Film adaptations of video games have had a rough history. One particular instance of this was the infamous 1993 film “Super Mario Bros,” which was so derided (along with being a box office bomb), that Nintendo withheld licensing rights for any theatrical adaptations of their works — both live-action and animated — which lasted until the 2019 release of “Pokemon Detective Pikachu.”
Four years after the release of this film, comes “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” trying once again to successfully bring this video game franchise to the silver screen – this time, with Nintendo collaborating with animation studio Illumination.
The film follows the pair of Italian brothers from Brooklyn who, while trying to repair a water main, are sucked into a sewer pipe and are transported to another world – with Mario landing in the Mushroom Kingdom, and Luigi finding himself trapped in the Dark Lands and being captured by Bowser.
With the release of this film, there is an issue that emerges, one that has become more of an obvious problem in recent years, in terms of theatrically released animated films: Celebrity voice casts. This film is a great example of it, with two particular casting choices. The first was the decision to cast Chris Pratt as Mario. The viewer never quite gets used to his voice, and while there are moments where he tries to emulate the Italian plumber from Brooklyn (the usage of his signature “Wahoo!” while driving in a car on Rainbow Road on his way to defeat Bowser and save his brother), there are other moments when it becomes painfully obvious how much his voice doesn’t match the character.
It’s not a terrible performance, it’s just that he was terribly miscast. The same could be said for Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong who, well, sounds just like Seth Rogen – all the way down to the infamous laugh that he has become synonymous with. Both are not the best casting choices, to say the least.
The soundtrack is kind of bizarre for a Mario adaptation. For instance, there is the utilization of the Beastie Boys’ track “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” in the first act of the film (when the brothers are still in Brooklyn) – which, interestingly enough, isn’t the first time that Illumination has used the song in one of their films (the first being 2016’s “The Secret Life of Pets,” another film that takes place in the borough). That instance is somewhat understandable if one goes by the title of the track only and not the lyrical content.
On the other hand, there is also the usage of popular songs that feel included just because they’re well-known songs, such as the usage of A-ha’s “Take On Me” – which is featured when Mario and Peach travel with one of the Kong residents through the Jungle Kingdom in order to request an army from Cranky Kong. That scene would’ve worked more if just a piece from the score was used, instead of a previously existing song, as I was left confused by the inclusion of the track rather than interested in what was happening in that very scene.
Along with these factors is the rushed pacing that permeates the film, sacrificing any sort of time that could be spent on the characters, with the usage of nostalgic elements like references to previous games.
In terms of aspects I enjoyed about the film, there was Jack Black’s amazing performance as Bowser, who embodies the villainous character obsessed with Princess Peach. Every scene he is in is where – like the Super Star that he possesses – the film truly shines. Whether it be the opening scene where he invades the Ice Kingdom or the usage of his comedic chops in the performance of his song “Peaches,” he was easily the best choice to voice the character in this film.
As for the animation, it’s some of Illumination’s best work to date, with the designs (such as the Mushroom Kingdom) and movement of characters (such as Mario and Peach) transitioning the look and feel of the games to the film very well.
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is a relatively okay video game adaptation that unfortunately becomes dragged down by poor casting choices and rushed pacing. It might not be the worst video game adaptation, but it’s certainly a film that could’ve been better with better pacing, different actors to voice Mario and Donkey Kong, and the lack of previously existing songs.
With the probability of a sequel being quite high based on the success it’s having at the box office, who knows? Maybe the possible sequel might be better.
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