The Super Mario Bros Movie Review: Watch it only for nostalgia
Super Mario was one of the most successful videogame characters who debuted in the Donkey Kong game way back in 1981
Hyderabad: We have had too many movies based on games in the recent past. This outing follows the trend.
Come April and May, you have too many movies trying to capture the younger audience. This, however, is for the 80s and 90s kids. Kids who have grown up playing the Nintendo videogame Mario.
Mario was one of the most successful videogame characters who debuted in the Donkey Kong game way back in 1981. After the debacle of 1993’s movie outing, directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic try to revive the “plumber”.
Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day) have opened a plumbing business in Brooklyn. They are struggling to keep their business afloat. Their father is not happy with Mario for leaving his job with Spike (Sebastian Maniscalco) from the Wrecking Crew.
The brothers hear news about a big manhole leak and head underground to repair it. Both are sucked into a mysterious pipe and separated in the process. Mario ends up in the Mushroom Kingdom and meets Toad (Keegan-Michael Key). Mario is informed that Luigi has ended up in the “Dark Lands” that is under the control of the evil Bowser (Jack Black).
Bowser wants to marry Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy). He boasts of destroying the Mushroom Kingdom by using the recently stolen Super Star if she refuses. Toad takes Mario to Peach, while Luigi is captured by Bowser’s forces and caged above a sea of lava. The rest of the story is about the adventure to rescue Luigi and stop Bowser from his evil plan. There are many characters that are introduced into the movie including Cranky Kong (Fred Armisen) and Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) along the way.
One major positive aspect working in favour of the film is that it is only 92 minutes. It is a moment of nostalgia for those who have grown up playing the game. The script, however, is a major letdown. Anyone can guess how weak the plot is going to be. Throughout the outing, every character has a background sob story.
There is not much for Luigi in the movie. Chris Pratt and Charlie Day are good but their Italian accents sound forced and hollow. Jack Black makes you laugh. This is more of Mario in a Marvel avatar where every dialogue coming out of Mario must be a punchline. Both Mario and Luigi deserve much more. Suffice to say this outing is better than the 1993 debacle. That’s all.
Watch it only for nostalgia.
