The Super Mario Bros Movie has showing in theaters since April 7, and I finally got the chance to watch the adaptation of the famous game and write a review. While there was a talk of negative feedback from critics, the trailers had already made me enthusiastic about the movie and I was looking forward to hearing more of Jack Black as Bowser. It delivered even more than I’d expected, and here’s why:
Everyone was skeptical when they announced that Chris Pratt would voice the titular protagonist and not the well-known voice Charles Martinet. While Martinet had cameos as a local pizza owner and Mario’s dad, many thought he should’ve been picked as Mario. He would’ve done a great job for sure, but honestly I didn’t mind Chris Pratt’s take and it didn’t distract me from the movie. An early ad from the Mario Brothers mentions the accent as something they faked, but overall the accent isn’t forced and the movie flows well. The rest of the cast performed well as well, with Jack Black absolutely dominating at his role as Bowser.
Seriously. I can’t stress enough how much I enjoyed this man’s performance in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Like I mentioned before, this was something I was looking forward to ever since he was announced for the role. However, I didn’t expect for the character to be written in a way that would entertain me as much as I did. Bowser’s feelings for Peach and the way he acts and talks about it was funny as hell to me. Adding Jack Black and his perfect delivery of the lines was the cherry on top, with his song being the highlight of the movie. They recently uploaded the full version on YouTube, and you can watch that:
Another reason I liked the movie was the fact that it felt like there were no down times. It constantly moved forward and didn’t waste time, which is a must for a ~90 minute movie. It shows how Mario gets to the other world, trains and then does everything he needs to protect the Mushroom Kingdom.
This is something that was crucial from a game adaptation, and I thought the The Super Mario Bros. Movie delivered a ton of beautiful references that could strike nostalgia even in fans who haven’t played the game for decades. Whether it’s the obvious 2D platform gameplay, characters, the popular Mario Kart or soundtracks, there’s definitely something everyone can recognize. It really felt like the movie cared about appealing to the Super Mario game fans, and man did they deliver!
If you are still debating whether to watch the The Super Mario Bros Movie, I hope this review might help, especially if you are a fan of the game. The voice acting is good, and the references will make you fall in love with Mario all over again!
Images via trailers
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