Review

What our film and game editors are saying about The Super Mario Bros. Movie

6/4/2023

Translation: Megan Cornish

Support: Philipp Rüegg, Michelle Brändle, Domagoj Belancic

Nintendo’s Super Mario is finally getting an animated film. Our film and game editors have had their say on whether the long wait was worth it.

30 years after Super Mario’s first foray into cinemas – don’t ask (video in German) – the Italian plumber is back on the big screen.

In the new film – The Super Mario Bros. Movie – he and his brother Luigi are drawn into a magical world and separated while working on some pipes in Brooklyn. The evil Bowser is after Mario, who’s supposedly standing between him and his great love Princess Peach – or the complete destruction of the Mushroom Kingdom. With the support of Toad, Donkey Kong’s fights and plenty of power-ups, Mario challenges Bowser.

The film features the voices of Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong and Keegan-Michael Key as Toad.

The trailers released so far promise a treat for fans and, above all, have visually fuelled the hype machine for months. After all, the animated film was produced by the US studio Illumination, whose previous work includes the Despicable Me and Minions series. In this article, our film and game editors, who’ve already seen the film, give us their verdicts on whether the hype is justified.

Luca: «Exactly what you’d expect – and that’s a good thing.»

Charlie Day as Luigi is one of the best casting choices in the entire film.
Source: Nintendo/Universal Studios

I’ve been saying it for weeks: if 90 minutes of the 92-minute film is fan-pleasing, that’s half the battle. At least. The fierce nostalgic power of the franchise, which has produced over 300 games since 1985, is too strong. And anyway, how else should the main game – which actually has no real story – be turned into a film? The 1993 version, for example, tried to take only the most important elements and make something out of them. As a result, the first film was so disappointing – to put it politely – that Nintendo didn’t entertain the idea of other movies for decades.

They didn’t make the same mistake twice. The Super Mario Bros. Movie does exactly what I hoped it would: celebrate itself. Why take risks? With a big grin on my face, I marvelled at the opulent images that make the Mushroom Kingdom shine like never before. I almost lost count of all the Easter eggs from the games. And Brian Tyler’s perfectly fitting film music rounds off the gameplay – oops, I mean the film fun. The American film composer has expertly taken Kōji Kondō’s iconic Super Mario music, orchestrated it and adapted it for the big screen.

Finally, Chris Pratt. Most of the time he speaks in his normal voice. But he throws in enough of Charles Martinet’s original Mario to win me over. Charlie Day and Jack Black in particular are perfectly cast as Luigi and Bowser respectively. Above all, Bowser’s rocking 1980s ballad for Princess Peach should go right to the top of every chart! The only thing I found disappointing was that Mario and Luigi are separated early on in the film. Their chemistry, which was established in the first 20 minutes of the film, was too perfect to ultimately be given so little weight.

Phil: «I actually think Super Mario’s stupid, but...»

Toad and Peach prepare for the great battle against Bowser.
Source: Nintendo/Universal Studios

Wow, that was really good! After the first trailer, I was cautiously optimistic that the Super Mario film adaptation wouldn’t be a flop like the original from the 1990s. But I wasn’t expecting so much fun when I went to the cinema. The Minions creators have delivered exactly what fans wanted: the visuals fired on all cylinders. I couldn’t get enough of it, from the brightly-coloured Mushroom Kingdom to a spooky haunted forest to Bowser’s lava castle.

But only in the final third does the film literally put its foot on the accelerator. Like many of the other gameplay elements familiar from the games, the Mario Kart race is woven into the film without being artificial. I never thought I’d say this, but it makes perfect sense at that moment for a horde of monkeys to battle an army of koopas on a rainbow course with turtles. There are more easter eggs dropping than banana peels. Amazing.

The filmmakers are also very aware that their audience consists of both young children and big kids. You can see that not only in the colourful worlds, but also in the songs in the film, which are all from the 1980s – just like the NES and me. The only thing I wasn’t convinced by was Chris Pratt voicing Mario. He speaks like Chris Pratt always speaks: he’s boring and bland and he makes the rest of the cast shine all the more. Jack Black is sensational as Bowser, singing a ballad to Peach that made me laugh out loud. Anya Taylor-Joy is perfect as the punchy Princess Peach. But Charlie Day as Luigi was my favourite. With his loving, scatterbrained yet sprightly nature, he has more character than all the games’ Luigis put together. When’s the Luigi’s Mansion movie coming out? No really, when!?

Michelle: «I’d love Bowser’s musical skills.»

Poor Luigi’s fallen into the clutches of the musically talented Bowser.
Source: Nintendo/Universal Studios

Of all the characters, Princess Peach was the most pleasant surprise. I was worried she’d be portrayed as a dim-witted princess who Mario has to rescue from Bowser’s clutches. In contrast to all the clichés, she’s a strong, likeable character. And her voice, provided by Anya Taylor-Joy, is fit for royalty.

I couldn’t help but be amazed on a visual level, too: there was hardly time to blink with all the kaleidoscopic hustle and bustle. Personally, I’m impressed by the soundtrack. Besides music from the 1980s – some of which is also on the Awesome Mix from Guardians Of The Galaxy – Jack Black is also in on the act. And how! It’s a big thumbs up from me.

I also had a lot of fun comparing the plot of this Super Mario Bros. film adaptation to the one from the 1990s. There are a surprising number of parallels. Both films begin in New York. In both films, Mario and Luigi run a modest plumbing business. And in both films, mysterious burst pipes lead the brothers into a new world. Now there’s nothing left to do but debate which film is better. I have a clear favourite.

Domi: «I’m turning into a Bowser fan!»

I had very high expectations for Nintendo’s first feature film – the game developer had much more say this time than in Super Mario Bros. in 1993. After a little over 90 minutes of power-ups, toads, koopas and gags in the Mushroom Kingdom, I can safely say that my expectations were met. And sometimes even exceeded.

As expected, the story’s very thin and not worth mentioning. Regardless, the film shines in other areas. The characters and environments were portrayed with great attention to detail. There are Easter eggs and references to old and new games from the Mario universe everywhere – the film is a real Mario encyclopedia. As a fan, I had a grin on my face and tears of joy in my eyes.

I’m pleasantly surprised by the cast. Above all, Jack Black does an incredible job as Bowser. I’m a fan. But the biggest surprise for me is Chris Pratt, who delivers an amazingly solid performance as Mario. Luigi, Peach, Toad and Donkey Kong are also fun. Overall, however, I’d have liked slightly slower narration so I could take a deep breath and enjoy the beautiful settings. But that’s being very picky. I’m ready for the new MCU – the Mario Cinematic Universe. Let's-a-go!

The Super Mario Bros. Movie has been in cinemas since 5 April 2023. Running time: 92 minutes. Rated 6+.

Header image: Nintendo/Universal Studios

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Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.

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