Rating: PG
Runtime: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Directors: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
Co-Directors: Pierre Leduc, Fabien Polack
Quick Impressions:
My seven-year-old was so excited to see this movie. When he heard it was opening, he asked, “Can we go see that at the movie theater?” Anyone who knows my son will realize how astonishing this is.
Our weekend was unusually busy, so we decided to go Monday night for my birthday. (That’s the way every woman dreams of spending her forty-fourth birthday, right? Actually, I had forgotten it was my birthday until the day before when new step-brother mentioned it. But I was, honestly, overjoyed to take my son to see this because I love going to the movies, and his two older siblings inherited that love, but he did not. Quite the opposite.)
He does love Nintendo, though. He considers himself an expert. He has a number of strong opinions on the subject. (A couple of years ago, I found it a little weird to be told by my five-year-old, “Obviously Super Mario World for the SNES is the greatest video game ever made.” When I expressed surprise, he was happy to walk me through all the reasons why.)
We are, in general, a Nintendo loving family. On my side, this is inherited from my late uncle, a video game expert. My mom always looked up to her big brother, so she got really, really into Nintendo games when I was a kid. Sometimes this was endearing. (She never used profanity—except when she was frustrated playing Nintendo!) Sometimes it was a little more frustrating. (“Mom, I appreciate that you want to beat this level, but it’s midnight, and I have a test in the morning. Can you please get out of my bedroom?”) (When I was in sixth grade, the Nintendo was in my bedroom because I saved up to buy the biggest TV. So we all hung out in there.)
My husband and I have always played Nintendo with our kids—ever since I accidentally bought a Wii on Ebay when our older son was four (because I went to sleep, never expecting my bid to win). When our kids were little, I discovered the virtual console in delight and started replaying all the games I’d loved as a child—along with all the new ones.
We used to play Mario Kart together constantly. (That’s a wonderful cure for insomnia. Ghost racing before bed, then mentally retracing the route all the way to sleep.) Super Mario Brothers Wii and WiiU were also big hits with us, and to a lesser degree, Mario 3D World. We still love Mario Maker. Well, we still enjoy all of them, but there are five of us now, not four, which makes playing some games all at once much trickier.
My seven-year-old loves all the Mario games. I swear we’ve played every Mario game that’s ever existed on any console—even that weird one not originally released in the United States with the death mushroom. Putting him to sleep usually required a variety show, so when my voice got tired from singing and reading, I’d let him drift off while I played a game—very often Luigi’s Mansion 3 when that came out. That was our favorite. My daughter and I used to play Donkey Kong—mostly on my back. (We both have fond memories of Donkey growling, “Diddy!” as I picked her up.) When she was little, she had so many fantasies about blasting in on a jet pack and saving everyone. My older son and I were fond of playing manic Mario, jumping around as chaotically as possible, often accidentally killing each other and ourselves, which drove my mother crazy.
I don’t think my kids have seen the Bob Hoskins movie, but for whatever reason, they love the old TV show (especially that fountain of youth episode).
So we’re big Mario fans, and we’re especially excited about that new Universal Studios Hollywood area. (I’m always looking for new excuses to visit Southern California, and we’re bound to end up there soon.)
If you’re a Mario fan like we are, then you’re going to love this movie. In a way, this is like the recent Dungeons and Dragons movie. If you go wanting to like it, you will. Essentially, this film is non-stop fan service. It’s full of Easter eggs crammed in there to make you smile. Nintendo did a great job with this. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, they said, “Hey, let’s make a movie that people who have grown up playing the games will like.” If you like playing the games, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t like this movie.
My son loved it. He left the theater raving about it. My daughter asked me, “Are you going to write a review?”
Her brother announced, “You know, I think this time, even I will write a review. I have a lot to say about this. I would like to give a teaser of my review of the movie right now. Chris Pratt was just fine as the voice of Mario. But I didn’t care for some of his crash noises during the training level. That’s just me. I have a high standard.”
He loved the movie, though. I know because 1) He laughed and whispered about it throughout and never asked to leave like he usually does and 2) At the end, he yelled, “I freaking loved that movie!”
That was a thrill for me.
Do keep in mind, though, he’s seven years old.
The Good:
My favorite aspect of this film is that because Nintendo is making it, they’re able to use all the famous themes from the games (by Koji Kondo) in Brian Tyler’s score. That makes the movie for me. Growing up, I remember constantly seeing movie versions of beloved games and cartoons that for some reason started from scratch for the movie. That never made sense to me. I’m glad Nintendo has done it this way (and slightly puzzled about why they haven’t made a bunch of big screen animated versions of their popular titles before). The soundtrack is awfully good, too. (I was thrilled to hear “No Sleep Till Brooklyn.”)
The art style and animation are also great, featuring the same bright colors and character designs from the recent games. In fact, in the beginning of the film, when Mario’s first sucked into the Mushroom Kingdom, and Luigi’s pulled in another direction, I remember thinking, “This is just like watching a cut scene from one of the games.” (The Switch games have been unusually cinematic, anyway, with strong plots, atmosphere, characters, humor.)
It’s great that this released over Easter weekend because if you love Easter Eggs—wow! This movie never quits paying homage to all earlier Mario material. Did you like the theme song from the old cartoons? Get ready to hear it again! Voice of Mario and Luigi in the games, Charles Martinet plays their father (and another character). Watch closely and you’ll see so many nods to Mario’s origins. We spotted Mayor Pauline, references to Duck Hunt, Kid Icarus (I can’t even remember how many others!). Probably my favorite moment was when my daughter and I simultaneously nudged my son (sitting between us) and whispered, “Jump Man!” just as he was whispering in excitement, “Jump Man!”
I wish I could remember everything now. My son kept constantly pointing out Easter eggs. Sometimes, I’d mention something first, and he’d say indignantly, “Yes, I know!” I particularly enjoy the idea that before Mario can complete his hero’s quest, first he has to fight Donkey Kong. That seems pretty fitting, given his origins. (“So much thought was put into this,” my son observed. “It’s true. The cat is the best power-up.”)
My other favorite thing about the movie is that Bowser’s bizarre, bonkers plans are unapologetically presented in the same strange way they unfold in the game. His plan to kidnap Peach, so he can give her a fairy tale wedding is innately hilarious somehow. Again, when I was a child, movies based on stuff always made so many unnecessary changes as if the people making them were not at all familiar with the source material. This movie makes no effort to bring any kind of logic to Bowser’s behavior. (Well, I mean, I guess being in love with Peach is motivation. Who are we to say what motivates Bowser?)
Jack Black makes a perfect Bowser. I was thrilled when I learned he’d be Bowser because his talents seem like a good fit for the character. I like the way he’s characterized here. It reminds me of when my daughter was in kindergarten and used to go around proclaiming she was “hard core” (in a squeaky little voice with a slight speech impediment).
My daughter’s favorite character (in this movie) was Donkey Kong. (I sat there, thinking, “Who is voicing Donkey Kong?” And then he laughed, and I realized, feeling stupid, “Oh. Seth Rogen.” My husband noted, “In a way, that laugh was kind of like an Easter egg for fans of Seth Rogen.”) After my daughter talked up Donkey Kong, my son volunteered Donkey Kong was the best actor. His favorite character, however, was the imprisoned Lumalee (Juliet Jelenic). As the movie ended, he exclaimed enthusiastically, “I freaking love that little guy!” He was also a big fan of Toad (Keegan-Michael Key).
I like that Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) gets such a heroic role in the action. It makes sense because in most games where she plays, she can hover and has cool powers.
After all that initial controversy, Chris Pratt seems just fine as Mario, nicely paired with Charlie Day’s Luigi.
Best Scene:
Bowser’s piano solo and soulful talk with Kamek (Kevin Michael Richardson) is probably my favorite part of the film, although I also love Bowser’s interrogation of Luigi.
Best Scene Visually:
Personally, I was very drawn to the moment when Luigi arrives in the dark lands and gets picked up by a bunch of sinister Shy Guys. The games so often place Luigi in sinister environments. But the whole movie looks great.
I also love watching Donkey Kong and Mario blast in on a barrel because that sequence looks so similar to actual gameplay. (The Rainbow Road part apparently was too stressful for me. I am so horrible at most Rainbow Road tracks and kind of lost track of what was happening from the stress.)
Best Action Sequence:
My favorite is Peach and Bowser’s wedding, especially the bit with King Bomb-omb. (My son absolutely died laughing just before that when the “sacrifice” was announced.)
The Negatives:
I keep telling anecdotes about watching this movie with my family. I don’t think I would have enjoyed the movie as much if I weren’t with them. I like the movie, yes, but I like it primarily because it reminds me of my childhood and my children’s childhood. I watch it and think of being with them. (I have the same kind of visceral reaction to Disneyland. It’s not that I’m an acolyte of Walt Disney and his vision; it’s that I remember being with my family when I’m there.)
Perhaps the harshest criticism I have of this movie is that I wouldn’t have sought it out so enthusiastically had I not been with a seven-year-old Mario enthusiast. I still would have wanted to see it because of my own history with and enjoyment of Nintendo games. But I probably wouldn’t have run out to the theater on my birthday, overwhelmed with excitement to buy a ticket. This is a fun movie, but to get the maximum enjoyment from it, you have to go in knowing what it is, and willing to appreciate it for what it is.
The story is a little weak. The beginning shows definite promise, but the ending devolves into, “And now we’ll have the ultimate showdown and win with the power of family. The end.” It’s not bad, but it’s not very inventive, and both my daughter and I found some of the logistics a little muddled.
Also, the movie is funny, but it could be funnier. (Look at Super Paper Mario! Characters like Toad and Kamek could have gotten more jokes. Mind you, I’m not saying the performances aren’t good. And the writing is not bad. But it could be punched up with more humor. Super Paper Mario has so many jokes and quirky characters, and that’s just a game.)
And where is Toadette? (Hopefully, we’ll see her in the future!)
But the negatives here are outweighed by the positives. Both kids thought this was a stronger film than the Sonic movies (which they also like). I sincerely hope they make more of these because I want to see an expanded universe. There’s a character teased in the post credits scene who seems likely to be featured in a sequel, but I’d also love to see Daisy, King Boo, and Rosalina (whose future involvement also seems likely based on hints in the film). My son is dying for a Luigi’s mansion spin-off, and I’d love that, too. We wondered if the dog with the bone was a hint that Polterpup may show up in the future. And I saw that Jack Black suggested Pedro Pascal as Wario. That sounds exciting. The real question is, who will play Waluigi. (There should be a Mario Party show on Netflix, presented like it’s reality TV. That would be so good.)
Overall:
I’m excited about the future of Nintendo movies. Like my son, I desperately want to see a Luigi’s Mansion film. In the meantime, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a lot of fun for families and anyone who grew up playing the games (or enjoys playing them now). The story is nothing ground-breaking, but the performances are good, the visuals are just like cut scenes from the newer games, and the score is fantastic because it’s so familiar. I’m sure we’ll watch it again at home. (I feel remiss for not mentioning that Fred Armisen voices Cranky Kong, so I’ll squeeze that in here at the end.) When my son finishes his review, I will probably post it here.