It Will Make Anyone Yell WAHOO! – The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) MOVIE REVIEW

Nintendo and its franchises have been around since before I was born. I was raised on the Nintendo 64 which gave me my introduction to the Mario universe with Super Mario 64 as well as Mario Party and over the years, I have gone through the history of the franchise to play most, if not all, games in the series. From the original NES game to recently beating Bowser’s Fury on the Nintendo Switch to still putting hours into Mario Kart 8. So, keep all this in mind when I say that Illumination and Nintendo’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie is something that I have been anticipating from the moment it was announced.

I personally enjoy most of Illumination’s work: I think Despicable Me is now a classic comedy, I adore Sing as well as its sequel, and I found myself really enjoying their take on The Grinch. So, when they were revealed to be taking on Mario, I was intrigued. Slowly, as things started getting revealed such as the cast and how involved Nintendo was going to be, I got more and more hyped until the first trailer dropped that made me literally tear up. Subsequent trailers did the same as the movie appeared to be giving fans the movie that we have been wanting for so long.

I’ll be 100% with everyone, I have fondness for the 1993 Super Mario Bros. The Movie. It’s weird, it makes no sense, and it does not adapt the games well…at all, but there is a charm to it that I’ve always enjoyed. It’s a fun guilty pleasure, mainly because of the actors all doing their best with the material. With that said…the new movie blows it straight out of the water in every single aspect.

I WAS SMILING FROM BEGINNING TO END

You know you’re in for a good time when the literal opening ten seconds makes you grin. From the moment it started to the very end of the post-credit scene, my smile never left my face because I was just in awe of how well Illumination and Nintendo crafted this movie.

First off, rather than the usual art style for Illumination, The Super Mario Bros. Movie featured visuals that looked straight out of the game, but characters were given a slight enough redesign to make them distinct as Illumination’s version. The result is one of the most beautiful animated films I’ve ever seen with cartoony designs for everything that had an astonishing amount of detail that even Pixar would be jealous of. From the titular brothers to the Mushroom Kingdom to even Brooklyn, everything was a spectacle to witness.

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Pretty imagery doesn’t immediately mean a good movie but if you enjoy animation, you are likely going to be thrilled by everything The Super Mario Bros. Movie does. Probably my favorite aspect to the animation is the lighting: the bright and colorful Mushroom Kingdom and even the gloomy Dark Lands end up having some of the best lighting that makes every scene just pop. Even the worlds that we see for literal seconds are jaw-dropping.

However, like I said, a movie needs more than visuals and thankfully, The Super Mario Bros. Movie delivers a simple yet effective story. Two caring brothers trying to make it as a plumbers in Brooklyn are transported to the Mushroom Kingdom thus taking them on adventure to stop the evil Bowser. I am actually thankful that it went for such a story, because it’s Mario: we don’t need some complex storyline. It’s a call to adventure that introduces longtime and new viewers to the Mushroom Kingdom as well as its menagerie of iconic characters, hazards, creatures, and locations. It also makes it perfect for the whole family: adults and kids will have a blast and that’s mainly due to the characters being instantly lovable, even the villains.

EVERY CHARACTER IS PERFECT!

Not only do the characters look great, but they are backed by some astonishing performances. Let’s get the big one out of the way: Chris Pratt as Mario. From the instant that he was announced to be playing Mario and not Charles Martinet (the man who has been voicing Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi for decades), the internet lost its mind. People were whining, attacking Chris Pratt online, and even threatening to boycott the movie if Illumination and Nintendo did not get someone else. I was interested in what he would deliver from the start and I will say right now that all of those toxic individuals need to apologize to Chris.

In my opinion, Chris Pratt sounded like he was born for this role. Not only does he homage Charles Martinet’s performance multiple times throughout The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but he also gives Mario his own unique voice. Before anyone asks: no, it’s not just Chris Pratt using his normal voice. He puts on an Italian-American accent throughout the entire movie and after just a few seconds, it’s actually hard to recognize Pratt’s voice at all. Immediately, he just sounds like a Mario that was charming and lovable, especially when he interacts with his little brother Luigi. I can’t wait to see what Pratt will bring in future entries to this Nintendo Cinematic Universe.

Speaking of Luigi, this is my personal favorite Nintendo character. I’ve always loved playing as Luigi over Mario; I think the green and blue is a great look, I think he is adorable with how scared he is of everything but when the situation calls for him, he’s actually braver than Mario. On top of it all, I can relate to being a younger sibling who is taller. So, I am happy to report that Charlie Day’s Luigi nails every single aspect of the character that I wanted to see in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. If Illumination and Nintendo ever decide to give Charlie Day his own Luigi’s Mansion spin-off, I will be there at a midnight release because every single scene with Luigi stole the movie for me and I adored his relationship with Mario in this movie. There is a scene that shows what Mario means to him and it genuinely made me tear up a little bit. I do wish Luigi had more scenes but we’ll get to that later.

Anya Taylor Joy plays Princess Peach and THANK YOU NINTENDO AND ILLUMINATION. Not once is Peach the damsel in distress that Mario has to save; that tropes was already tiresome in the games and I am so glad that Peach has a different role in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Peach in the movie is actually the most competent one of the group who can traverse a gauntlet of challenges. She’s funny, she’s smart, and super sweet with Anya Taylor Joy giving a pitch perfect performance that made me love Peach instantly. They made Peach into an absolute badass, sort of like the older Mario comics; seeing her in action also reminded me of games such as Super Mario Bros. 2 or Super Mario 3D World, two games I always appreciated. That reminds me, after this movie, can we finally get a Super Princess Peach 2? I mean come on Nintendo, if Yoshi and Wario can have their own franchises, so should Peach. Anyway, Anya’s Peach was a great one with some of the best scenes in the movie.

This should come as no shock since everyone liked this casting from the start but Jack Black 1000% stole the show as Bowser. No more weird Dennis Hopper with T-Rex arms, this is a genuine Bowser who was not only a genuine threat when the moment called for it but he was hilarious. Bowser in the movie very much reminded me of his portrayal in the Mario & Luigi RPGs where he’s big and mean but he’s also kind of a fool. In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Bowser is a lovestruck idiot who only cares about Peach and wooing her, even if it means conquering the Mushroom Kingdom. This results in easily some of the funniest scenes in the movie has he longs for Peach while trying to be an intimidating villain. Jack Black nails the goofiness (again, no shocker there) but the times when Bowser has to be scary, Black gave a shockingly good performance, especially in the movie’s climax.

I am struggling to process the fact that this high-pitched little Toad is voiced by Keegan-Michael Key. Keegan is personally one of my favorite performers working right now because he can do so many types of roles that it is crazy, and he is also one of the funniest comedians I’ve ever seen. I loved his Toad performance because not only is he unrecognizable, but I loved seeing this adventurer version of Toad who is loyal to the very end and it seems like all he wants is to make a friend. He’s a very cute character who I would also like to see get his own movie or maybe an animated series on Peacock.

When it comes to Donkey Kong, I would be lying if I said that this was the one character I wasn’t worried about. I enjoy Seth Rogen’s movies in the past, but I wasn’t sure about him as Donkey Kong. Thankfully, all my concerns were abolished as soon as he showed up, because while he doesn’t do a voice for the character, Seth’s voice and performance worked for DK. In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, DK is portrayed as this cocky and arrogant prince but he has some extra layers to him. There is this great heart-to-heart scene with Mario and DK; Seth Rogen delivers a great line that reveals more about DK as a character. It’s very obvious that Donkey Kong is the one that Illumination really wanted to set up a spin-off for and I am all for it because not only did I love Donkey Kong but they established the Kong mythos rather well.

Overall, there was not a single character I disliked or thought was disappointing. Even minions of Bowser such as Kamek or side characters like a psychotic Luma ended up bringing laughs and smiles through the whole movie.

NINTENDO FANS WILL BE OVERJOYED

There is no exaggerating when I say that not five seconds of the movie goes by without some kind of reference to the games both old and new. Even the opening Illumination title card has a reference in it. However, not every reference is shoved right into the audience face; some things are blatant while others can be as simple as some text in the background, an enemy from the game wandering the Mushroom Kingdom, or a simple music cue. It’s very clear that Nintendo was involved in the making of The Super Mario Bros. Movie because every little detail, homage, or reference shows that they care about the fans.

You know that meme of Leonardo DiCaprio pointing at the screen? That was me and the entire group of people I was with. It isn’t to the point that non-Nintendo fans can’t enjoy the movie, though. Everything is interweaved into the story and world as basically a plethora of bonuses for fans to enjoy while everyone else can still enjoy the charming story and characters.

The great thing is that The Super Mario Bros. Movie references so many Mario games. There is even a piece of music from Bowser’s Fury and Super Mario Odyssey. It’s not just Mario references, though, because there are references to other Nintendo products including one that has me hoping it was their way of hinting at things to come since…it’s something I have been asking for since I was a kid.

It’s not just little details that impressed me. Entire set pieces like the Mario Kart sequence and the Kong Kingdom were giant throwbacks to the games that adapted iconic locations, sequences, and delivered action-packed thrill rides for everyone to enjoy. The movie even goes out of its way to pay homage to previous adaptations such as the 1993 movie and The Super Mario Bros. Super Show.

CRITICS DESERVE A BLUE MUSHROOM

Look, I try to be civil and not get bothered by what the score on Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic says. I just check out movies, games, and TV shows then judge for myself but today is going to be different. The critic reception of The Super Mario Bros. Movie is MIND-BOGGLING to me.

First they complain that the original 1993 movie was not close enough to the games, but now they are complaining that the 2023 movie is too much of a representation of the games because it has “too many references.” Wait what? Why is it being a proper adaptation of Mario a bad thing?

There are even critics saying it’s too silly or too simple. IT’S MARIO! What are these people expecting? Animated Macbeth? That’s not even getting to a certain critic who called the movie’s story offensive. This is just one of many examples in recent years that “professional” critics are so detached from pop culture and cinema as a whole that people are not going to trust their word anymore as shown by the current 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

OVERALL THOUGHTS, LET’S A-GO!

I am skipping a flaws and nitpicks section this time, simply because I don’t have any. I almost did because at first, I thought Luigi was wasted in the movie. That was until the last 10-15 minutes of the movie happened and that complaint was immediately erased. I won’t spoil what happens but yeah, the climax is an amazing highlight of the movie for me.

So, my final thoughts on The Super Mario Bros. Movie is that on top of being a beautiful yet fun fantasy adventure for the whole family to enjoy, it is also a spectacular loveletter to the long history of Super Mario Bros. going all the way back to when he was Jumpman in the Donkey Kong arcade game. If you like action, comedy, and adventure: you are going to love it, especially if you have kids. If you grew up playing Mario and Nintendo games in general, you are probably going to be like me where the nostalgia and respect for the source material will make you tear up.

I think The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a great adaptation and a great movie that I strongly believe has hit in the top half of my favorite animated movies ever made. When the post-credit scene was over, I had been smiling so much that my cheeks were actually sore. I did not have any problems with the movie whatsoever and as a result, I feel like I have to give it a 10/10.

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