“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was released on April 5 and it’s safe to say that it’s an absolute pleasure to experience. Nintendo’s collaboration with Illumination brings their famed franchise to the silver screen with such faithful, yet original renditions of the Mario world and characters.
Whether you’re a long-time Mario or Nintendo fan or simply looking for a fun film for the family, there’s something here for everyone.
The film follows the brothers Mario and Luigi as they start their own plumbing business together, then they are suddenly split up during one of their jobs and are transported to a completely new and strange world from what they know back in Brooklyn, New York.
Mario is transported to the Mushroom Kingdom while Luigi finds himself somewhere much more sinister, the Dark Lands, which is under the reign of the evil Bowser. Mario finds out that the only way to save his brother is to work with the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, Peach.
It’s a fun adventure all throughout that is well-paced with no moment that felt like a waste of time. There was always something going on that pushed the story and adventure, which kept the audience engaged and excited for more.
Filled with such a star-studded cast like Mario played by Chris Pratt, Luigi played by Charlie Day, Princess Peach played by Anya Taylor-Joy and Bowser played by Jack Black.
More impressively is the amount of easter eggs and references to not only the Mario franchise but Nintendo’s history as a whole. There were so many subtle nods that it made it difficult to keep up with, it ranged from small sound effects that referenced Nintendo’s classic game consoles to animations taken straight from the Mario games.
Not even to mention the incredible soundtrack that translates the classic Mario sound effects and music to beautiful orchestral renditions of fan-favorite tracks from dozens of Mario games. Combined with some amazing visuals and animation, which comes as no surprise from Illumination.
As previously mentioned, fans of the franchise will find so much to love about the film but it’s still as enjoyable for families looking for a quick and concise adventure across the Mushroom Kingdom.