“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was released to the United States audience on Wednesday, April 5, to mixed reviews from critics but an overwhelmingly positive review from audiences. The film is an origin story for two Italian- American brothers named Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day). The two are plumbers and, in an effort to prove themselves to the world and to their family, they attempt to fix a major leak in downtown Brooklyn. During the repair, they stumble across a strange pipe that sucks them into a strange new world. Here, the brothers become enwrapped in a war in the Mushroom Kingdom between its leader, Princess Peach (Anya Taylor- Joy), and the Koopas and their leader, Bowser (Jack Black). The film sends Mario on a journey throughout the mystical land, where he meets Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), a young toad with an adventurous spirit and Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen), a gorilla prince who loves to please the crowd. The film is so far the highest-grossing film of 2023, having the biggest worldwide opening weekend for an animated film and being the highest-grossing film based on a video game. Be aware, there are SPOILERS in the following review.
The good:
I loved the Mario movie; it really, truly, is one of my favorite movies of the year. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Firstly, let me touch on the voice acting. A lot of folks were astonished and disappointed when Chris Pratt was cast as the voice of Mario. Many claimed he only had one voice or his voice was too recognizable, especially in comparison with Mario's strong Italian accent in the games. Once again, I was pleasantly surprised. My first thought was that it would be incredibly annoying to listen to the heavy Italian accent throughout the entire movie, not to mention hard to understand. Apparently, Illumination considered this fact as well, and had Pratt do a small Brooklyn accent instead. This held true to the character's origins as someone from Brooklyn, but also made it so the audience was able to understand him. Other stand out voices were Charlie Day as Luigi and Keegan- Michael Key as Toad. Both brought some hilarious and talented voices to their characters, bringing them life.
The animation style of the movie was great, as well. It stayed true to the video games by being light and fluffy, but truly brought the audience into the world of the Mushroom Kingdom. I also was pleasantly surprised at the original story. Of course, the movie still holds true to the basics of Mario, by having him jump and ground-pound his way to fight Bowser, there is more than a simple “Mario rescues Peach” plot. The true highlight of the film however, in my opinion, is Jack Black cast as Bowser. His unrequited love for Princess Peach led to some hilarious moments (and one hit song) that made me laugh out loud multiple times. I truly think there was a lot of good in this movie and, in our modern world, it was nice to watch a movie with no agenda but to be a simple family- friendly cartoon meant to entertain.
The bad:
There is a little bit of bad I can touch on briefly. While I enjoyed Illumination attempting an original concept for the story of the movie, the story itself is not very deep. There are obvious parts that were cut from the film, including scenes from the trailer that never made into the movie. On top of that, at points, it feels slightly rushed. However, what else can one expect for a film that is, technically, designed for children in elementary school. It’s not meant to be “The Godfather.” I also strongly disliked Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong. While I am a sucker for the classic Seth Rogan laugh, I was just disappointed by what Rogan and the crew did with the Donkey Kong character. He was boring, slightly annoying and not nearly as epic as he could have been.
The ugly:
Now, I don't necessarily consider this an ugly, as I am someone who loves looking for easter eggs in a movie. However, a lot of people may find it overwhelming with how many things are hidden throughout the movie in the background. This may be a drawback for some people.
Conclusion:
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is exactly what it advertises itself as: a fun, light adventure throughout the world of Mario. It includes singing, jokes and colorful animation. It is the perfect family film with enough hidden comedy for adults to enjoy and enough slapstick for a three-year-old to walk away giggling. While I have complaints, I don't think there is much that I would change about the film at all. It was simply enjoyable, and that is all it needed to be. I give this movie a seven out of 10 gator tails.