Review of The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) by Godboygeno — 08 Apr 2023

I have been excited to go see a movie in theaters in a very long time. When I heard they were making a Mario movie I had hope that Nintendo wouldn't let it be overrun with leftist Hollywood politics and just make a fun movie but, I was skeptical due to flood of woke movies and TV shows that have been crammed down our throats in the last few years. After watching the Mario movie I can safely say that Nintendo and Illumination delivered! This movie was pure fun, just like a movie targeted for kids should be. With that said, Mario isn't just for kids, there are so many references in this movie to classic games that only adult gamers would really pick up on and appreciate. I'm so glad that I was able to take my kids to this movie and share the love I have for Mario with them without having to be lectured about CRT, racism, grooming, trans kids, etc. Mario is what a family movie is supposed to be, just a fun escape from reality and a great time for the whole family.

The animation is top tier, probably the best I have ever seen in a movie like this, yes I would put it over pixar any day of the week. Illumination really worked hard on this level of animation and it shows. I remember being in awe as a child watching Toy Story for the first time and this was reminiscent of that. There were plenty of songs taken from several Mario games that just fit with the Movie so well. All the easter eggs to other Nintendo games made me smile each time I caught a glimpse. I loved the nods to Luigi's Mansion in particular.

As far as negatives go, there really isn't much to complain about. If anything, I wanted more time in the mushroom kingdom and less time devoted to Brooklyn but, overall, its nothing to dock points on. I thought Chris Pratt was great as Mario, the accent was well balanced and not to overbearing. Jack Black knocked it out of the park as Bowser, Charlie Day was fantastic as Luigi, and Anya Taylor Joy was great as Peach. Cranky Kong's voice was a little weird to me. Seth Rogen was really distracting as Donkey Kong because he didn't even try to sound like something other than himself. Having his weird laugh left in the movie was cringey. Overall, if you are on the fence about going to see the Mario movie because of critic reviews, go ahead and give it a watch for yourself. It's worth it. I loved this movie and I can't wait to see what they do with next one and what this movie's success might mean for more Nintendo franchises to come.