Coming to cinemas this week is The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Starring Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor Joy and Jack Black, this film spins a new yarn on the legend of the Mario brothers. The Mario brothers are dynamo plumbers striking out on their own. Mario (Pratt) and Luigi (Day) are trying to make their mark on New York. One night, they try to fix a pipe in Brooklyn and are whisked away to a magical world, filled with Toads, Goombas and Koopas. They are separated and Mario goes on a magical journey with Princess Peach (Joy) to save his brother from the clutches of the dastardly Bowser (Black).
After watching Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, I’ve been on something of a high. It was such a faithful and playful adaptation of a much-beloved game that I enjoy. The directors knew what to do to nail the feeling of a session of RPGing with your friends and put it on the screen. Coming out of The Super Mario Bros. Movie sadly, this was on the other side of the spectrum.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie: A collection of lacklustre mini-games
The story was paper thin. Mario wants to find Luigi. The film is also structured like a game. Mario and Peach go from level to level, ticking a box and then move on. It’s emotionless and devoid of charm. There were no moments to sit back and let the characters breathe. To learn about what makes them tick. Mario and Luigi have a great dynamic, unfortunately, they’re barely together in the film. They get separated early on and aren’t reunited until the end of the film.
The film sets up each moment in the film weakly. For example, Mario Kart is featured in the film and how it’s done is pure fanservice. How it is written into the world isn’t particularly interesting. The best description for The Super Mario Bros. Movie is that it’s a collection of cutscenes you might see on YouTube.
Though the film is vibrant with colour, it isn’t particularly interesting in its execution of designs. Accompanying these various locations is a genuinely sweet score. There is a playful element to the score that is endearing and will put a smile on your face. Easily the best element of the film comes in the shape of Bowser and his army of Koopas. Also, Bowser is the best character in the film. From his bizarre motivation to Black’s performance, he is easily the MVP of the film. Every time he’s on screen he elevates the film. It’s a shame the rest of the characters weren’t given as much care.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the middle of the rainbow road film, kids will adore the bright, shiny colours. Unfortunately, older audiences may find themselves tuning out early on.
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