REVIEW: The newly released "Super Mario Bros. Movie" feels reminiscent of a video game, but unfortunately, that's not a positive aspect.

April 12, 2023

In less than a month, it will mark the thirtieth anniversary of the release of the first "Super Mario Bros." movie, featuring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo. Despite presenting a dark, dystopian world instead of the vibrant and colorful Nintendo game, the live-action film failed to captivate its intended audience. However, as the first-ever big screen adaptation of a video game, it paved the way for a subgenre that remains popular to this day.

Nintendo executives may have been envious and frustrated over the years as other video games, such as "Mortal Kombat," "Resident Evil," and "Sonic the Hedgehog," were adapted into movie franchises, while their own beloved characters remained largely neglected. Therefore, it is fitting that the game company is making another attempt to create a movie franchise based on Mario, Luigi, and their companions, this time through Universal and Illumination's animated "The Super Mario Bros. Movie."

The new movie follows the version of the video games, animated series, breakfast cereals, and lunch boxes since 1983, in contrast to its predecessor. This move seems like a smart way to attract long-time fans. However, while the earlier live-action film operated in its own unexplored wilderness, this new movie tries too hard to stick to the nostalgia of the game, resulting in a formulaic feel despite hitting the necessary Mario touchstones and music cues.

Chris Pratt and Charlie Day lead the star-studded voice cast as the titular duo, two brothers from Brooklyn looking to make it big in the high-stakes world of big city plumbing. Pratt manages to deliver a funny bit explaining why his Mario doesn't have the exaggerated Italian accent of his video game counterpart, but unfortunately, the actor is let down by the thin material. It's particularly disappointing that he doesn't have more opportunities to improvise with Day's Luigi.

Mario and Luigi are transported through interdimensional pipes and separated. On the other side, Mario teams up with Princess Peach (played by Anya Taylor-Joy from "Last Night in SoHo") and Toad (played by Keegan-Michael Key from "Schmigadoon!") to protect the Mushroom Kingdom from the villainous turtle Bowser (played by Jack Black from "Kung Fu Panda"). This plotline will be familiar to anyone who has played Nintendo games for the past 40 years.

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"The Super Mario Bros. Movie," directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (known for their work on "Teen Titans Go!"), is more faithful to the game's style than the 1993 film. However, it ultimately feels like a shallow visual spectacle, lacking in substance. The animation is polished, lively, and visually pleasing, but it comes across as a calculated effort to avoid repeating the mistakes of the previous Mario movie, rather than a genuine creative endeavor.

Matthew Fogel, the screenwriter of "Minions: The Rise of Gru" and "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part", attempts to add some logic to the in-game mythology of magic boxes, mystical coins, and consciousness-expanding mushrooms in the movie. However, this only emphasizes the lack of real logic in the original game.

"The Super Mario Bros. Movie" relies on references from 40 years of accumulated lore to appeal to Mario fans of different generations. While it efficiently manages the brand, it is a bland film that may entertain families for an afternoon, but it is unlikely to leave a lasting impression. Although it has some amusing moments, the movie fails to engage the audience and feels like watching someone else play a video game from the sidelines.

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