Luigi lands in a dark world ruled by the evil turtle monarch Bowser (Jack Black), who soon imprisons the green plumber. Brothers Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are Brooklyn plumbers who get sucked into a fantasy land via a warp pipe. Strip the film of its many iconic trappings, and what’s left is as generic an adventure story as they come. But once the film has raced by, the whole spectacle feels empty and safe: IP management at its most careful and bland. The jokes aren’t half bad either (particularly a twisted but funny running gag featuring a nihilistic blue Luma). Its gorgeous visuals perfectly capture vast video game levels, with a sense of grandiosity and awe. How about the rest of us? Well, the film, as directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (who developed Teen Titans Go! for Cartoon Network), zips by like a Mario Kart boosted by a dash mushroom. A certain segment of movie goers around the world are going to lose their shit at least 27 times during the film’s (blessedly short) 92-minute runtime. And, if the audience at my screening is any indication, squeal and cheer and hoot they will. It’s enough to make a true superfan squeal with delight. Oh, and is that original Mario voice actor Charles Martinet playing a Donkey Kong-like arcade cabinet over there? Why, it sure is. Super Show! opening credits song – you know ’em. Deep cuts like Super Mario 3D World’s cat suit and The Super Mario Bros. Every character you’d want to see – save one, who is undoubtedly waiting in the wings for the sequel – all present. The instantly recognizable sounds of entering a warp pipe or collecting a gold coin or bopping a question box – everywhere. Well, fans of the massively popular constellation of video games represented here can rejoice in the news that every minor detail is accounted for in Super Mario Bros. It’s probably a little from column A and a little from column B. Or, maybe they’re just terrified at the prospect of rattling the hornet’s nest of Nintendo fandom. Movie really, really loves the source material. It’s clear that everyone involved in the making of The Super Mario Bros.
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