Movie Review: Super Mario Bros
This one we can keep short and sweet, just like the eponymous protagonist. Super Mario Bros is fun. That’s it. That’s the review.
Some additional notes: Illumination deserves credit for executing the look and sound of the classic videogame franchise so beautifully. The music and animation are both delightful. The story plays it pretty safe serving basically as an origin for how Mario gets into the Mushroom Kingdom and meets Bowser and Princess Peach. While the writing isn’t amazing, the voice cast is generally good. Jack Black is a lot of fun as Bowser. They did the smart thing and gave him a musical number which of course he absolutely crushes. I would have liked more of Charlie Day’s Luigi. Being old-fashioned I would have preferred a more classic “Mario saves the princess” story. However Peach in spite of her girl-bossy-ness is still generally quite fun and kind acting as Mario’s biggest cheerleader throughout the film.
The key thing the movie gets right is that the tone radiates a genuine love and respect for the world and characters. In an era of endless remakes designed specifically to deconstruct and mock the source material, it is a breath of fresh air to see a faithful adaptation with zero irony or need to “subvert your expectations.” There’s nothing subversive at all about Super Mario Bros, which may be the most subversive approach possible. Credit is likely due to creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo for protecting their IP. For a kids movie, it works great, and it is no coincidence the movie is doing numbers at the box office. You love to see it.
Grade: B+
