‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Review – Are You Not Entertained?

After nearly 30 years, Mario and company are finally back on the big screen. It’s been such a long wait for fans and he’s not coming alone. This is a fun family-animated outing that will please fans while also disappointing them at the same time. This could have been so much more, but for now, a great launching pad.

The story of The Super Mario Bros. on their journey through the Mushroom Kingdom.

Since I’ve been alive there hasn’t been a more recognizable face in the world of pop culture than Mario. He’s on the Mount Rushmore of faces that’s for sure. He’s been a part of my life since I can remember, you’re looking at a guy who put coins in his brothers’ NES because he thought that’s how they worked. I’ve been playing these games for 30 years. That’s crazy to think, that after all this time Mario is going to finally have a big Hollywood movie that will make a billion dollars because this has been so long overdue that it’s not even funny. Nintendo has some of my favourite characters in all of gaming and this movie being super successful means that Nintendo can possibly expand this universe and we could see the likes of Kirby, Link and maybe even Samus on the big screen. That’s something that can have a lot of fans happy worldwide.

Mario and his brother are simple men. That’s who they are, there’s no crazy backstory or a ton of Mario lore, they are just two brothers, being plumbers and trying to always save the day. We didn’t play these games for the stories, well at least I didn’t. So when word broke that an animated flick was finally coming, fans rejoiced. Mario voiced by Chris Pratt was immediately met with skepticism and caution. First, he’s not Italian and second, the voice of Mario is a pretty sacred thing. Well, we were all wrong because Pratt did just fine with this voice work, in fact, he did a great job. His brother Luigi (Charlie Day), that’s my guy, he’s always my pick for games. He crushed it was the Italian Stallion, while everyone else really brought it. Anya Taylor-Joy is everyone’s favourite Princess, and Peach is cool as a cucumber. Keegan Michael-Key is Toad and he does the most voice work out of everyone. Seth Rogan does a bang-up job as Donkey Kong. He’s a big part of this movie and I’m glad they decided to involve the Kongs in this movie. They are a big part of Nintendo and Mario and DK just mesh so well together and seeing them interact on the big screen was just so awesome. Finally, the big baddie himself Bowser. Jack Black was born to voice him, and simply put, they did such a great job expanding on his character. You would figure that a guy like Bowser would have the hots for Peach and love heavy metal and that’s exactly what we get. Clearly, the games have never really explored deep stories and the movie is no different. The plot is simple but so are the games. Some people will use that as an excuse but this is a quick rip through the Mushroom Kingdom. The 90-minute run-time flies by, which will bode well for kids.

Personally, the movie did fall short of my expectations, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy myself. I just wanted to be blown away, but the animation is stunning and it’s so much fun seeing all these characters on the big screen finally. It’s something I’ve waited literally my entire life to see. I just wanted more from this, it’s as simple as that. Fans and critics are divided because overall this is really enjoyable and it’s going to make so much money. This is going to be the start of the Nintendo Cinematic Universe. Filled with so many Easter Eggs and nostalgia that you can’t help but smile every few minutes. Fans of the games are going to have a field day with this movie. The two biggest strengths are the pitch-perfect animation and the beautiful and joyful score from Brian Tyler, he did such a wonderful job at capturing the essence of sounds and music from all the games to put together something special.

This is a movie when it gets to streaming I will rewatch and rewatch. One more thing this movie needed, was more platforming sequences. That’s the primary reason we play the games and when we do get these sequences, it was the best part of the movie. Toss in one heck of a Mario Kart scene and there are bits and pieces that everyone is going to love. I’m sure the studio will listen to fans and the sequel is going to be bigger and better.

I think over time my score could get higher, but for now, because I do feel like it let me down more than picked me up, I’m giving it this score.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie = 65/100

Published by Wannabe Movie Critic

Hey Guys & Girls.

Ever since I can remember, I have loved movies, pop culture and everything geek and nerd related. So I have decided to start writing my thoughts on things that I love.

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