Oh the sweet essence of nostalgia. I’m sure most adults have at least a slight affection for Super Mario Brothers. As a kid when the 8-bit Nintendo came out, I would play Super Mario for hours. Since then, the world has seen so many extra editions and spin-offs to all Nintendo gaming devices, which all are mostly entertaining to some degree. We know and love these characters who have been around for over 40 years. And THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE incorporates nearly a piece of everything. It is quite impressive the dedication to detail in referencing at least a little aspect of so many different games and characters. THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE definitely succeeds as an enjoyable ride for kids and parents alike treating us all to familiar fun.
Mario and Luigi are trying to start up their own Brooklyn plumbing business and leaning into some of the bad Italian stereotypes, which the film and characters are quick to point out in self awareness. Now does that excuse the heavily white wash of voice actors for our lead actors? Probably not. But Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach all do a decent enough job of at the very least not making us think too much about their voice. Michael-Keegan Key and Seth Rogen have a little more to work with in bringing the funny as the humorous Toad and Donkey Kong. But the true winner is Jack Black as the villainous, albeit love-struck turtle/dragon Bowser who sings and roars with pain and anger in hilarious fashion.
As Bowser is attempting to rule this strange, magical world, Mario and Luigi find themselves going down the wrong sewer pipe entering this crazy land of killer turtles and talking mushrooms. Mario, Princess, Toad, and Donkey Kong set out to defeat Bowser, and free Luigi and many other wacky prisoners. Full of different mushroom and flower power ups along with a Mario kart madness across rainbow road, THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE is wise in its full on incorporation of keeping true to what we love about all the Mario video games.
Watching with my children and their friends during a six-year-old’s birthday party, is definitely eye-opening to find what makes this film particularly funny. And the answer is Bowser. In perhaps the best scene, Bowser lets loose on a piano ballad confessing his love for Princess Peach by repeating the word peaches in a way that only Jack Black can successfully pull off.
Princess Peach as one of the tough heroes while switching Luigi as the friend in distress is a nice touch. But the cheat code to make any movie great is with a rockin’ soundtrack. And THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE must have spent some serious cash bringing on ‘Holding Out For A Hero’ by Bonnie Tyler, ‘Take On Me’ by A-ha, ‘Thunderstruck’ by AC/DC, ‘No Sleep Till Brooklyn’ by Beastie Boys, and ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ by Electric Light Orchestra. This was a clever decision as the movie plays to parents nearly as well as it does to the kids.
THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE is not a groundbreaking film, or exceptional in story-telling, or even that memorable. But it is way better than that forgotten live-action version from 1993. And it is perfectly marketed as a trip down nostalgia lane treating the audience to delightful characters they know and love while incorporating one fantastic soundtrack… including the iconic classic theme to the game. ba ba ba, ba babada…
