THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE – A Review by Jenn Rohm
I was in elementary school when the Nintendo Entertainment Systems came out and I can remember playing video games while growing up. Mario Brothers is a part of many different memories. Along with prior projects to bring Mario to the big screen, I fully admit a lot of trepidation going into watching The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Allow me to share my opinions with you to hopefully ease you from having trepidation yourself.
Directors Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, and writer Matthew Fogel stayed true to the Mario games’ storylines and characters. Bowser is setting his plans in motion to take over Mushroom World while Mario and Luigi work to make a name for themselves in NY plumbing. The brothers, while exploring a water leak, find themselves taken to another world and the adventure begins.
The actors who provided the voices to this film also added another layer to enjoying this film. It wasn’t until I got to the credits that I learned Mario was voiced by Chris Pratt and Bowser by Jack Black. On the other hand, Donkey Kong laughs not long after we meet him, and there is no mistaking Seth Rogan’s signature sound. Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong was the one where I knew the voice but couldn’t place it till the end. Sometimes in animated movies, especially when “known” actors provide the voice I lose a bit of the animation and see the actor in my mind. That did not happen here.
I also want to give props on the choices of music used and how the sound from the game was incorporated. There are some songs that were being played on the radio when the games being represented were released. They fit the moments of the movie and took me back in time. I am hoping a soundtrack will be released. (If it is, I will be purchasing it.)
Is this a movie that is going to change the world? No. Did it have the additional hidden moment of adult humor like Shrek? No. It is a PG movie and is written for children to follow. I am not saying it is simplistic, it did hold my attention, I wasn’t even tempted to check my watch. All of this to say, I enjoyed the movie and rated it 4.5 stars on the Selig Rating Scale.
Director: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
Written By: Matthew Fogel
Cast: Chris Pratt, Seth Rogan, Fred Armisen, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Anya Taylor-Joy
MPAA Rating: PG for action and mild violence
Genres: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi
Selig Rating: 4.5 stars
Runtime: 1hr 32 min
Release Date: April 5, 2023
Movie Site: The Super Mario Bros. Official Website
Trailer: The Super Mario Bros. Official Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
