The Super Mario Bros. Movie!
By Mr. Ludwig ('95)
When I was in the 6th grade, the holiday gift I wanted more than anything in the world was the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). When my younger brother David and I received it from our parents on the last night of Hanukkah we were elated! The console came with one controller and a single game: Super Mario Brothers. David and I took turns jumping across flying platforms, sliding down pipes into underground caves, and swimming through Blooper-infested waters. Along the way we squished Goombas, ducked Piranha Plants, and dodged turtle shells from Koopa Troopers. The object of the game was, of course, to rescue Princess Peach from the evil clutches of Bowser. Many years later, I reveled in childhood nostalgia when I played the Mario Bros. games with my son Cole. We shared a mutual love of navigating the colorful and whimsical worlds of the Mushroom Kingdom. So naturally, we were both super excited when The Super Mario Bros. Movie arrived in theaters this spring.
Photo courtesy of British GQ
Over spring break, we arrived at AMC Theatres in the Palisades Mall early enough in the day to score discounted matinee tickets. We were a bit disappointed that the concession stand had run out of the mystery block popcorn container, which we would certainly have purchased as die-hard fans. But we didn’t let that dampen our spirits, as we grabbed some refreshments and found our seats. AMC features some very nice reclining seats, which made our viewing experience quite comfortable. After several previews for upcoming kids’ movies, finally the feature presentation began!
Cole and I were instantly immersed in the world of Super Mario Bros. which opened with a simultaneously ominous and comical battle scene. Bowser (voiced by Jack Black) embarks on a power-hungry crusade to plunder the super star and take over the Mushroom Kingdom. Now it’s up to Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day), two Italian plumbers from Brooklyn, to stop him. While trying to fix a leaky water main, the brothers are sucked into a warp pipe and become separated. Luigi falls into the Dark Lands and is imprisoned by Bowser, while Mario teams up with Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) and Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) on an adventure to rescue his brother and save the Mushroom Kingdom from Bowser’s wrath.
Photo courtesy of We Got This Covered
Photo courtesy of Portland Mercury
The artwork in this film is top notch. Produced in Illumination Studios Paris, the animators really captured the color palette and animation style of the original video games, carefully balancing realism with a cartoony style. The action sequences are intricate, well-animated, and visually compelling to watch. It’s clear that countless hours went into the visual production and design of the film.
Equally impressive is the musical score, which blends the familiar 80’s era video game music and sound effects with newly composed songs. The standout performance is Bowser’s (Jack Black), overly-earnest, comical rock ballad in which he professes his love for Princess Peach.
While some critics panned the film for having a predictable, uninspired plotline, Cole and I both enjoyed every moment of our romp through the Mushroom Kingdom. Cole said, “I especially enjoyed the video game references and the art style.” Audiences seem to agree with us since it is currently the highest grossing film of 2023 and highest-ever grossing film based on a video game. The bottom line is this: if you love the Mario Bros. franchise, then this movie is a must-see! The film is currently playing in theaters nationwide and I would strongly recommend checking it out.
Banner courtesy of Forbes
Cover photo courtesy of Universal Pictures