In Brooklyn, two brothers named Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) have just taken a big step and started their own plumbing business. However, as they venture out to do something new and exciting, they are surrounded by those who doubt their success, including their family. When Mario and Luigi receive word about a considerable water leak causing flooding, they decide to investigate it themselves to try and help the city with a big disaster.
However, while investigating the flooding, the two brothers are accidentally transported through a large green pipe, and Mario and Luigi are separated. Mario lands safely in a strange new world surrounded by mushrooms, strange creatures and wonderous kingdoms! Now Mario will go on an unexpected journey in a land he’s never experienced before, hoping to rescue his brother somehow before it’s too late. Mario also makes vast discoveries about the Mushroom Kingdom thanks to a Princess named Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy). He learns about the kingdom’s most significant threat- a large monstrous-like creature named Bowser (Jack Black)- who hopes to cause havoc and large amounts of destruction.
As some of you already know, Super Mario Bros. Movie is based on the characters from multiple video games released by Nintendo. Personally, the character of Mario has been a big part of my life growing up, along with my passion and interests in all things relating to gaming. If you’re a fan of Mario, the Nintendo Console and the many Nintendo properties, you’ll be pleased to know the film includes many easter eggs throughout, which was a nice treat. The plot here is fairly basic; however, just like the games, which usually had a simple premise, I was ok with it. As a family film, do we want a complex storyline? I’d hope not.
The animation here is tremendous. Filled with stunning visuals and bright colours, the film successfully brings many characters and creative worlds to life. I also enjoyed the musical score by Brian Tyler and the original themes by Koji Kondo. The musical score was both fun and impacting. Voice work here is excellent. Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong isn’t anything new, but again, I can’t deny that his voice was great and highly fitting. Surprisingly, I adored and enjoyed Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach and Jack Black as Bowser; both felt highly fitting.
Overall, I had a “super” good time with this film. It’s brainless, entertaining, adventurous and carries strong positive messages. It successfully entertains with a simple plot, stunning visuals, and an exciting soundtrack. The voice work here is also great, and more importantly, I loved going down memory lane with all the many Mario and Nintendo easter eggs and references. Needless to say, this is a perfect film made for the entire family regardless of age, even if you are not familiar with the loveable superhero plumber.
7.8/10
5th April 2023
Written by Peter Walkden
WALKDEN ENTERTAINMENT
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