Hooked on the Bros.! (Quick Thoughts on the Mario Movie)
They're the MARIO BROS.! And plumbing's their game!
When I heard they were making a MARIO movie, I just HAD to go see it. The Super Mario Bros. is one of my favorite videogame series, and its stuck with me ever since I discovered the first game on an old plug-and-play device.
Off the bat, the marketing for this film was big, but did not do justice to the film. The voice acting, especially Chris Pratt's Mario, was great all around. The actual movie was a great time, and if they're going to make more films, then sign me up!
The story isn't a HUGE adventure akin to a typical Mario game, but the general gist is just the same. Bowser attacks, Peach is defenseless (for the most part), Mario and Luigi jump in to save the day. Sadly, Luigi's absence was a bit felt once the pair are sucked into the Mushroom Kingdom. I feel like if he was tagging along Mario, the pair's dynamism would've really elevated how much they need each other. Otherwise, it really IS your typical mainline Mario game, the kind where its 100% about MARIO.
They really leaned into a lot of Mario references in almost every aspect. And I don't just mean the immediate games, but the spin-offs too! If you haven't played a Mario game past a certain console generation or two, you may be a little confused with some of his more modern powerups (i.e. the Cat Mario suit).
Heck, Donkey Kong gets quite the attention in the film. I love DK (even more than Mario at times), so I'm glad he wasn't just there for a small cameo. If they branch out for a Donkey Kong (or Donkey Kong Country) movie, I am so in! Now all he needs is a new videogame.
Now, as for things I didn't like... well... WHY DIDN'T MARIO TELL THE AUDIENCE THAT TOASTERS TOAST TOAST???
OK, but really. Maybe there could've been a bit larger of an adventure, and a little more Mario and Luigi during the real adventure. The movie itself, in all honesty, was about as long as the SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water, but unlike that film, it was packed with enough content to not feel short or fast. The theming did feel a little disoriented when it came to Mario's general emotions and Illumination's usual love for slapstick comedy, but there are a good amount of scenes that came together and gave me the biggest laughs. The theater was PACKED, and its no surprise when its SUPER MARIO. There were more people that came to this one movie than they did for the two SONIC films.
OH! I do have one extra complaint. Why didn't they credit GRANT KIRKHOPE? He's the only one that wasn't credited despite his music being used in the film too. I dunno if they didn't know out his name, if Nintendo or someone at Illumination omitted his name. We'll never know, but I hope they update the credits to add him, or at least put it in the Streaming and Blu-Ray/DVD release. That's just sad.
Overall, the Super Mario Bros. movie was a wonderful time from top to bottom. And being someone who's played entries from the oldest era to the current NEW SUPER era, there's a good lot of references that has something for everyone.
It's-A Mario Time! And I'm glad he's still here to stay. If you haven't seen it yet, go watch the Mario Movie! It's a pleasant surprise... and fun!! And don't forget to...
BE TOONTASTIC~!
P.S. Please adapt Super Mario Sunshine for your next Mario Movie if possible.
