‘Super Mario Bros. Movie' Review: A Fun But Safe Mushroom Kingdom Romp
Super Mario Bros. It's a great kids movie. It's wonderfully animated, has enough gore to keep youngsters from getting bored, and every character is unique and likeable (even Bowser himself, thanks to Jack Black's comedic talents). Nintendo didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the other Mario movie, the 1993 live-action movie, which obviously 90s kids ridiculously loved (we all did!) but ultimately failed to capture the magic of the game. . . Meanwhile, this movie is full of everything you remember from Nintendo's masterpieces. It's nostalgic for adults and fun for kids too.
But is the boy okay? I may have been a little spoiled by the great non-Pixar animated films we've seen in the last decade, especially those starring Phil Lord and Chris Miller ( The Lego Movie! To Spider-Man !) . But Nintendo clearly didn't want to take too many creative risks with this adaptation. Matthew Fogel's script is full of humor and references to keep us entertained, and directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelinek deliver some thrilling action sequences. But the film is like an aged dinosaur's obsession trapped in a castle of nostalgia. (bear with me)
© Provided by EngadgetThis wasn't an issue for the kids in the morning audience, but it's a bit disappointing if you've waited decades for a great Mario adaptation. Sonic the Hedgehog joins the latest live-action blockbuster : Super Mario Bros. "Everything is fine." There's no attempt to go deeper than the basics: Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day), two plumbers from Brooklyn, are inexplicably transported to the Mushroom Kingdom. Never fearless, Luigi is immediately captured by Bowser's henchmen, and it's up to him to save Mario and Princess Peach (the wonderful Anya Taylor-Joy). And the Big Bad Bowser plans to marry Peach or take over the kingdom for a while.
The movie will bombard you with an endless stream of references right from the start, watch them all! Characters on the wall! - This will either make old Nintendo fans happy or roll their eyes. Personally, I loved watching nostalgia fodder more than anything else ( Mario Galaxy's epic killer Lumali stole the show). The filmmakers show off a lot of visual flair, like an early scene that turns into a 2D chase sequence in Brooklyn. I wish some of the music choices were more creative. ( Kill Signal Bill ? Bonnie Tyler says in Mario's training montage, "He's catching the champ? Let's go .")
It's always nice to see kids' movies go beyond our expectations - The Lego Movie explores the prison of capitalism, the need to fight against society's restrictive expectations, and how fans can destroy what they truly love - all in one fun adventure . One size fits all smart funny syringe for kids and adults . In Super Mario Bros! Mario learns to eat mushrooms because mushrooms make him bigger and stronger. What a subtext!
At the same time, I can still respect a movie that only manages to entertain kids. Over the years, I've been exposed to a lot of terrible children's movies with terrible animation and production design, slow writing, and a lack of creative vision. 2011's Space Jam: A New Legacy or The Smurfs . I can make up time by watching Super Mario Bros. It might be a little easier and safer, but it's not a waste of time.
© Engadget Bowser and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. In the movieFirst, we've never seen Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom look this good. The Lights may not have a perfect Pixar track record, but this movie is full of beautiful characters, detailed worlds, and some of the smoothest animation I've seen in years. It's a visual feast, and it makes me long for the days when Mario games were rich (as much as I loved Super Mario Odyssey , the visual effects kept the Switch's aging hardware hanging).
I was interested in voice acting for the most part. Jack Black is based on Bowser, a hopeless romantic who can only express his feelings through song and take over the world. Charlie Day mostly plays the typical bully, but he teams up with Luigi, who comes to help his younger brother. And Anya Taylor-Joy is the perfect Princess Peach, the leader who must muster the courage to protect the beautiful city of the Mushroom Kingdom.
© Provided by EngadgetHowever, Chris Pratt's hype about Mario's voice is worth it for all. The film features Charles Martinet's original, problematic accent (Martinette voices two characters in the film), but Pratt's role seems to be someone impersonating a troubled Brooklynite. This is amazing because Pratt brought so much life to the main character of The Lego Movie .
Super Mario Bros. The most frustrating aspect of the film is that it comes close to being truly great. If the film had had more time to develop its characters, or if Jack Black had been given the space to unleash his full potential as Bowser in Tenacious D, it could have easily been stronger. Why not put some effort into the Mario Kart sequence? (Even Moana managed to sneak in a Mad Max: Fury Road reference!) Why not spend some time on the competition/fun between Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) and Mario?
With a weekend estimate of $150 million or more, Nintendo clearly has a huge hit on their hands. The sequel is inevitable. I hope the company will be stable next time. After all, what fun would a Mario adventure be without a few creative leaps from the unsuspecting abyss?
