*Disclaimer: This piece contains some spoilers.
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” a 2023 animated movie directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, is a collaboration between Illumination and Nintendo, dating back to 2016. This movie can be enjoyed not just by Mario and Nintendo fans, but all video game fans.
To celebrate the recent reveal of the sequel to this movie, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” I re-watched its predecessor. The movie follows Brooklyn brothers, Mario and Luigi, struggling to operate their new plumbing business. After seeing a breaking news story of a water leak, Mario and Luigi go to fix it themselves, only to find a Warp Pipe that sucks them into a new world, but they get separated in the process. Luigi lands in the Dark Lands, ruled by Bowser, the evil Koopa king, who wishes to marry Princess Peach. Mario lands in the Mushroom Kingdom, ruled by Peach. Mario finds Toad, who takes him to see Peach, and he must team up with Peach, Toad and later Donkey Kong, to save Luigi from Bowser.
The plot follows a usual Mario game, which involves saving Peach from Bowser. However, in this movie, Luigi is the “damsel in distress,” which makes room for Peach to take an active role and also be a mentor to Mario. Bowser wanting to marry Peach is derived from the plot of the 2017 video game “Super Mario Odyssey.”
This movie features voices by: Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike, and Charles Martinet as Mario and Luigi’s father and Giuseppe.
When I first saw this movie in the theater two years ago, I was in awe at the love and care that was put into this movie. Although the story is simple, just like in the games, it is the experience that matters. Filled with numerous easter eggs, it felt like a love letter to the fans. As a fan of Mario and Nintendo since the Wii era, this movie was a dream come true.
I still hold the same view today, after re-watching it for the first time in a year. This movie is pure fun, just like playing a Mario game.
One highlight for me is the voice acting. I was doubtful, yet intrigued, of Pratt’s performance as Mario after the first trailer where it was clear they were bringing back the Brooklyn voice. For those unaware, in the late 80s and early 90s, Mario had a Brooklyn voice before Martinet got the role for “Super Mario 64” in 1996, until his retirement in 2023.
Pratt knocked it out of the park as Mario and his interactions with Day as Luigi were enjoyable. Taylor-Joy’s performance as Peach was amazing. Peach’s portrayal in the movie reminded me of her portrayal in the “Paper Mario” series. Although she is the damsel in distress in the “Paper Mario” series, she was active by sneaking around and finding useful information to send to Mario.
However, the biggest voice acting highlight is Black as Bowser. The deeper voice executed by Black and the perfect blend of humor and charm made him the star of the movie. And who could forget about his song “Peaches”?
I would also like to mention the sendoff Martinet had with this movie. With his roles being the father of Mario and Luigi and Giuseppe, who resembles Mario in the games, it was symbolic for Martinet to say goodbye as he began his new life as a Mario Ambassador. Martinet’s final lines in the movie are Mario and Luigi’s father saying, “these are my boys!” followed by Giuseppe saying the iconic “wahoo!”
Another highlight for me is the music. Brian Tyler, composer, used longtime Mario composer Koji Kondo’s themes and incorporated it into the movie score. Countless leitmotifs and nods from various Mario and Donkey Kong games can be heard throughout the movie. Even the classic themes “Mario Brothers Rap” and “DK Rap” return after many years.
There is original music from Tyler too. The main theme of the movie is “Super Mario Bros. Opus,” and the main leitmotif is a standout from familiar music. The big musical highlight is the scene where Mario and Luigi get the power star and the piece “Superstars,” a remix of the Starman theme, plays with great energy as the brothers fight off Bowser’s army and later Bowser himself.
Another highlight is the animation. Throughout the movie, I was in disbelief that the level of animation quality came from Illumination. It looked like a major improvement from its previous movies. It still looks beautiful and everything from the environment to the character models and expressions, even the tiny details, are beautifully crafted.
As much as I love this movie, I do have critiques that I noticed upon re-watching. First, the movie is fast paced and it was a tight fit considering the movie had a run time of 92 minutes. It does not allow much time to process the scenes.
Second, the choice of licensed music does not fit this movie at all, with two exceptions: Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” and Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr. Blue Sky.” Another musical critique I have is Grant Kirkhope being uncredited as the composer of the “DK Rap.” In the movie’s credits, the song is credited to the 1999 game “Donkey Kong 64,” instead of Kirkhope, the composer for that game and the song.
Third, I wish Luigi was featured more in the movie. Perhaps if the movie had a longer runtime, around two hours, Luigi could have done more in the Dark Lands mansion before being captured. I do hope these critiques are taken into account for the sequel.
Overall, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is a joy to watch, but do not take it too seriously. Just like playing a Mario game, have fun while watching this movie. The sequel, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” is expected to be released in theatres on April 3, 2026.
Edited by Anson Appelhanz and Anushma Dahal
