Video game movies have largely been pretty massive failures in terms of both critical reception and box office success. Films like Doom and Alone in the Dark were both panned by critics and audiences alike, and both failed to make their budgets back at the box office. However, in recent years, the quality of video game movies has gone up quite a bit, with releases like Detective Pikachu and the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise becoming both critical and commercial triumphs. So, it should be no surprise that Nintendo would capitalize on this recent trend, with the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
The plot of the movie is very straightforward, just like the source material it is based on; both Mario and Luigi are sucked into a warp pipe and transported to different worlds, with Mario landing in the Mushroom Kingdom and Luigi landing in the Dark Lands. With the help of Peach and Toad, Mario goes on an adventure to rescue his brother and prevent Bowser from destroying the world.
The film’s greatest strength is by far its cast, with pretty much every main role being played by someone with a decent amount of star power, no pun intended. Despite everyone in the cast putting in a great performance, Jack Black’s portrayal of Bowser in particular has been receiving near-universal acclaim, as it should. Jack Black puts in the perfect amount of sincerity and goofiness into his role, and it perfectly matches the tone of the film.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a movie that knows its audience and knows it very well. There are easter eggs a plenty, some being obvious, some being more obscure, yet none of them detract from the overall watching experience and make you feel like you’re sitting through ninety straight minutes of fan service. That being said, although I’m fairly confident that fans of the games will enjoy this movie, those who are not may not be as entertained. However, whether you know what a Bob-omb is or not, I would at the very least give The Super Mario Bros. Movie a chance, as its short runtime and simple plot make it a very easy watch.
