The Super Mario Bros Movie: Movie Review

Cast: Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Keegan Michael-Key, Seth Rogen
Director: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic

It's hard to pinpoint exactly why The Super Mario Bros Movie feels like it doesn't quite succeed as it should.

Painstakingly loyal to its legion of Nintendo fans, ignorant of its 1993 Bob Hoskins led flop, and gorgeously animated to the point of Easter Eggs all over the place for continual pausing, this take on the tale of the two moustachioed brothers and their fight against Jack Black's marauding and misunderstood Bowser just doesn't quite hit the full power up it may be aiming for.

With a one-line summary synopsis that sees Mario sucked into the fight against Bowser as Princess Peach sets out to save Mushroom Kingdom from his clutches, the film's clearly not got its eye on a plot. But unlike other Illumination animated fare, it doesn't quite seem confident enough to cut loose in the zaniness and leans more into a drama that never quite reaches the heights.

Which is a shame, because early sequences show off the reverence those in charge feel to the game - an early scene which is just Mario and Luigi going across town brilliantly pays homage to the levels of the Mario games, as they vault over gaps, and lay down doors so each other can follow. It's moments like this which soar, effortlessly adhering to the gameplay mechanics but never losing the basics of a movie as it does so.

And yet, the story falters so often, with scenes happening more to branch the gaps between action moments and much of it feeling like it needed a little more oomph and chutzpah, and a little less music and moments from the game.

There's nothing truly memorable about The Super Mario Bros Movie, which is a sad thing to report. Its animation may be superlative, but its heart is soulless almost as if a ChatGPT were spewing out a story based on the Mario games franchise.

Ultimately, The Super Mario Bros Movie needed a little more chaos - it may be colourful enough to appease some of the kids for the Easter break and satiate a myriad of Nintendo acolytes, but it lacks the wider appeal of a great family film that becomes one for the ages.