The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Growing up there was one particular video game that everybody knew & loved, Super Mario Bros on the NES. Capitalising on that passion & with the benefit of nostalgia now incredibly strong for our favourite Italian brother plumbers Nintendo, Illumination & Universal Pictures are taking the story to the big screen with The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
With an all-star cast that includes - Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad & Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong - this film hits all the joyous, nostalgic beats that you would expect. Whether it’s the music that was pulled directly from the games or the 70s & 80s pop music which added to the nostalgia, the visual nods to the various styles of gameplay & various games under the Super Mario Bros franchise, or the Nintendo easter littered throughout. As a self-described gaming nerd, it was incredibly difficult to wipe the silly grin off my face for the vast majority of the film’s 92-minute runtime.
Obviously, the biggest elephant in the room heading into the film was the casting of Chris Pratt as the iconic Mario. Unfortunately, we have to report he was the weakest part of the film. Although his performance doesn’t pull you out of the experience too often there were a few moments where it did, particularly when contrasted with Charles Martinet’s cameo.
The remainder of the cast though was outstanding. In particular, Anya Taylor-Joy was especially charming in her portrayal of Princess Peach. Seth Rogan was also tremendously funny & endearing as Donkey Kong.
Visually The Super Mario Bros. Movie is breathtaking.
The character models are astonishingly detailed, right down to individual hairs which move in the wind, whilst still remaining faithful to the games. No creepy uncanny valley moments here. The various worlds that our heroes traverse are all painstakingly created with a plethora of hidden easter eggs throughout.
Story wise The Super Mario Bros. Movie is action-packed while moving at a rapid pace. Younger audiences will easily remain enthralled throughout the entirety of the film. Older audiences will enjoy the very basic story of protecting the various kingdoms from Bowser, before we get a short ‘rescue the princess’ arch as well to close out the film.
Overall The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a brilliant adaptation of a much-beloved game franchise. If you’ve ever played a Super Mario Bros game you absolutely need to rush out to the cinema to take in the full spectacle of this film.
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