The Super Mario Bros. Movie Was So Fun to Watch!
I had a great time watching the film, and I'm happy it is getting the success it deserves.
Before I start, this article will have some spoilers, so if you haven’t seen the movie and want to avoid spoilers, click away now! The Super Mario Bros. Movie is one of my favorite films released this year. This movie is a treat for everyone who grew up playing the games and loves a good adventure. The movie follows Mario and Luigi, two plumbers from Brooklyn who are getting their business started up (which was really funny to see) and ended up falling through a pipe that brings them to the Mushroom Kingdom and Bowser’s Dark Lands.
Mario and Luigi’s Life in Brooklyn
I didn’t know exactly what to expect at the start of the movie. I thought Mario and Luigi would already be living in the Mushroom Kingdom, but I was wrong. As someone from the borough, I loved getting to see Mario and Luigi’s life in Brooklyn. It felt like seeing a great representation especially with the restaurants, and construction that is constantly happening because of gentrification. Also, the buildings our family and friends would live in.
They both run a plumbing business, and they created a commercial that they spent their entire life savings on to attract customers, and rightfully so because they went off and it worked! The area Mario and Luigi were in seemed to be DUMBO especially because of the pizza shop they were watching their commercial in, and because their clients apartment had the view of the Brooklyn Bridge which was dope to see.
I was hooked on how Illumination expanded on Mario and Luigi’s backstory, with how they were being made fun of by Spike and their own family members about starting their own plumbing business. Mario and Luigi’s had so many family members in their apartment which is on brand. As a Brooklyn native, you’re guaranteed to either be living with or getting visited by multiple family members.
Their family members were eating at the table and teasing Mario and Luigi for chasing their dreams with the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing. It was a good build-up and very relatable, especially how Mario and Luigi were focusing on working together to build up their business and prove everyone wrong about doubting them.
When Mario and Luigi finally got a client, it was supposed to be an easy job. Luigi accidentally created an enemy from the dog in the house because he stepped on the dog's bone, which caused the dog to sabotage their work. That was one of my favorite scenes. It was so entertaining and brought out the Illumination signature were used to seeing in movies they made, like Secret Life of Pets. Their fight with the dog caused their “easy fix” to destroy the pipes within the house and the entirety of Brooklyn, setting up how they got themselves get sucked into the Mushroom Kingdom.
The World-Building of the Kingdoms
One of the most impressive aspects of The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the world-building that it does. The movie takes us on a journey through different lands inspired by the games, but it also has unique twists and surprises.
One of the central lands that we see is the Mushroom Kingdom, where Mario meets Princess Peach and her loyal Toads. The Mushroom Kingdom is a vibrant and bustling place, and the toads had stores, restaurants, and a bunch of other areas. There’s even an antique shop featuring the pixilated treasure box and coins from Super Mario Bros. 3. The way Captain Toad and Mario traveled around the land through pipes reminded me of the Super Mario Odyssey when you're in New Donk City.
At some point, Mario, Peach, and Captain Toad travel to Cranky Kong’s Kingdom. That was a cute little montage, featuring fire flower fields, herds of wild Yoshies, and bridge jumping cheep cheeps. An area even reminded me of the Super Smash Brothers Melee opening, where all the different colored Yoshies were running the fields. It was similar in this movie; a pink Yoshi looked back at them traveling, which was so cute. I wish they expanded the montage, so we got to see even more of what the worlds offer. But it hinted that maybe other Mario movies would show more of those kingdoms and landscapes.
From time to time they would switch to Luigi showing how he was surviving the Dark Lands, because Mario and Luigi separated when they were being transported through the pipe. I really loved the fact that they put aspects of Luigi’s Mansion vibes throughout his scenes. He would always be freaked out when something would pop up in the trees or how he almost fell in a pit of lava. It makes me excited to think if they will make a Luigi’s Mansion movie. I think Illumination would do a great job especially with how they made Luigi react to stressful situations.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie does a great job of creating a rich and diverse world for Mario and his friends to explore. It pays homage to the games we love, and it adds new elements and twists that make it fresh and exciting. It is a fun and adventurous movie that makes us, their fans, want to see more of these lands in the future.
Easter Eggs That’ll Have You Smile
Though I have seen people on Twitter doing this, I don’t consider the world-building of the lands and such to be easter eggs. I believe easter eggs are the little quirks that Nintendo fans would recognize. It gives more personality, and nostalgia for fans like us to be gratified by.
There were some cool easter eggs throughout the movie. At the movie's beginning, when Mario and Luigi’s first customer calls, the ringtone is the GameCube startup sound!! If you’re like me, you haven't heard that in so long - it had me reminiscing. As mentioned before, the antique shop which was a nod to the Crazy Cap. There was also Mario playing Kid Icarus on the NES, which was a satisfying touch.
I know there were many more easter eggs throughout the movie, so I can’t wait to watch the film again!
The one and only Bowser
Everyone did a great job voice-acting their characters. I was definitely one of the people who did not like Chris Pratt’s Mario at first - but I sure was shown to be wrong, which I am happy about. Luigi’s voice acting, I still need to get used to it. I didn’t like it as much, but it can also be because he was not shown in the movie much, which sucks.
The person who took the cake and went OFF was Jack Black as Bowser! Jack Black voiced him well with his own spin, and he even sang in the film! This version of Bowser should be more present in the games. I have seen Bowser being that way in games like Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and Super Paper Mario, so it would be cool to see more of that. Black did a great job; I love how much he personified Bowser as a determined leader and SIMP conquering worlds to impress Peach. The song was about Peach as he wants to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom and marry Peach! It definitely was a nod to Super Mario Odyssey there. The song was a banger from the start with a 1980’s pop rock, love song kind of feel and I have been unable to get it out of my head.
Apparently, this song would be eligible to be nominated in the Oscars as best original song - WHICH IT DESERVES!
The Movie Isn’t Perfect
Some critiques I have is that the movie feels like a speed run, mainly because they didn’t go and show the different Kingdoms fully, which would give more depth with their arsenal of characters and games. Then there’s the whole incomplete plot of Mario wanting to save Brooklyn, by plumbing. The movie didn’t do a good job of getting to that either, because randomly in the beginning and toward the end of the film - they got teleported through a green pipe. Not to mention, Bullet Bill exploding that pipe, which I would think it would lead to a Super Mario Galaxy type of thing. Especially since Luna, Rosalina’s star, is in the movie. Instead, it automatically went to Mario and Luigi’s Brooklyn, which was sort of random. Alternatively, this does become the way they save Brooklyn, even though Brooklyn’s initial problem was never solved and possibly made worse by Mario’s actions.
Regardless of its faults, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a must-see for anyone who loves Mario or wants to have a good time at the movies. It is a blast of fun and nostalgia that will make you feel like a kid again. Remember to stay for the mid and post-credits scene for the final Easter Egg!