09 Apr THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE REVIEW BY AMARU MOSES

THE SUPER MARIO BROS MOVIE

There has been a nice little run recently of video game adaptations having more critical success than any other time in movie history. Much of that can be attributed to the creators understanding the strengths of their source material. The Sonic the Hedgehog movies understood how charming the characters are and focused on building up their relationships (especially with Knuckles in the sequel). Tetris banked on how unbelievable its true story is and worked on uplifting the intrigue behind its journey to worldwide notoriety. The Last of Us, being arguably the greatest video game of all time, understood that to tell a story of its magnitude, television was the better medium to fully flesh out its impactful story. So when it came to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, writer Matthew Fogel and directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic really leaned on the generations worth of nostalgia built up with the most famous video game property of all time. While the film doesn’t reach much deeper than surface level with its character, storytelling, and emotional stakes, it entertainingly weaves its numerous references into some heartwarming familial themes, surprisingly dark humor, and an invested voice cast.

Both Chris Pratt (Mario) and Charlie Day (Luigi) are serviceable enough individually as the titular brothers, but it’s their chemistry together that makes you care about their journey. Kicking the film off with a tongue-in-cheek bit that addresses the accent (or lack thereof), you are immediately let into the inner workings of their relationship. Mario, against the wishes of his family, has brought his brother along with him to start their own plumbing business and Luigi, always having been looked after by his older brother, is right there with him through this new endeavor. So when they are magically transported into a strange new world, Mario must do everything he can to rescue Luigi from the clutches of the dangerous Bowser (Jack Black).

It’s this enduring bond that allows the film’s plot to move forward in an authentic way amongst all the easter eggs and nostalgic cues. You feel Luigi’s fear as he is stumbling through scenes of Luigi’s Haunted Mansion. You root for Mario as he trains with Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) through a 2D side scroller obstacle course or fights Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) in an arena straight out of Super Smash Bros. The tons of nods to the years of video games we’ve played growing up become more than just nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake primarily because of the brothers’ dynamic. It’s a heartwarming backdrop to hold your attention through the modest plot and underdeveloped characters.

The few hints of character depth that are in the film are often left unexplored or given nothing more than a throwaway line. Peach’s backstory, Donkey Kong’s relationship with his father, and Bowser’s motivations are all introduced in an intriguing way, but in lieu of exploring these further, we are left with your standard fare good vs evil discourse and comedic anecdotes. Luckily, many of the gags have an unexpected adult tone that balances out the simple and formulaic dialogue. Lumalee’s (Juliet Jelenic) running bit of glee facing her impending doom is emblematic of how much fun the movie is amongst its predictability and shallow narrative. The entire cast is clearly having a blast and feel like they’re right there alongside us reliving their childhood memories. Anya Taylor-Joy is fierce as Princess Peach, Keegan-Michael Key is delightful as Toad, and Seth Rogen brings the goofy charm that’s perfect for Donkey Kong. But it’s Jack Black that is the MVP as Bowser, encompassing a mix of sass and rock-and-roll aura that can never be separated from the character from here until forever.

Watching The Super Mario Bros. Movie, you can’t help but feel transported back to happier times playing video games with your loved ones. The grin on your face gets wider with every reference, character, and game level that is interspersed through its 90-minute adventure. There admittedly isn’t anything particularly spectacular about the film other than what makes the game special, but that’s more than enough for a fun time.

Review by Amaru Moses