Product Info

Studio

Universal Pictures

Director

Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic

Genre

Adventure, Animation, Comedy

Rated

PG

Theatrical Release Date (NA)

Apr 5, 2023

Film Length

1hr 32min

Purchase From

Amazon

Best Buy

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a delightful film for video game fans, who’ll surely enjoy it. Considering how many overwhelming pieces the film shoves into one-and-half hours, it’s written well to keep the audience engaged till the very end. It would be surprising if a sequel was never announced.

Big-Screen Plumbing History

Mario and the team have become a popular franchise over 35-plus years. Fans growing up mostly saw the dynamic plumber in video games, cartoon series, and merchandise. In 1993, a live-action Super Mario Bros. film debuted, but after its release on May 28, 1993, the film failed to bring in revenue, grossing at $38.9 million worldwide with an estimated budget of $42 million. It’s been labeled by movie critics as one of the worst films in the movie industry due to its dull plot and lack of faithfulness to the original material. With the bar set low, the new, animated Super Mario Bros. film won’t run into the same issue as its predecessor.

In more recent years, it seemed like Mario wouldn’t make a huge jump to the big screen anytime soon, which would have been a missed opportunity for the audience who grew up in the 1990s, though the Mario franchise did make some cameos in some films. For example, the 1989 film, The Wizard, showcased gameplay of the classic Super Mario Bros. 3 video game, and Mario’s nemesis, Bowser, was a guest in the animated 2012 Disney film, Wreck-it-Ralph. Soon after, Sonic the Hedgehog, once a video game rival during the 1990s, released two movies of the blue blur. Both films did remarkably well in the box office, so it was only a matter of time until Nintendo jumped into the film industry to give Mario another chance in the box office.

On February 1, 2018, Nintendo and Universal Studios’s animation department, Illumination (Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets), reached a deal to develop an animated film of Super Mario Bros. Initially to release during the holidays of 2022, the film was pushed back to spring 2023 for additional time for the film’s development. Despite the delay, the film was worth the wait.

It’s a Splash

In a brief description, the film revolves around two Italian-American plumbers, Mario and Luigi. The brothers open up their plumbing business and are looking to make a splash in the plumbing market in Brooklyn, New York. Their old boss, Spike and the brothers’ family give Mario and Luigi grief about their business idea. To make a major break-through, the two brothers encounter a water break in downtown Brooklyn.

To fix the problem and get their business a boost, the two go underground to fix the issue. However, things aren’t as easy as they look. While trying to fix the problem, the water pipe they are hanging on, while fixing a busted valve, breaks and the plumbers go down the drain and break through an unstable brick wall into a hidden area. In here, they find a mystical green pipe that sucks them into a new world. However, the two brothers are separated while traveling. Luigi finds himself in a dark territory owned by Bowser, the nemesis of the film, and Mario lands in the Mushroom Kingdom outskirts ruled by Princess Peach. To save his brother, Mario ventures forth, making new friends. Eventually, it becomes not just a rescue mission but a quest to save the world he warped into.

While the film is about the two plumbers, it mostly focuses on Mario. While the intent is to give him the biggest shine as one of the most beloved franchise characters worldwide, it would be nice to see more Luigi time. Princess Peach, Toad, Donkey Kong, and Bowser all receive generous screen time, and Luigi does feel like the odd man out, despite the fact that he’s captured for over half the film. Hopefully if there’s a sequel or spin-off, we’ll see more of Luigi. Princess Peach does not feel like a damsel in distress like in the video games and showcases strong leadership. Toad is a comic relief character but reliable. Donkey Kong, a gorilla who has appeared in many Mario games and his own franchise series, is not only full of himself but gives some comical scenarios when he and Mario have to team up to get out of dangerous situations.

The film’s plot is cut-and-dry and nothing groundbreaking. The film focused on power-ups and nostalgia around the movie and less the actual plot. This isn’t a surprise as the original material from the video games never had a solid plot to begin with and was more about the experience. The film does the same, giving the audience the experience of an animated Mario film with bells and whistles.

Don’t Blink!

The Super Mario Bros. Movie has a lot of scenes that feel like they’re jam-packed into the movie’s time limit. The film showcases many worlds, not only the Mushroom Kingdom and Bowser’s territory. There’s Kong’s territory and the famous Rainbow Road from the Mario Kart video games to start. 

At first you’re watching Mario’s scenario, then next it’s one minute you’re watching Luigi captured and carried off into a hot air balloon, next it’s a Mario scenario. It feels that this scenario would have been better than constant splitting. There’s a short scene of a flock of Yoshis, a dinosaur race from the Super Mario franchise, that gets an appearance and nothing more. It feels like if you blink, you may miss something. This gives Nintendo and Illumination the flexibility to explore developing more films on these other worlds and characters. It wouldn’t be a surprise if a sequel or a spin-off was announced.

The audience will crave to dive more into these worlds. The film could easily go over two hours but you’re also taking a chance losing the audience if things drag on too long. With having to bounce around between many worlds and various scenarios occurring throughout the film, the writers did a great job keeping the audience’s attention with its humorous dialogue.

The majority of the main cast did great in their roles. Concerns about Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, The LEGO Movie, Jurassic World) should be put at ease. Mario’s famous one-liners like “Wahoo” are done well enough to receive a passing grade. The film also gives some relief to Mario’s Italian heritage accent. In the film, after viewing Mario and Luigi’s plumbing commercial, Mario makes a comment that he may have overdone his accent for the tv spot.

Luigi’s voice by Charlie Day (The LEGO Movie, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Princess Peach by Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit, The New Mutants) and Toad’s voice actor Keegan-Michael Key (Hotel Transylvania, Keanu) played their roles with a passing grade. Jack Black (Kung Fu Panda, Tenacious D, Jumanji: The Next Level), voicing Bowser, goes above and beyond with his acting and (surprise) has a musical score. Seth Rogan (Sausage Party, Superbad, 40 Year-Old Virgin) as Donkey Kong is questionable as it feels off, but you’ll get used to it towards the end of the film. His infamous chuckling does make an appearance multiple times. Charles Martinet, the original voice actor for Mario and Luigi in the video game series, does make a cameo for a couple side characters, one of them being Mario’s father.

The animation is done remarkably well. Fans who are used to the original character designs will have to adjust to the colorful and enlarged-pupil designs but the aesthetics remain intact. The worlds in the Mushroom Kingdom and Kong’s jungle territory are vibrant and fun. The dark territories in Bowser’s realm give off that dark, gloomy and villainous vibe. Power-up animations are fun and fans will be delighted to see a cat suit power-up and other characters besides Mario getting power boosts.

Nostalgia Galore

Fans growing up with the Nintendo franchise will recognize many hidden easter eggs throughout the film. A majority of the references are based on the Super Mario video game series, such as the power-up items, but there are some easter egg moments fans growing up with Nintendo games will spot.

For example, the classic Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) game, Punch-Out!! has its game logo printed on a building window in Mario and Luigi’s world as a pizza parlor. The Duck Hunt game gets a spotlight as a building sign, look out for it! Additionally, those who know the history of video game icon Donkey Kong  will recognize an arcade cabinet that’s labeled “Save Me Mr. Jumpman”. This is a reference to Mario’s prior name given in the classic 1981 arcade game, Donkey Kong.

If you’ve played or at least watched someone play the original Super Mario Bros., there’s a scene where Mario and Luigi go through obstacles in downtown Brooklyn. The scene is displayed like a 2D platformer game that heavily references the first level of Super Mario Bros. and includes a flag pole and a building that looks like a brick castle. Very clever.

Sounds Familiar

The Super Mario franchise has a well-known soundtrack that’s grown for 35 years. Just the simple victory jingle or the first-level music are among the most popular. These and many more scores from the franchise are brought in but orchestrated and remixed professionally. Composer Brian Tyler (Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Scream VI, Iron Man 3) along with the original Nintendo themes by Koji Kondo, does a great job handling the film’s music and will put a smile on your face for those growing up with Mario. Even the corny “DK Rap” from Donkey Kong 64 makes its appearance. Even better, the sound effects are brought in from the Super Mario video games too.

There are vocal tracks incorporated into the film that are obviously not from the original series. Beastie Boys’s “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” and AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” are a couple that stand out. It feels like you can get away without these vocal tracks but seems like the film’s studio needed these. It feels weird hearing AC/DC while everyone is preparing their kart-racing vehicles. The original movie’s track, “Drivin’ Me Bananas” was never used in the film and instead, “Take On Me” by a-ha is used. Sure the classic song was released during the same timeframe when Super Mario Bros. first came out on consoles but Brian Tyler’s original score sounds more authentic.

The Final Power-Up

The Super Mario Bros. Movie does exactly what it’s intended to do: give the audience an animated, fun experience for all fans to enjoy. It won’t win the hearts of movie critics and film awards but fans will want to watch this film.

Purchased tickets of the film were made for this review. Fans can grab a few The Super Mario Bros. Movie wallpapers here at Cat with Monocle.