If you’re looking for a no spoilers Super Mario Bros Movie review, this is the one that will blue shell the living daylights out of the rest. Too long have we suffered under the glare or sour-faced critics and our take on Mario’s big return to the big screen should steer you in the right direction.
To start with, there’s the big question when you look at any movie and that’s, is it worth spending all that cash on at the big screen. Our honest answer is a big yes to any Mario game fans, Nintendo lovers or animated movie buffs out there, because this is everything you will have wanted and more.
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Story, characters and pacing review
AdvertisementThe general synopsis for the Super Mario Movie is that the two brothers find themselves in the Mushroom Kingdom just as Bowser is in the process of launching a major offensive. It’s pretty close to the general story for most Mario games and there’s more than enough of a journey to make it work well for the movie.
It does a pretty good job of developing the characters beyond the more superficial stories from the games, which gives the film more heart and emotional investment. In all fairness for old-school Mario fans it has us at “It’s a me”, but for more general viewers the additional details will definitely make it more appealing.
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There are plenty of twists and turns along the way, so it’s not just a case of going from A to B without much in between. It also combines action with adventure, comedy and a little drama to give the story a well balanced finish that will leave you hoping for more Mario movies in the future.
Our only criticism is that it could have taken it’s time a little more and added in additional content to make some of the sequences more interesting and develop more of the side characters a little further. It comes together in the end, but it’s a bit of a blur at times, but then that’s going to result in a lot of home media re-watches when it comes out on DVD, Blu-ray and digital later in the year.
Cast review
AdvertisementWhen the Super Mario Movie cast was first announced it picked up a lot of flack online with Chris Pratt in the lead role and other big stars like Seth Rogan and Jack Black in the mix. In all fairness the trailers have already confirmed that the fears were unfounded, but when you’re watching the film itself you only really see the characters.
This is especially true of Chris Pratt who is pretty much pitch perfect throughout the film and it’s a similar story for Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi and Keegan-Michael Key as Toad. Seth Rogan is always going to be Seth Rogan in anything he does, but it kind of works for his part as Donkey Kong.
As with any film like this, a lot of the weighting comes down to the success of the villain to deliver the goods and the good news is that Jack Black does a solid job as Bowser. He’s got such a recognizable voice that it’s impossible not to think of him whenever Bowser goes into full growl mode, but he’s definitely the best man for the part.
The only minor question mark we have in terms of our cast review for the Mario Movie is that Cranky Cong sounds a little off. He’s played by Fred Armisan and he just doesn’t sound Cranky enough if we’re being critical, but it really doesn’t change much for the film overall.
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Visual impact
AdvertisementIf you didn’t already get it from the trailer, the visual impact of the Mario Movie is off the charts. It’s been crafted to the nth degree to deliver a real big screen adventure into the Mushroom Kingdom that will keep you smiling throughout the film.
It’s so good, in fact, that you might want to see it in 3D to get even more out of it. If you watch it once in 2D, but want to head back to see it again then the 3D option is well worth a shout.
There are some clever screen jumping moments with a lot more action than we were expecting. It’ll look great on home media too when that comes around, but unfortunately 3D Blu-ray is much less of a thing than it used to be, so it’ll be a surprise if it lands on the format.
Maybe we’ll get a minor resurgence in the 3D home format with the prospect of Avatar 2, but we still don’t know if that’s actually coming down the line or not. As a result, you might want to catch it with specs on the big screen before you miss your chance.
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Music review
AdvertisementAs with all Illumination films, the music in the Super Mario Movie is excellent. We’re not going to ruin any of the surprises for you, but there are some real gems in the mix. This includes eighties classics, modern hits and heavy metal power plays, so there’s a lot to enjoy.
It may not be up there with Sing or Sing 2, but when you add in all of the adaptations of the Mario video game music you’ve got a lot of magic. It’ll remind you of some of the best platforming fun of your life and for any newcomers to gaming it might just inspire you to pick up the Nintendo Switch or the soon to arrive console that will be coming next.
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Credits scenes review
You can read more about what actually takes place in the credits scenes with the link above, but as this is a spoiler free review we’ll just say that they’re good. There are two of them to look forward to with the first just after the cast credits roll and the second right at the very end of the credits.
They’re not going to set the social media world alight, but they’re a good mix of fun and teaser. We were hoping for something a little more impactful, but with so much content to cover we’re expecting the Super Mario Bros Movie to become a huge series and maybe Illumination’s most successful to-date.
Super Mario Bros Movie review score: 4.5/5
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