The Super Mario Bros Movie Review: A Colorful Yet Emotionless Feature!

The Super Mario Bros Movie Review: Mario and his friends have been some of the most beloved characters for generations. Everybody can remember as a kid playing as Mario and Luigi, helping Mario collect all of the stars in Super Mario Sunshine, or having him face off against friends and foes in Mario Party or Super Smash Brothers. The idea of seeing these characters on the big screen would excite even the most cautious animation viewers. What could have been an exciting exploration of some of the best characters along with a fun-filled adventure turns into yet another lazy submission from Illumination studios.

Marios and Luigi get sucked in the world of the Mushroom Kingdom where they must fight Bowser before he takes over the world after obtaining “The Star.” With such a straightforward approach, this leaves the movie with opportunities to expand on the iconic characters we love. There was so little the creators of The Super Mario Bros Movie had to do in order for this critic to be swept up by the film. They were already given the iconic characters, plot material from the video games, dazzling visuals such as Rainbow Road, DK Mountain, and Bowser’s Castle, as well as the arc between Mario and Luigi being family.

More than half the world was delivered to them on a Princess Peach royal platter. One would think with so much work done, creating emotional development of the characters and world would be of central focus. What is a major shame is how directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic and screenwriter Matthew Fogel decided to do no extra work whatsoever and just accept all the material given to them to place on screen in increments among the one hour and thirty minute runtime.

Although the visuals and animation is vibrant, it makes it even more disappointing how weak the story was, sidelining Luigi and Toad to make room for Peach, who was given sub-par development. Screenwriter Matthew Fogel, having written this and Minions: The Rise of Gru seems to solely focus on making films for kids that will try to silence them rather than give them anything of substance to watch or feel from.

The Super Mario Bros Movie is no different. Kids deserve films that can entertain them while also giving them something to grapple with emotionally. Remembering films like Stuart Little, Holes, and even The Tigger Movie is upsetting because even to this day many can remember how they felt as a child as these films touch on themes of found family and friendship.

Related: Tetris Review – Charming! Thrilling! Entertaining!

One of the most disappointing parts of The Super Mario Bros Movie is how the film highlights its missteps and inability to develop any of its smaller elements. The film has so many opportunities to develop the brotherhood between Mario and Luigi, Princess Peach’s struggle for identity, or even the idea of society putting you in a box because of your profession. Any type of expansion on these points would have strengthened the script.

However, yet again, Illumination’s filmmakers are doing the bare minimum just to get by and make those millions of dollars in theaters. Coming from a critic who wanted nothing more than to love this film, we were given yet another animated submission that doesn’t take the medium seriously.

‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’ Rating – 1.5/5

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