'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day) holding up their fists into the air in front of a brick building. Luigi has a bag of plumbing tools.

Movies / Reviews

‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Movie Review: ‘Mamma Mia!’

'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' has no shortage of references from the video game franchise, but it struggles to find a compelling story to tell.

by Jeff Nelson

Published on April 4, 2023

3 min read

‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ pits Bowser against the Mushroom Kingdom

L-R: Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day) | Nintendo and Universal Pictures

Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and his brother, Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day), decide to combine forces and start their own plumbing company. However, their family and previous colleagues don’t hold much faith in their success. The brothers set out on an adventure to save the city from an incident flooding city streets, which leads them to the sewers. They find themselves sucked into a magical, fantastical world filled with creatures that are entirely foreign to them.

The brothers have split apart, leaving Mario in the Mushroom Kingdom and Luigi in Bowser’s (voiced by Jack Black) dangerous grasp. Mario seeks out Princess Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy) along with Toad (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key) to gain her help in rescuing his brother. However, Bowser is determined to achieve world domination with Peach as his wife.

Brotherhood and making one’s father proud

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is expectedly set on the brotherhood between Mario and Luigi. They released a local commercial selling their new plumbing business, simultaneously establishing their relationship. Mario left his stable career to chase this self-made dream, often acting as the leader of the pair with seemingly endless amounts of determination. Meanwhile, Luigi is loyal and dependable, yet quite clumsy and fearful. These traits are only amplified in the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond, but their brotherly love shines through.

Matthew Fogel’s screenplay is all about chasing your dreams. It’s a rather universal message that audiences of any age can connect with, as Mario desperately seeks the approval of his father. He’s tired of feeling “small” and wants to impress all those around him. Nevertheless, Mario’s determination pushes him through his family’s worst comments and the physical beatings from the diverse creatures of the Mushroom Kingdom. Family is at the forefront, as he does what he can to save his brother from the evil clutches of the King of the Koopas.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie takes note that Peach, Mario, and Luigi are now the only humans existing in these strange landscapes. Therefore, she’s quite exhilarated to see other people show up, even if their intentions aren’t immediately clear. Peach remains at the center of the story in more ways than one, but where she ends up also decides the fate of the remainder of the kingdom.

‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ makes poor use of its franchise IP

'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Princess Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy) walking on a path surrounded by grass and large mushrooms, as they look at one another.

L-R: Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Princess Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy) | Nintendo and Universal Pictures

Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic gleefully transport the audience into a world filled to the brim with nostalgia in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. There’s something special about hearing the familiar theme music in a movie theater, elevated by utterly gorgeous animation to bring the various regions and their inhabitants to life. Brian Tyler and Koji Kondo’s music combine into a beautiful blend of the original Nintendo themes and a fresh cinematic quality.

Diehard Super Mario fans and casual players will pick up on the numerous video game references, which range from subtle visual nuances to outright set pieces. They don’t all come organically, but the sidescrolling platformer action sequences are breathtaking and showcase exactly why a movie set in this universe makes a great deal of sense. However, there aren’t enough of these moments.

Unfortunately, preconceived concerns regarding the voice cast were justified. None of these A-list celebrity names fit their characters, ranging from Pratt’s poor imitation of the iconic lead character to Seth Rogen’s Donkey Kong, who sounds no different than he does in any live-action role. Taylor-Joy and Day also miss the mark as Peach and Luigi, leaving one to wonder why the studio didn’t give the original voice acting talent the opportunity to bring them to life on the silver screen.

There are clear attempts to modernize the story, as Luigi takes Peach’s place in the “damsel in distress” trope. Several character motivations are at play, but they all take a backseat to the happy ending that Bowser yearns for with Peach. Mario and Luigi’s brotherhood, their career aspirations, and familial troubles are dropped, only to later use them as pay-offs that aren’t earned.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie never gets past its wearisome narrative that doesn’t quite find a way to bring its franchise IP to life as it should. The story’s lack of creativity takes the adventure to the most obvious of places, while abandoning the film’s most dynamic elements. Kids will have a blast, especially with its nods to popular games, such as Luigi’s Mansion and Mario Kart. However, its childish sense of humor and lacking narrative fall short.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie jumps into movie theaters on April 5.