MOVIE OF THE WEEK #1 (4/5/23): THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE

"Sega Ge-ne-who?" Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt), Princess Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy) and Toad (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key) in a scene from Nintendo and Illumination's THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic. © 2023 Nintendo and Universal Studios. 

 

 

DIRECTORS: Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Keegan-Michael Key, Jack Black, Charlie Day, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, Kevin Michael Richardson and Sebastian Maniscalco 

WEB SITE: https://www.thesupermariobros.movie/

THE BACK STORY: Inspired by the longstanding series of best-selling video games, THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE finds Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and his younger brother Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day) trying to get their small plumbing business off the ground. Their old boss Spike (voiced by Sebastian Maniscalco), however, keeps giving them guff about it and the rest of their family doesn't seem to be as supportive as they would hope for, either. 

Then, in a magical series of events, Mario and Luigi slip – quite literally – down into a pipe only to discover they are no longer in Brooklyn anymore. While Mario has entered the Mushroom Kingdom ruled by the benevolent Princess Peach, Luigi has found himself in a much darker world where the monstrous Bowser (voiced by Jack Black). Making matters worse is the fact that Bowser wants to marry Princess Peach, who wants nothing to do with him ... So when he discovers that Luigi is the brother of the man that may foil his plans for world domination, Bowser is determined to take out the competition. 

With the Mushroom Kingdom doomed without a hero, his brother in need of rescuing and a desire to prove himself, Mario – along with a help from a few friends that should be familiar to longstanding gamers – is ready to level up.

THE REVIEW: THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE is good. In fact, it's far better than you would likely expect it to ever be and capable of being in the first place. Why? Because thanks to a clever script, voice cast that nails their respective roles and visuals that pay tribute to the games that inspired them and bring them to living digital life, MARIO BROS. delivers a film that is enjoyable across generations without needing a cheat code to entertain.

Taking elements from the Super Mario games as well as Donkey Kong Country, Super Smash Bros., Luigi's Mansion, Mario Kart and Diddy Kong Racing,  MARIO BROS. cleverly blends various games together to create an enjoyable, engaging story that's fun for adults and children alike. Those who grew up running through pipes, dodging fireballs and seeking power-ups will appreciate the way they are woven into the fabric of the Mario Bros.' world, as they will certain homages to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and other prominent titles of that system's era. 

Similarly, younger fans will enjoy the adorable nature of Toad and his fellow toadstools, the classic villain who wants to be loved as perfectly played by Jack Black and Mario's relatable nature as a small guy that comes up big when it counts. While fans of Charles Martinet may be sad the original voice of Mario isn't featured more prominently in the film (yes, he's in there), there's no need to fear. Say what you want about Pratt, but he does an extremely commendable job giving life to everyone's favorite digital plumber with Charlie Day doing the same for his green hatted brother. 

In a role it seems like he was born to voice, Seth Rogen makes Donkey Kong a very fun ape to be around; Fred Armisen likewise does a nice job voicing the Larry David-like Cranky Kong with veteran cartoon voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson giving a perfect voice to the Emperor Palpatine-like sidekick to Bowser.  

Throw in some well-constructed humor – Black really does play Bowser perfectly – action sequences that are perfect tributes to the games that inspired them without feeling forced and a perfect run time (the film is barely over 90 minutes with credits and it's nearly perfect. Will that inspire a sequel? Probably – and if/when it does, it will have a lot to live up to for certain.

Fortunately, Nintendo's and Illumination's partnership shows that when someone puts care into a video game film adaptation, it won't leave audiences looking to pull the plug and restart their cinematic console. 

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):