Movie Review
by Talia Cartwright
The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a recently released film about a Brooklyn plumber named Mario who travels through the Mushroom Kingdom with a princess named Peach and a mushroom named Toad to find Mario's brother, Luigi, and to save the world from the ruthless Bowser.
In my opinion, the film perfectly captures the vibe created by the original games, and even has numerous Easter eggs throughout the film to give the viewer an immense feeling of nostalgia when catching onto the connections. Some Easter eggs include the original Mario theme song and even the character Pauline. From the animation, game sounds, the acting and the music! I really enjoyed it!
Prior to the release of the film, many people were worried and controversial about Chris Pratt’s voice portrayal of Maraio, but after seeing the film he is an amazing fit for the role and did an outstanding job capturing the emotions of the character, interpreting Mario into his own. Anya Taylor-Joy was a great choice for Princess Peach as she perfectly portrayed the strong female hero that young audiences can look up to. Jack Black’s portrayal of Bowser was the one that really made me fall in love with this movie. Similar to how he stole the Super Star, he had also stolen the show. Bowser was without a doubt my favorite character, the comedy with his character is just perfect and the voice acting was an amazing fit for the character. Seth Rogen was born for his role as Donkey Kong, he kind of seems more like he is playing himself rather than Donkey Kong but his personality and demeanors were very accurate to that of Donkey Kongs. The only character complaint I have was the lack of Charlie Day’s Luigi, he was an amazing character and Day had a wonderful portrayal of him. I just wished we saw him more than we did.
The movie had an amazing storyline to follow and really achieved that with the pacing of the film, although at times it seemed a little bit fast at times. I was emotional when scenes that exhibited their brotherly bond were on screen, it really makes you feel for the characters. Where they stick up for each other and create a better version of themselves when they’re with each other, it creates a good message for young viewers and their relationships with their siblings. The movies focus on how much the two brothers really care for each other and especially their reunion at the end really pulled me towards being closer with my sister instead of pushing her away. They also both had amazing character development as without each other’s presence, they have to take on the other's characteristics, like Luigi becoming brave like Mario. I also enjoyed getting to know Princess Peach’s backstory and I hope to see something similar for characters like Princess Daisy in possible future films. Donkey Kong and Marios relationship was an interesting take. I enjoyed the fighting scene where they both discussed their relationship with their dads which created something for them to relate to and develop off of. Especially when in the end their fathers begin to appreciate them more, Mario as a hero and Donkey Kong as a loyal son. Bowser was an amazing villain and accurately connected with the obsession with Peach that was such a huge part in the games. His song Peaches had me giggling and I’ve been singing it ever since.
In terms of the visuals, the film is just marvelous, the animation and so stunning and it makes the viewer feel as if they are actively playing the Mario games. The vibrant colors just bring life off the screen, the rich attention to little details create an amazing experience for the viewer.
For decades, the Mario game has had one of the most iconic and memorable musical themes, Brian Tyler accurately recreates the Mario theme song. I also loved the use of more popular and renowned songs like Holding Out for a Hero, Take on Me, and No Sleep till Brooklyn.
Overall this film is a 9.5/10 and I definitely recommend watching it! I am hoping for a sequel or spin-off of other characters and storylines in the future.