[Review] The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Spoiler Free)

Woo Hoo! I have just seen The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and it was actually  pretty darn good, so now I just have to tell you all about it. Saying that, I will keep this review spoiler free and any images that are shown will be from already released trailers and promotional materials. Without further ado, Let’s-a Go!

So, to start off with, I went to the Odeon cinema in Southend-On-Sea with my brother and Editor Jack. The tickets were on the pricey side, but the cinema had some cool Popcorn tins shaped like Question Blocks that you could take home with you after the film finished. Popcorn in hand and a large drink, we were ready to watch the film.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie was an absolute experience from start to finish. Literally, every scene in the film had multiple references to the many games across the Mario series and even a good number of Nintendo references in general. The animation and the voice acting was very solid. I had my doubts with Chris Pratt taking the role of Mario at first (didn’t a lot of us?) but it was not so much me not wanting him to play Mario but the fact his face and voice has been in a lot of films these last few years and I felt like somebody else deserves a chance at the role.

Having said that, Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, and Keenen Michael Key did a top job with their roles, as did many of the other characters in the movie. Loved Donkey Kong but wasn’t totally sold on Seth Rogen’s vocal portrayal. I feel like he could have put more into the role rather than “just being himself.” Don’t get me wrong, I love Seth Rogen and have seen a lot of his works but it didn’t seem like he totally committed to the role for DK and it is a shame as the great ape has a lot of fans that would have loved to have seen him shine in the movie.

Another small issue that I had with the film was with Bowser’s motives for doing what he was doing. I won’t go I to depths as to why so not to reveal any spoilers but anyone who has played a Super Mario game will probably have a general idea. There were also a couple of musical numbers that were really corny as well. They were most likely added to get viewers to see his softer side but all it really did was make a mockery of the king of Koopas.

On the plus side, I did enjoy how the filmmakers made Princess Peach more of a protagonist as opposed to the typical damsel in distress she plays in every Mario game. She still looks dainty and cute, but wow, does she know how to handle herself in a fight. If you have seen any of the trailers, that is just a taste of what she can really do when the time calls for it.

On another note, the music truly was on another level. While there was some mainstream music every now and again, a lot of the music in the film were renditions of Koji Kondo’s masterpieces and it sounded amazing. One particular track almost brought me to tears because I just welled up with nostalgia and emotion. The cult classic DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64 by Grant Kirkhope also had its time to shine in the film. Unfortunately, Grant was not credited the the DK Rap at the end of the film and I do hope that will be fixed for DVD/Blu-Ray release. I and many others recognised your work, Grant, so while you may not get the credit in the film, please know that the fans do recognize your iconic work.

Rounding up this review, the film was fantastic and an absolute treat for Mario fans. It may be hit or miss with younget audiences as many of the references may go over their heads but long time fans will really get a kick out of this film. We totally recommend seeing it once or twice in the cinema and the getting it in DVD as soon as possible to watch it again!