★★☆☆☆
Video game adaptations have had a rough time on the big screen. While recent small screen adaptations have fared better, films are still trying to find a way to capture the thrill of a video game. The newest attempt comes from Illumination, the studio behind the Despicable Me films and tries to build a story around the characters that mostly jump between blocks. Yes, we’re talking about the Super Mario Bros!
Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame) are two Italian-American brothers who have just started a plumbing company. Their very first advert has gone on TV, but their first job is somewhat of a disaster as they piss off the client’s dog and leave a big mess behind.
When all of Brooklyn starts flooding, the brothers see it as an opportunity to redeem themselves, but instead of fixing the leak, they get sucked into a magical world. Mario ends up in Mushroom Kingdom while Luigi finds himself in the Dark Lands, ruled over by the villainous Bowser (Jack Black). Mario and Mushroom Kingdom’s kind ruler Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) team up to save Luigi and stop Bowser from rising to power.
Credit: Universal Pictures
There’s no easy way to say this – it’s also simple to put. The Super Marios Bros. Movie simply isn’t funny. On paper, it has everything going for it. A star-studded but incredibly capable voice cast, a colourful, quirky world to recreate with the help of cutting-edge CGI and pretty fun characters. Yet none of it works.
Pratt, who did wonderful work in The Lego Movie and its sequel, proves to be playing it safe as the voice of Mario. Much was written about the decision to cast him and people were driven into a frenzy on the Internet over speculation about how bad his Italian accent would be in the film. Turns out, Pratt just sounds a tiny bit congested and nasal rather than Italian, presumably to avoid any criticism over an accent.
Taylor-Joy turns out to be the film’s biggest asset. Her voice performance is the only one that has any life to it. Jack Black is criminally wasted as Bowser whose motives are never properly fleshed out. There are hints here of better characterisation, such as Bowser’s insecurities but they go largely unexplored.
At barely 90 minutes, The Super Mario Bros. Movie speeds through its paper-thin plot. The movie is all plot, but has no compelling themes. In the end, as the credits start finally rolling, it’s hard to see how any of the characters have changed. Luigi spends much of the film’s runtime captured and Bowser is rarely seen in action. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is also visually so flat it might as well be a pancake with some sprinkles.
Credit: Universal Pictures
The most dynamic scene in the film is a short training course that Princess Peach has put together. The Super Mario Bros. Movie joins Tetris as a film currently in cinemas with a great sequence set to Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Holding Out For A Hero’. A set-piece on the iconic Rainbow Road lacks visual interest and most of the action is devoid of any stakes. There is no palpable sense of danger or threat in the film.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is big studio filmmaking at its worst. It’s a kid’s film that tries to pack in as many Easter Eggs as it can, but forgets to inject any wit or fun into its plot. Animation has always been at the forefront of creativity and artists keep finding new ways to revolutionise the art form. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a true disappointment with its lack of vision.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is in cinemas now.
