‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’: Level Up or Game Over?
Movie Review
Nintendo and Illumination debuted The Super Mario Bros. Movie in theaters on April 5th.
By ELAINA GONZALEZ/Opinion Editor
On April 5, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” debuted in theaters. The PG-rated film features several favorite Mario Bros. characters alongside countless Nintendo references and flawlessly smooth animation.
Yet, reviews for the film are mixed, with a stark difference arising between critics, die-hard game fans and casual audience members.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has been given a measly 5.6 out of 10 rating, or 56% on the Tomatometer. Top critic Wenlei Ma slams, “The whole package is a deranged mishmash of overstimulating elements.”
(This story received an honorable mention award for critical review at the 2024 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association convention.)
From a different angle, Mark McPherson says the movie is “too safe and passive, more content with referencing its source material than playing with it.”
The colorful film recalls nostalgic video game references such as the infamous Rainbow Road. Photo courtesy of The Super Mario Bros. Movie © 2022 Nintendo and Universal Studios.
Still, there are several positive reviews about the film’s story and characters. John Rocha calls it “a sweet, funny, action packed and beautifully animated film,” and top critic Tara Brady enjoyed its “commendable command of canonical detail.”
Despite a varying critical reception, audience reviews have given it an impressive 4.7 out of 5 stars. Verified audience members have labeled it as a fun, family-oriented experience.
As a non-critical audience member, I would also rate the film highly. I appreciated its attention to detail and creative callbacks to the original Mario games. It is, after all, a reimagining of the Nintendo universe – a beautifully immersive one at that. I feel the movie achieved its goals as both an adaptation and a modern kids’ film.
Online reviews have a similar variety of criticism and praise. Culture‘s Nicholas Barber deems the film to be “lazy,” commenting on its “astonishing lack of jokes.”
Zaki Hasan at Datebook says that the experience resembles “watching a video game – and that’s not a good thing.” Likewise, Louis Chilton at Independent agrees that “you can only devour so many Easter eggs before growing nauseous,” arguing that there are just too many references.
The movie explores a new take on Nintendo’s original villain. Photo courtesy of The Super Mario Bros. Movie © 2022 Nintendo and Universal Studios.
On the other hand, Devindra Hardawar at Engadget labels the movie “a fun but safe Mushroom Kingdom romp” that can be considered “an almost perfect kids film.”
I disagree with the notion that the movie was humorless. I found several aspects very entertaining (Peaches, anyone?), and the characters were an interesting mix of originality and nostalgia.
The plot and setting were perfectly acceptable for the story being told. Some children’s movies set out to address serious issues in the modern world. This one, not so much – and that’s okay in my opinion.
The creators from Nintendo and Illumination also faced backlash about the voice cast. The film features big names like Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach and Jack Black as Bowser. While some find this choice to be endearing, others feel that the all-famous cast disrespects the hard work of traditional voice actors.
Regardless of judgements, box office statistics show that the film was a major success. On its opening weekend, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” grossed over $377 million worldwide and $204 million in the US. In fact, according to Forbes, it is “among the top 10 domestic animated film opening weekends” in history.
The graphics are true to the video game, featuring colorful mushrooms and larger-than-life kingdoms. Photo courtesy of The Super Mario Bros. Movie © 2022 Nintendo and Universal Studios.
Rebecca Rubin from Variety speculates that this success could be credited to the movie’s ability to resonate with a diverse audience – young and old, male and female, gamer and casual moviegoer. I agree with this; the sentimental Mario world alongside an engaging storyline make this a movie that everyone can enjoy.
Overall, the film offers light-hearted fun and fast-paced adventures in an attempt to encapsulate the look and feel of the classic Mario Bros. video game. While criticism can be constructive (and merited), it is also important to remember that the film is geared towards children and meant to entertain its audience first and foremost.
Viewers must ultimately decide whether the game-inspired movie is a record-breaking win or a crushing loss.
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