I’ve been playing video games from the Super Mario franchise my entire life. Before I even knew how to read, I was picking up a controller and dashing through Level 1-1 on my dad’s NES. Like many other people in my generation –– and generations past –– Mario has always remained a relevant piece of pop culture for us.
It’s probably because of that cultural relevance that the new “Super Mario Bros. Movie” has become one of the most divisive –– and profitable –– movies of the year. Since the now-infamous release of its cast, it feels as if Nintendo fans, film fans, and everybody in between have been talking about the Mario movie. In particular, there’s been debate revolving around the film’s reception, in which critics were generally dissatisfied but audiences seemed overwhelmingly pleased.
It’s this kind of reaction that gets me most excited for a new release. Sometimes the critics are right and sometimes it’s the audience; when their opinions differ, I know I’m usually in for something interesting, especially when it concerns a franchise I’m very familiar with.
After seeing the film? I genuinely don’t understand what all the debate was about. This film is not some gem of animated filmmaking, but it’s not a waste of time. It is, in every sense of the word, “okay.” it has just enough great elements and just enough “meh” elements that I was able to have a decent, if unremarkable, time watching it.
That’s not to say certain aspects of the film weren’t remarkable. The movie looks absolutely gorgeous, and perfectly captures the color and fun of the original games, particularly whenever there’s action on screen. The music is also a highlight, as the soundtrack is absolutely packed with remixes of tracks from across the entire Mario series, from the original to the DK Country series to Mario Kart.
The rest of the film was where things got a little mixed for me. The story and writing weren’t exactly bad, but they weren’t all that great either. The adventure these characters go on is just about as simple as it is in the games, but let’s be honest, this is “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”, I didn’t need a grand epic. As for the writing, it fittingly leans hard on the comedy. While there were a good amount of jokes that got a chuckle out of me, there were just as many that fell flat.
To me, the part of this film that was the most hit-or-miss was the voice acting. Jack Black as Bowser and Charlie Day as Luigi are particular standouts, and seem to have the most fun playing their characters. The rest were basically all on the same level of quality for me: decent, but nothing special. I will say that I was truly expecting Chris Pratt to do a terrible job as Mario, but it…wasn’t bad. While I still think he’s poorly cast, he does fine enough to not be a detriment.
While I’ll always defend the idea that not all animation is for kids, that doesn’t mean some of it isn’t, and this film is very clearly made first and foremost for families and children.However, I think all ages can potentially enjoy it. In that way, it manages to fit in nicely with the rest of the mario catalog: fun, accessible entertainment for everyone.
I think the people acting like this film is terrible are being just as hyperbolic as the people acting like it’s a masterpiece. It’s simply a decent way to enjoy all things Mario, and honestly, I don’t think it needed to be anything more.
