Super Mario Movie – A Jump into Cinematic Delight, or a Pipe Dream?

Rating: 🍄🍄🍄 (3/5 Mushrooms)

Ah, the Super Mario Bros. Movie – the cinematic experience that had us all questioning whether we’d mistakenly eaten a poisonous mushroom. With its stellar voice cast and Illumination’s involvement, expectations were sky-high – or should I say, cloud-level? But the film takes us on a rollercoaster ride that’s equal parts delightful and baffling, leaving us wondering if we’re in the Mushroom Kingdom or the Twilight Zone.

The film boasts an origin story for our favorite Italian-American plumber brothers, Mario (voiced by the ever-charming Chris Pratt) and Luigi (the delightful Charlie Day). But as the brothers get sucked into an alternate world, we’re left wondering if this is a Super Mario Bros. movie or an animated version of “Alice in Wonderland.”

However, the film does a commendable job of bringing together a variety of characters from the vast Mario universe. We get to witness the chemistry between Mario and Princess Peach (the enchanting Anya Taylor-Joy) and the comedic stylings of Toad (the hilarious Keegan-Michael Key). But the cherry on the top is undoubtedly Jack Black’s portrayal of the villainous Bowser – a performance so captivating that we almost find ourselves rooting for him.

The plot, however, is more tangled than a plate of spaghetti. The film takes us on a wild ride through various Mario-themed worlds, culminating in a showdown on Rainbow Road that’s as chaotic as it is visually stunning. The climactic wedding scene, with Mario and Donkey Kong arriving just in time to save the day, is a delightful homage to classic Mario tropes – if only it didn’t feel like it was bolted on as an afterthought.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a visual feast, with Illumination’s animation team delivering stunning set pieces that will delight both casual viewers and die-hard Mario fans alike. But as the story unfolds, one can’t help but feel like it’s a series of Mario Party minigames loosely strung together by a questionable plot.  The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a peculiar mix of nostalgic joy and chaotic storytelling. It may not be the film we all hoped for, but it’s certainly a trip worth taking – if only to see what happens when you throw a bunch of iconic video game characters into the cinematic blender. So grab your mushrooms, strap in, and prepare for a wild, questionably enjoyable ride!