While video game adaptions have long since been considered a blight of cinema only surpassed by video game tie-ins for films, in recent years we have seen a slow move towards some great onscreen adaptions of major games. With properties like Sonic the Hedgehog seeing box office success there is one piece of 8 bit music that is so iconic that no matter who you are, if you have ever played a Nintendo you will instantly be overwhelmed with warm fuzzies of nostalgia, and now it has a movie that embraces it.
In case you have been living in a gaming limbo for the last 40 years you are probably already a little familiar with the Mario Bros Mario Mario and Luigi Mario (yes his name and his last name are the same, it’s been covered, moving on) were shot into international stardom with the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985. First appearing in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong as ‘jump man’, Mario was originally a carpenter and not a plumber the Mario Bros first appearance was in 1983 for the Nintendo released arcade game of Mario Bros 2 years before Super Mario Bros was the bundled launch title for the NES.
Since that release Nintendo have built an empire around their Italian Plumber stereotype with over 200 games ranging from Super Mario Bros platformers, Dr Mario Puzzlers and cross promotional Sonic and Mario Olympics. There have even been Super Mario Bros movies before with the first being a live action adaption released in 1993 only 8 years after the NES came out. Dating from an age of campy video game adaptions the 1993 version had the Mario Bros played by Eddie Valiant and John Wick’s mechanic being pulled into an alternate dimension Brooklyn which was split off when the Asteroid hit creating an alternate evolutionally path where the bomber from Speed was King Koopa.
The new Super Mario Bros takes inspiration much closer to the games story which has developed over the years which only leaves it lacking in a hit soundtrack single by Roxette. The basic premise, much like the games is the Mario Bros have been pulled through a pipe during a plumbing job in Brooklyn and found themselves in the Mushroom Kingdom (with it’s adjoining Donkey Kong Kingdom, Dark Lands, Ice Kingdom etc). King Koopa the half dragon half turtle has acquired the Star Powerup and is attempting to take over the ‘world’.
If this was a live action adaption you would expect that to be changed to make it more ‘believable’ but this is the 2023 version not the 1993 one, and it is exactly what it sounds like taking as much from the games that can be put on the screen as possible. While there is a lot of history from Super Mario to be drawn on with a heap of references for the Nintendo fan from the Princess being in another castle to Donkey Kong Bongos Drums Controller for the Gamecube this is made for a PG audience.
The film itself is animated beautifully with Illumination (from the Despicable Me franchise) behind it showing off what could be their best work yet with a highly detailed world for the characters as they hit powerups and race on rainbows but it is definitely made for kids. The film as mention does have a lot of references that will fly right by the target audience but the runtime is suited to a shorter attention span with it clocking in at only an hour and a half with very little in terms of idle points with something always happening on screen.
The film tries hard and succeeds at incorporating a lot of core memories from playing the Super Mario games from the OG 2D platforming experience with a Player 2 chasing to keep on screen, to Super Mario Galaxy’s floating gateways between universes. If you are a long time Super Mario gamer the number of references and easter eggs you will spot will fill many rewatches.
So should I go see it? This one has been timed for release during school holidays in Australia so that may or may not colour your viewing choices depending when you are free to see the film BUT as a video game fan and someone who likes Nintendo this one is rich with colour and a straight to the point story. That is providing you can accept it has been made for a younger audience pacing wise as this is all go. Just remember to bring a player 2 with you to share the fun.
The Super Mario Bros Movie (the new one) is in cinemas across Australia right now
