‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie Review: Zippy Animated Version Breathes New Life Into Beloved Video Game
After the failure of the live-action film adaptation of Super Mario Brothers in 1993, the creators of the new animated version clearly felt the need to restore the faith of the legions of fans of the popular video game. While dedicated gamers will weigh in on whether the film adequately serves this purpose, The Super Mario Bros. feels Movie like a love piece that should easily withstand any purist blunders. It should also earn co-producers Nintendo, Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures big bucks, and sequels and spin-offs are all but guaranteed.
While Matthew Vogel's screenplay won't win any awards, it sets a reasonable framework for the near-continuous 90 minutes of mayhem that follows. The film tells the origin story of Mario (Chris Pratt) and his younger brother Luigi (Charlie Day), who are first seen as regular plumbers in Brooklyn who start their own business, to the derision of their former boss, Spike (Sebastian). . farrier). ). ). They even appear in TV commercials for their services and speak with a thick Italian accent that they don't actually have. (There was initial uproar over Pratt not using the thick accent used by veteran Mario player Charles Martine, who seems adept at handling this plot element. However, Pratt sometimes adds, "Mamma mia!" to to emphasize).
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After a hilarious hoax turns a plumber's job from an aggressive dog into a disaster, the brothers try to fix a broken pipe under the streets of Brooklyn. When Luigi falls into a mysterious pipe and disappears, Mario dives after him and finds himself in a realm of magic mushrooms. With the help of the cheerful Toad (Kegan Michael-Key), the first villager he meets, Mario begins a mission to save his brother from the clutches of the evil Bowser (Jack Black), an evil trainer of Koopa- turtles who are determined to defeat the kingdom of mushrooms.
To do so, he must team up with the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy, taking advantage of his sultry fierceness), who certainly doesn't back down when it comes to fighting. To make matters worse, Bowser is obsessed with the princess, as evidenced by his passionate rendition of a rock 'n' roll ballad dedicated to her that Kiss or Poison would have approved of. Reminiscent of a cheesy music video, this scene is one of the funniest in the film thanks to Black's impassioned vocals as he brings his Tenacious D-Style A to the table. His lively voice acting takes the film to the next level.
The film is filled with episode after episode, the highlight of which is Mario's titanic battle with Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen, who sounds just like him, but is still hilarious) that fully displays his determination and resourcefulness. The fast action effectively brings the game closer; Brian Tyler's equally creepy soundtrack deftly picks up the game's theme songs written by composer Koji Kando and provides the right accompaniment.
The plot is as simple as it comes and character development is clearly not a priority. Considering Day's incredible voice acting as Luigi, it seems a shame the character has been gone for so long. But directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenik, creators of Teen Titans Go! The series is a fairly believable film adaptation that offers plenty of juvenile humor but wisely doesn't lean towards general satire.
Fans will be amazed at the many Easter eggs sprinkled liberally throughout the process. I'm sure I missed the vast majority of them, but there was a lot of appreciative laughter and applause at the press preview, including cameos sung by Mario's original voice. actor. Martinet and other wildlife veterans.
As usual with Illumination films, captivating animation is provided by consistently engaging sets and characters. The brisk 92 minute running time is another plus, especially for younger audiences; It's especially gratifying when so many lavishly animated films approach the two-hour mark.
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