For years, Hollywood has been dedicated to adapting beloved video game franchises for the big screen. They do this to expand their audiences and become a phenomenon in the entertainment industry. As video games began to make their mark in pop culture in the 1980s, Hollywood took advantage of their success and attempted to adapt popular games. However, film adaptations of video games have a decades-long pattern of being negatively received by critics and fans. Recently, Hollywood has finally broken their curse of producing bad video game adaptations. Netflix’s “Arcane: League of Legends” and HBO’s “The Last of Us” were both released to positive reviews from fans and non-gamers alike. Both shows expanded upon the story and world-building of their source material, which contributed to their success. After the popularity of these shows, viewers wondered if Hollywood could replicate this success for video games on the theatrical market as well.
Back in 2018, Nintendo and Illumination Entertainment Studios announced a partnership deal to produce a “Super Mario Bros.” movie together. Fans were eager to see how Hollywood would adapt the hugely popular video game franchise into an animated film. However, this was not Hollywood’s first time attempting to bring Mario and his friends to the big screen. In 1993, Buena Vista Pictures distributed a live-action version of the video game, titled “Super Mario Bros.” Like other ‘90s video game film adaptations, it received negative reviews and was a box-office bomb. The main difference between the production of the live-action version and the new animated feature is Nintendo’s involvement. The video game company gave the screenwriters and directors of the live-action film full creative control, as they thought the Nintendo brand would carry the audience’s interest. After the movie’s failure, Nintendo became hesitant to share the rights of their IPs with Hollywood studios — until now. When Nintendo and Illumination released trailers for the animated movie, fans were excited to see the lore of the video game so accurately portrayed. When the film finally released in theaters in April 2023, fans were happy that it met their expectations. The animated movie is well-acted and filled with easter eggs that reference the “Super Mario Bros.” franchise. From Mario seeing the Mushroom Kingdom for the first time, to him driving on the Rainbow Road racetrack like in “Mario Kart,” the spirit of the “Super Mario Bros.” franchise is perfectly represented.
The film follows two Italian brothers, Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day), who try to make a plumbing business in the streets of Brooklyn. They feel discouraged by their family and former boss, Spike (Sebastian Maniscalco), then suddenly realize the city is being flooded by broken underground pipelines. When the brothers journey underneath the city, they discover a green pipe that sucks them into a new world called the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario runs into the leader of the kingdom, Princess Peach (Anya Taylor Joy), and helps her prevent Bowser (Jack Black) and his minions from taking over the land and keeping Luigi hostage.
Nostalgia and the History of the Plumber
One of the biggest strengths of the film is that it references multiple games from the “Super Mario Bros.” franchise. It visually informs audiences about the plumber’s history in pop culture and other Nintendo IPs from the ‘80s. Older audiences would likely appreciate these references, because they reimagine their childhood. First, the film features a commercial that the brothers use to promote their plumbing business. The commercial incorporates a song called “Mario Brothers Rap,” which was originally the theme song for the 1989 television adaptation of the game, “The Super Mario Bros. Super Show.” The film also references multiple games that were released on Nintendo’s first home console, Nintendo Entertainment System, in 1985. These games include “Duck Hunt,” “Balloon Fight” and “Kid Icarus.” This is important for audiences who grew up playing these games and later watched the new movie with their children. They could reminisce and inform their children about these games, creating a meaningful inter-generational experience.
However, the most important easter egg is when the original Mario voice actor, Charles Martinet, makes an appearance. When the studio first revealed that Martinet would not reprise the role of Mario for the film, fans were a bit disappointed. However, the way the film handles the actor’s legacy will make fans treasure it. Martinet voices a character named Jumpman, who resembles Mario’s first appearance in the 1980s Donkey Kong arcade game. Jumpman was the plumber’s original name until Nintendo officially referred to him as Mario. This reference respects the history of the plumber and the impact he made on multiple generations.
The Voice Actors
Some fans were concerned about the actors who portray these characters on screen. In the video game, the characters only make grunt noises and never speak in full sentences. Fans will be surprised by how the actors embrace these characters’ cartoonish personalities. One performance that stands out the most is Jack Black’s portrayal of Bowser. Not only does his deep voice match the character’s taunting energy, but his comedic timing on certain jokes is perfect. Specifically, Black’s performance of the original song, “Peaches,” is highly memorable. In this scene, Bowser plays a piano and sings the song to express his love for Peach and his desire to marry her. This plays as a running gag throughout the film, as Bowser slowly builds up the courage to ask Peach to marry him.
The Flaw
Like any film, there is always a flaw. Audiences who aren’t aware of the “Super Mario Bros.” franchise will be confused about what’s going on, as the film doesn’t explain its lore. For instance, it’s never explained why there’s a pipe leading to another world underneath Brooklyn. Additionally, the movie doesn’t heavily focus on the emotional beat of the characters. It doesn’t develop a serious tone, even concerning Mario and his father’s dysfunctional relationship. However, this likely won’t bother fans, as the film still represents these characters well.
Overall, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” continues to be a huge victory for Nintendo and Illumination. The film became the highest-grossing opening for an animated film worldwide and the highest-grossing video game movie of all time. The film is on track to surpass a billion dollars at the box office, which creates the possibility of Nintendo bringing more of their IPs to the big screen.
