Let’s-a-go! Mario and Luigi level up in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”

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Spoilers ahead.

In 1981, Mario was first introduced to the world with his appearance in the Nintendo arcade game, “Donkey Kong.” Later on, in 1983, Mario then was joined by his brother Luigi in “Mario Bros.” 

Since their first appearance, the duo has continued to bring joy to many individuals worldwide, and the franchise is widely beloved and cherished by its fans. 

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is the latest addition to this universe. Released on April 5, this film already has been breaking box office records and is bringing families back into the movie theaters.

If only the movie itself was groundbreaking. 

The duo is trying to make it big in Brooklyn as plumbers and after a failed first gig, they try to redeem themselves after Mayor Pauline reports a pipe outburst. 

Mario and Luigi are doing everything they can to fix the pipe; however, as they do they stumble upon the infamous green pipe that fans immediately would recognize from the video games. 

As one might suspect, into the pipe they go. The main conflict then arises; however, the pipe ends up separating the brothers. Mario ends up in Mushroom Kingdom, while Luigi ends up being captured by Bowser.

In the Mushroom Kingdom, we are introduced to Toad, who takes Mario to see Princess Peach to ask for help in finding his brother. 

This is a different scenario than what fans have become accustomed to in the games. Normally, Mario and Luigi are traveling to save Princess Peach, but now Mario is part of a new duo to save Luigi.

In this story, Princess Peach was independent and was not the one who needed saving. It showed a strong character arc from the princess that we normally see in distress.

What I appreciated about the film was its connections back to the video game. There are scenes where it feels like you are in the middle of a Mario level, trying to figure out a way to escape. 

The soundtrack also had little vignettes calling back to various scores across all of the Mario franchises, which was a nice and subtle touch.

However, this film was not groundbreaking. I was not shocked at the events happening on screen, it was almost too predictable, and there was no suspense present. It was a fine film, with some really disappointing choices. 

For example, Mario gets absolutely destroyed by Donkey Kong, but the second he lands one attack on Donkey Kong, Mario automatically wins. There could have been more suspense in that moment to add a shock factor. 

There were plot lines left unfinished, characters not developed, and just an abrupt ending that could have been stronger to set up future films. 

Chris Pratt, who voices Mario, was a mistake.  The iconic Italian accent is not consistent, and not executed well. It was very cringy to listen to, and at some points, it felt as if Pratt just gave up on the character. 

Not including the characters Daisy, Birdo, Rosalina, or even Yoshi, was disheartening for me, as they are my main characters when playing. It is obvious that they are planning to make multiple films following the storyline of Mario and Luigi, so I hope that eventually they make an appearance.

Jack Black as Bowser was the film’s saving grace. His Bowser was very complex as the main antagonist, and he did a wonderful job voice acting. His additional songs were quite funny, and it was just a treat every time his character was on screen. 

“Super Mario Galaxy” fans got representation in the inclusion of Lumalee, one of the stars that fill the galaxy, but it felt like a weird choice due to the lack of Rosalina and references to the game itself. 

They were a much-needed comedic relief to add to Bowser, but it was an odd choice to have this random Luma appear and be a highlight of the movie.

This entire film felt like a prequel for the inevitable next movie. It’s cute, the animation is fine, and the movie does its job, but I was longing for something more complex in its plot, and ultimately, I was just upset the entire time because of the missing characters.

It’s a fine movie for an excellent franchise. Hopefully, now that this movie is out there, they can experiment more and make a movie that is just as good as the games.