‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Brings Childhood Nostalgia to The Big Screen

Here we go!

If you grew up in the 90’s then Nintendo was all the rage. Specifically for myself, I spent countless hours in frustration and anxiety trying to beat levels in Super Mario World and the Super Mario Bros. games playing on my Super Nintendo, so there was no question about me going to the theaters to see the “Super Mario Bros. Movie.”

Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic and screenplay by Matthew Fogel, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” follows iconic plumbers Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and his brother Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day) as they get warped into the Mushroom Kingdom and embark on the journey of their lives.  Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, and Seth Rogen voice notable video game characters Princess Peach, Bowser, Toad, and Donkey Kong respectively. Fred Armisen, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Sebastian Maniscalco also voice characters in the film.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” premiered in theaters on Wednesday, April 5, and has since grossed $500 million globally and has become the biggest video game adaptation ever. There were so many wonderful things to love about this movie if you’re a Mario fan.

Entering World 1-1 of Mario

From the start of the film, it was clear that “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” would be a love letter to those who feel fondly about the game. It gives a brief background about Mario and Luigi being struggling plumbers trying to get their business off the ground and then in a dire situation in the city, the pair try to offer their assistance. They end up in the belly of New York’s piping ground until they are sucked up and separated in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Playing the games Mario had a very distinct voice. His “wa-hoo’s” and “here we go” have a very distinct Italian accent that unfortunately Chris Pratt didn’t pull off, but it wasn’t distracting enough to take away from enjoying the movie. From my memory, none of the other characters from the games had prominent voices so hearing them come to life in the film wasn’t a bother.

Photo: Universal

As the film progressed there were so many Easter eggs to pick up on from the way Mario ran, what different mushrooms did, and elements from the levels in the game. It was amazing to see all of that come to life and the animation was full of color just like the game. I never played Donkey Kong, so I wasn’t too familiar with the layout of that part of the film, but I imagine it was accurate because all of the Mario parts were.

Leveling Up the Original Score

Nostalgia came in abundance with music by Brian Tyler and original Nintendo themes by Koji Kondo. Tyler brilliantly revamped the music from the Super Mario Bros. games putting an orchestral spin on the classic score that will pull on your childhood heartstrings. All the music matched the scenes and what was happening in the plot perfectly. Jack Black also has an original song called “Peaches” that he sings in his Bowser voice that I guarantee will get stuck in your head in the best way. Since music is such a major part of the Mario games it was great to see how much it was used in the film.

Bonus Round

Be sure to hang around when the film is over for a number of reasons. The credits are stunning as the “Level Complete” song from the soundtrack plays and takes you through elements of the movie. There is a mid and post-credit scene that teases a possibility of a sequel. With the success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” I can’t imagine the studio passing on the opportunity and there is plenty I’d like to see. Princess Peach’s background was hinted at in this film and I’d like to see that expanded on. Also, Yoshi was seen for like two seconds in the movie and I remember him being a huge figure in one of the games so I’d like to see more of Yoshi. The ghost castles and major castles with the big bosses were a frustrating but exciting element to playing the games and that would be fun to see come to life. Wario and Waluigi could also make for an interesting addition.

Overall “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is an entertaining ride through your childhood that will make you want to leave the theaters to play the game or head to YouTube to watch long plays.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is playing now in theaters.

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Photo: Universal Pictures