What’s It About
A plumber named Mario travels through an underground labyrinth with his brother, Luigi, trying to save a captured princess.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
It may seem to be a bit “cut and paste” as far as the overall story goes, but The Super Mario Bros. Movie gives you nearly everything you could expect from a video game adaptation. Sega did it with Sonic the Hedgehog, and now Nintendo has finally given a studio the right to use their mascot for theatrical financial gain. Compared to the 1993 film done without Nintendo’s involvement, it’s like night and day. That’s a good and bad thing all at once. The good is seeing all those game characters and how they interact with each other. The bad is watching those same characters do what any character in any movie could do. I was excited to see Bowser talking to Koopas or Princess Peach interacting with the mushroom people. But it could have been any character from any movie talking to another. Occasionally, they did something that could only happen in Mario’s world, but they were far and few between. The scene that contained cart racing was great but ultimately a forced unnecessarity. There is a scene near the beginning where Mario and Luigi are running through the city. This simple movie scene turned into one of the best tributes to the game as the brothers maneuvered in a side-scrolling style to their destination. And yes, throughout the film, there are loads of Mario easter eggs and references. That didn’t make the game better. It just lets you know they didn’t forget it. Like everything in this feature, it was put there strictly for fan service. They should have focused on the plot and not on how to add more nostalgic references. The Super Mario Bros. Movie should have been the catalyst that placed Nintendo’s mascot in a new light featuring some bizarre and original characters. Unfortunately, all we get is about ninety minutes of “Hey, there it is” or “That’s just like what’s in the game.” They played it safe, and kids will no doubt love this movie. It’s very colorful and visually awe-inspiring, with a basic plot that relies heavily on the memories of players old and new. In the end, The Super Mario Bros. Movie IS worth seeing, just don’t expect anything original.
OUR RATING – A NINTENDO 7
MEDIA
- Genre – Video Game
- Street date
- Digital – May 16th, 2023.
- DVD/Blu-Ray/4K – June 6th, 2023
- Video – 1080p
- Screen size – 2.39:1
- Sound – English Dolby Atmos
- Subtitles – English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras
- Getting to Know the Cast – In these short behind-the-scenes pieces we get up close and personal with the stars of the film and learn what they leaned on to inhabit their on-screen persona.
- Leveling Up: Making The Super Mario Bros. Movie– Bringing one of the world’s most beloved video game characters, and the world around him, to life was no easy task! Filmmakers and cast give an in-depth look into the making of the film.
- The Super Mario Bros. Movie Field Guide – Join the cast of The Super Mario Bros. Movie as they take viewers through the various Power-Ups and Bonuses that appear in the film. This immersive video will allow the cast to interact with custom on-screen graphics as they select a Bonus or Power Up specific to their character and then explain what it does, how to use it and its effects.
- “Peaches” Lyric Video – Jack Black is known for his big personality and really no one else could play the part of Bowser, so get ready to sing-along to his big musical number as he serenades Princess Peach.
- Leadership Lessons with Anya Taylor-Joy – Let’s face it: being a princess isn’t easy. Thankfully, we have Anya Taylor-Joy, custom graphics and movie clips to give us Princess Peach’s guide to being an awesome leader. We’ll provide some real-life tips and power-ups that kids of all ages can use in their daily lives.