad was the perfect fit as Toad’s character had a 180 transformation from fearful to fearless. And of course, the showstopper is Jack Black as the tyrannical Bowser. When I heard who he was cast as I knew he would do Bowser justice, and he followed through.
Whether or not you are a fan of the games, young or older, this movie is suited to anyone. Just watching it was an experience that brought out my inner child. I highly recommend you see it on the big screen, you will not be disappointed!
Featured Image Credit: UniversalPictures
Second year student journalist studying Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Journalism Studies.
Writer for Brig and Discovery Music
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