Movie Review: The Super Mario Bros. Movie

 

Growing up as a kid, Super Mario was a franchise I had major exposure to. Ever since I was a toddler I experienced the wonderous delights of the world of the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond though the eyes of Mario, Luigi and the rest of their gang of friends.  Being a 27 year old man at this point, it's fair to say I've seen the plumber from Brooklyn go through so many different iterations across a multitude of console generations from Nintendo. Mario has been all across the world as well as to the vast reaches of outer space. He's encroached on essentially all types of video game genres from platforming games, sports games, racing games and even party games. With a 42 years legacy behind the franchise, it's fair to ask what else is the dude capable of doing? Well one place the legend has not truly been able to successfully encroach on was the movie industry.  He tried back in 1993 but that attempt failed to capture critics or audiences attention as it didn't manage to really deliver on the true appeal behind the video game and instead chose to go down a very different path. What's the saying though? 2nd times the charm right? 

Produced under a joint partnership between Illumination Animation and Nintendo, The Super Mario Bros Movie is an animated movie which follows two brother plumbers called Mario and Luigi as they find themselves transported from their home in Brooklyn to the magical world of the Mushroom Kingdom. Split off from his brother, Mario soon learns from the ruler of the kingdom; Princess Peach that the land is in danger, as King Bowser of the Koopas has obtained the great Super Star. With this, Bowser intends to coerce the Princess into marrying him so that they may rule over the kingdom together. It's up to Mario to train up and rally the forces of the Mushroom Kingdom to fight back against the evil king and save his brother Luigi who has been captured and imprisoned by Bowser as well. The animated movie features a star studded cast of actors to voice the roles of these legendary characters, some of these names include: Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Ana Taylor Joy, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Kay and Seth Rogan.

The films narrative follows a very traditional and safe structure for better or worse in my opinion. I enjoyed the fact the movie was out to cover all the core staples of what makes this franchise so beloved within the confines of it's story. It serves as a origin story in many respects and helps set the foundation for what I imagine is multiple movies to come. While it's simplistic nature left me entertained for the most part, it did leave me yearning for a little more depth out of the world and it's characters. It was fun to see all these beloved characters and concepts on the big screen but I don't feel the movie really takes the opportunity to define them further past the confines of their video game roots.  I get it, you don't necessarily want to alienate the audience who these characters mean so much to by messing with the formula too much, but in playing it close to the chest I actually feel it makes the characters less interesting. There's hints and teases of potential story arcs which would have been interesting to see in this film but I imagine they are keeping any room for development gated off for future sequels.  What is here is still fun and enjoyable for the most part though and I can't fault it too much as what it's narrative does deliver is a good chunk of quality for all types of audiences to appreciate.

For me the biggest reflection of the movies core quality comes in it's attention to detail. Illumination know the aim of the game (no pun intended) when it comes to utilizing their animated skills towards bringing ideas to life. What they do here is wonderfully realized because they capture the core essence of the world of Super Mario with complete ease. Whether it's character designs, environment displays or even background details, the studio puts every fibre of their ability into capturing the essence of this franchise on the big screen. It's a wonderfully nostalgic projection of my life playing his video games up to this point, there's so much visual cues that had me smiling from ear to ear. The ability to render the vast history of this franchise within it's short run time is something I will never not be impressed by either. Even the voice cast give these character some clear life and definition which we're not always used to, being Super Mario fans. I know I was one of the people skeptical of Chris Pratt specifically, but he along with the rest of the cast really deliver and it's so nice to see. 

On the whole, The Super Mario. Bros Movie does everything it needs to in superb fashion. It respectfully recreates the world of Super Mario on the big screen, filling each frame with a clear love and devotion that new and old fans will come to appreciate.  While it's story does feel too safe to a good degree and there are elements I wished they had fleshed out more, I can't fault the core appeal behind the movies simplistic set up and brilliant execution. Super Mario means a lot to me and many others and seeing how Illumination brought this beloved character back to the big screen in a blaze of glory will not go unrecognized. Whether you're a devoted or casual fan of the series, there's enough here for any type of audience member to have a really good time with.