Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt), left, and Princess Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy) in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” Credit: Nintendo, Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures via TNS
The popular animation studio Illumination hasn’t had a great track record since its release of “Despicable Me” in 2010, with forgettable projects like “The Grinch,” “Sing” and numerous “Despicable Me” and “Minions” spinoffs. While its latest release, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” doesn’t quite reach the high bar set by 2022’s animated kid’s movie “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” it easily leaps over the tripping hazard of most Illumination movies.
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is of course based on the internationally popular Nintendo game franchise, drawing inspiration from series — like Mario Kart, Donkey Kong and Super Mario. The story follows Mario (Chris Pratt) venturing across worlds with the help of Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) and Donkey Kong (Seth Rogan) to save his brother Luigi (Charlie Day) from the villain Bowser (Jack Black). The movie was released to theaters April 5, and according to Box Office Mojo, earned over $204 million domestically and over $375 million globally in its first weekend.
The movie, written by Matthew Fogel, has a star-studded cast of voice actors, notably Chris Pratt as the titular character Mario. This was a casting choice that drew controversy on whether he would fit the iconic Mario voice — performed by Charles Martinet in the games — Nintendo fans are accustomed to. While it was a bit of an initial shock to hear Pratt as Mario, it didn’t take away from the soul of the character and was easy to adjust to as the movie progressed. The other actors did an admirable job putting their own spin on the iconic characters as well — particularly Black’s Bowser, who performed several musical numbers and a decent amount of dialogue.
The story and humor of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” are also handled surprisingly well. People who have seen Illumination movies may expect a heavy dose of childish jokes, and even though the humor is mostly family friendly, it does a much better job of being accessible to different age groups than previous projects such as “Minions.” While there’s a lot of plot to fit into a 92-minute runtime, it stays focused and ties up everything cohesively while also clearly leaving room for sequels.
The plot may move faster than a Bullet Bill, but there’s plenty of easter eggs and surprises for fans of the games to enjoy. It’s a little bit “Alice in Wonderland,” a little bit “Mad Max: Fury Road” and a whole lot of Nintendo. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is a power-up for Illumination and a pleasant surprise for die-hard and casual Mario fans alike.
Rating: 4/5
