Nintendo has decided to give another attempt after the disastrous 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros movie. Super Mario is a huge part of my childhood, so I was thrilled at the idea of a movie that actually resembles the game. I was a little put off by the not-so-positive critic’s review but is their score justified?
Let’s get the biggest worry out of the way, Chris Pratt as Mario. He is all right in the role. I think he does a good voice for Mario that works for the whole runtime. Likewise, Charlie Day as Luigi is good as well. The first act of the movie with Mario and Luigi together is incredibly enjoyable. The pacing is great and they do a great job illustrating the strong bonds between the brothers. This is also thanks to the great chemistry between Chris and Charlie. In terms of great voice performance, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad is terrific. We have seen in interviews that he does the high pitch voice without just sound editing tricks. His voice as Toad works perfectly for the film while still having the same energy as Toad in the game. He is only outshined by the best voice performance in the whole film, Jack Black as Bowser. Jack Black gives a voice performance that actually sounds different from his normal voice to the point that you won’t be able to tell it is him. His voice was perfect as Bowser’s as he gave a menacing tone but a slight goofiness to the performance as well. Charles Martinet (the video game Mario voice) is also here and not just as a cameo which I appreciate as well.
Brian Tyler is the music composer for this film and he does a great job. They incorporated a lot of the great music from the Mario games into the film wonderfully. He sometimes does it subtlety and sometimes uses it fully for big moments but it is done tastefully. The visuals are also great and they did a great job of making the world of Mario look alive. This is definitely one of Illumination’s best-looking films. There are also some great, enjoyable action sequences such as the obstacle course that reminds you of the classic games, Mario vs Donkey Kong, the Rainbow Road, and the whole final act. These sequences utilize the elements from the game superbly. On that note, there are so many references and easter eggs to not just Mario but Nintendo in general. There are easter eggs in the sounds, the music, the visuals, and the dialogue and it is just a lot of fun spotting it all. There is no doubt that this movie was created with the fans in mind.
However, I do have some issues with this film. The first is the plot splitting up Mario and Luigi. It was great seeing them interact but the movie hints at some issues in their relationship and the movie could’ve explored their brotherly relationship. Unfortunately, the plot splits them up and changes it to be about Mario rescuing Luigi which is super generic. It’s a shame, as the plot didn’t need to be about Mario saving anyone as Bowser was already a looming threat anyway. The plot being straightforward isn’t a massive problem though. The issue is that there is no proper character exploration or development in this straightforward plot. Every character remains the same from beginning to end, except for one character but they just change because the plot demands it to. It isn’t naturally built up or earned. Peach’s character is also just perfect with no flaws which is kind of boring. The pacing is also incredibly fast after the first act. The movie doesn’t spend any time letting a scene breathe with our characters. It is always on to the next thing almost instantly. This is jarring as I wanted to see more of the adventures with Mario and Peach but this is just dealt with in a quick montage.
In terms of voice performances, I do have issues with some. Anna Taylor Joy is just phoning it in as Peach. She is just speaking in her normal voice and that is fine just because her normal voice suits the character but I wish she put some effort into it. Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong is another performance where they are just speaking in their normal voice. I don’t like the casting of Seth and the film doesn’t change my mind. On that note, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong is another big miscasting. He doesn’t sound old enough or cranky enough as the character. There is also a weird creative choice in having 80s song in the film. There is AC/DC Thunderstruck and Take on Me in the film and it is just very off-putting. These songs didn’t work for the scene and I’m not sure why they put the songs in a Mario movie. I also didn’t find the jokes laugh out loud funny but kids were laughing so it was maybe that the jokes just aren’t funny for adults.
Overall, my biggest worry was The Super Mario Bros movie sucking. Fortunately, this movie does not suck and is actually a very fun movie. I do think the critics were a bit harsh but their criticisms are understandable. The movie plays it very safe with the plot and characters. There is not any meaningful message in this film. Nevertheless, the movie succeeds in delivering a fun Mario adventure that is fun for kids while being enjoyable enough for adults. A kid behind me in my theatre called it the ‘best movie ever’ so clearly it is doing something right! Hopefully, this movie opens the door for more Mario or Nintendo properties getting their own film adaptions. Luigi’s Mansion, Metroid, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, Kirby! The possibilities are endless!
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