Directors: Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic
Screenplay: Matthew Fogel
Based On: Mario by Nintendo
Starring: Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Anya Taylor-Joy, Seth Rogen and Keegan Michael-Key
Year: 2023
Duration: 92 min
Country: USA
BBFC Certification: PG
In 1993, Nintendo’s most popular IP hit the big screen in Super Mario Bros.: The Movie, a live-action adaptation of the popular video game series and it was met to negative reviews from both critics and audiences. Most of the criticism was aimed at the fact that instead of a light-hearted movie for families, it ended up being more of a science-fiction cyberpunk journey with sets designed by David Snyder, a production designer who’s work includes Blade Runner and Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. So, in short, it wasn’t what Nintendo wanted and after the film bombed financially, they refused to allow theatrical adaptations of their work again. Until now, that is.
Teaming up with Illumination, the animation studio behind the Despicable Me, Sing and The Secret Life of Pets franchises, Nintendo have finally loosened up on their IP and have given their blessing to another adaption, thirty years after the first. Directing duties are given to Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, both previously directing the DC animated film Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, alongside a screenplay from Matthew Fogel, who’s previous work includes The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part and Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son.
Chris Pratt voices Mario, our titular character who’s a plumber in Brooklyn, along with his brother Luigi, played by Charlie Day. After attempting to fix a manhole leak happening in their hometown, they head underground to fix it before finding a portal that sucks them into completely different worlds. Mario lands in the Mushroom Kingdom, a colourful, vibrant environment world that’s home to the Toads and their Princess Peach. Luigi, on the other hand, ends up in the Dark Lands, ruled by the evil Bowser, king of the Koopas, played by Jack Black. Mario teams up with Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) to find his brother and stop Bowser from destroying the Mushroom Kingdom. It’s a simple enough premise, maybe a little too simple as it doesn’t really lead to anything that feels truly fresh or exciting, but it’s a serviceable story nonetheless.
The voice acting ranges from fine to pretty solid, with highlights being Jack Black who gives a delightfully silly performance, really giving it his all and changing it up from his usual shtick, which I appreciated. Chris Pratt, despite a lot of controversy around his casting, does a pretty good job as the titular character, bringing the trademark “Wahoo!” and “Here we go!” catchphrases come to life better than you’d expect. Anya Taylor-Joy is fun as Princess Peach and Charlie Day is super charismatic as Luigi, but some performances feel entirely phoned in. The main two that come to mind for me are Keegan Michael-Key as Toad, an almost insufferable addition that grated on my nerves after his first scene and Seth Rogen’s Donkey Kong, who doesn’t shy away from the actor’s trademark laugh and delivers lines exactly as you’d expect from him. Overall, it’s a decent cast with some great standouts, and a few misfires.
Visually, the film is Illumination’s best work, capturing the art style of the Mario franchise faithfully, giving long-time fans of the series reference after reference that will surely win them over. Highlights include an early sequence that’s animated to look like a 2D platforming section from the classic Super Mario Bros. video games from the NES days, and a Luigi’s Mansion-esque sequence with more of an emphasis on horror than I was expecting from a film aimed at younger audiences. The Mario Kart sequence is fun too, although I did find myself losing interest as the film went on.
My biggest issue with The Super Mario Bros. Movie is that it feels too formulaic to become something special, instead feeling more like a greatest-hits montage with enough references to fill a Mario encyclopaedia. For some, that’s going to work incredibly well and they’ll be more than satisfied, but for myself, I was hoping for a little more substance and originality on display. A lot of the jokes, especially in the early half, feel edited for the TikTok generation, with 10 seconds of a popular song playing just to cut it for an audience laugh and it’ll vary on the viewer, but for me, I didn’t really laugh much during the film. There’s a bunch of moments where I had a smile on my face, such as the opening Mario Bros. advertisement, or the previously mentioned horror-esque sequence with Luigi, but there wasn’t ever a moment where I felt truly wowed by what was on screen.
I found the music choices quite bizarre in the film. Brian Tyler’s score is decent, having compositions that feel both old and new at the same time, incorporating themes from the video games in a tasteful way, but some of the licensed music feels out-of-place and slightly tone death. When Mario and his friends are building their karts about midway into the film, AC/DC’s Thunderstruck begins playing which I found incredibly jarring. There’s songs by a-ha, Bonnie Tyler and Beastie Boys too, which questions who the intended audience of the film is. Is the younger crowd really going to jump up and cheer when No Sleep Till Brooklyn starts blasting in their auditorium? I don’t think so. It’s not that the songs themselves are bad, it’s just that they feel out of place for a film like this.
As mentioned previously, I did find my interest waning as the film went on, and I think it’s mostly down to how little it deviates from being a crowd-pleaser. Your mileage may vary, and the audience I watched the film with seemed to have a blast with it, but at only 92 minutes long, it’s not going to take up much of your time if you’re not a massive fan.
Overall, there’s a lot to like here, and I’m sure most families or fans of the video games will absolutely love their time with The Super Mario Bros. Movie. It’s the definition of a crowd-pleaser, giving fans of the video games what they want, and families who want to have a fun time for an hour and a half just that. It has some questionable song choices and plays it a little too safe for my tastes, but if you’re okay with something that doesn’t aim for the skies, you’ll probably have a fun time with it.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is out in cinemas now from Universal Pictures.
