Everyone’s favourite plumber is jumping out of the pipes and onto the big screen. While the critically panned 1993 movie ‘Super Mario Bros.’ starring the late great Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo was the brothers’ first time on the silver screen, the 2023 adaptation of the legendary video game franchise by Nintendo looks to get things right, with the highly anticipated ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ now out in cinemas worldwide, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.

Brothers Mario and Luigi, hoping to boost their plumbing business in Brooklyn with an expensive TV commercial, receive their first client and immediately head to her home to fix a small leak. What should’ve been a simple job, quickly turns into a disaster and the brothers are off to a rough start. Elsewhere, in a whole other world, Bowser and his army of Koopas, Goombas, whatever the spiky things are, and more, overwhelm the Penguin King and his Kingdom, before taking them prisoner, giving audiences a taste of Bowser’s fury. Back in Brooklyn, the Mario Brothers, seeing an opportunity to redeem themselves and their business, enter the sewers to investigate, before Mario finds himself in a mysterious land full of giant mushrooms. After meeting Toad and realising Luigi is missing, Mario follows Toad to a castle to meet the Princess who could help him find his brother, but quickly learn there’s more at stake, as Bowser and his troops approach the Mushroom Kingdom.

When the cast was announced in 2022, it immediately drew criticism from diehard Mario fans worldwide, with the most controversial being the casting of Chris Pratt as Mario. Charles Martinet has been the voice of Mario since 1991, plus Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi, and even holds the Guinness World Record for Most Performances as Same Video Game Character, with more than 100 titles and counting, so fans were understandably upset over the casting choice. Martinet does voice various minor characters throughout the film, and while it is fun listening out for his cameos, it still feels like a low blow having someone else voice the character that literally defines his career.

In saying that, however, after seeing the movie, Chris Pratt actually does a pretty good Mario, which is a very pleasant surprise. Even if there are a few moments where Chris Pratt sounds more like himself, for the most part, it’s easy to forget he’s actually voicing Mario, so all the doubts can be put to rest. Audiences will only see the character on the big screen in all his glory, whether it’s moments of triumph, rough luck, suffering through rigorous training, or taking on enemies.

Charlie Day does an incredible job voicing the always nervous and frightened Luigi, even if he doesn’t have as much screen time compared to his brother, but still has lots of memorable moments. Keegan-Michael Key provides some comedic relief as Toad, but surprisingly, isn’t in the movie that much, since the trailers, in a way, suggested he’d be a more prominent character. The standout performance, no doubt, goes to Jack Black as Bowser, who clearly was having the time of his life voicing the iconic gaming villain, being both funny and threatening at the same time. Also, Jack Black hilariously wearing a Bowser onesie during an interview with the cast appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show really shows how seriously he took the role.

Princess Peach and Donkey Kong may or may not impress Nintendo fans. Anya Taylor-Joy’s portrayal of Princess Peach presented her as a more strong independent woman instead of a captive princess in another castle, which is a great thing of course, but overall, her personality comes across as a little arrogant and a bit of a know-it-all, to the point it becomes distracting. Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong is portrayed as very full of himself in a funny way, taking every opportunity to flex his muscles and show off his good looks, which will certainly appeal to a certain demographic on the internet.

Peach and DK’s designs don’t seem quite right. Peach’s facial features make her the most different from her game appearance and can be compared to how some of the Disney Princesses were designed during their appearance in ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’. DK seems to have more facial expressions than ever, which suits his cocky personality, but does look a bit bizarre and quite different from how he looks in his game appearances. They’re the two that stray a little too far from how we know them from the games, but overall, both are still fun and enjoyable to see on screen.

The rest of the cast members look a lot like their game counterparts, albeit with some minor adjustments, and they are so much fun to watch in motion. ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ is truly a sight to behold, thanks to the team at Illumination, who did some of the absolute best animations ever seen. The entire movie is bright, colourful, and vibrant, just like the games. The majority of the movie takes place in the Mushroom Kingdom, which looks like it was taken straight from the games. It’s no doubt the most accurate movie adaptation of a video game, and I mean that in the most literal sense. A lot of things that players have actually done or seen in Mario games, both new and old, actually happen in the movie, and it needs to be seen to be believed.

The film is full of Easter eggs and references to other Nintendo properties, and longtime fans will have so much fun trying to spot them all. The soundtrack features remixed tracks from the Mario games that will please fans, and licensed music from the likes of AC/DC and Bonnie Tyler, which seem odd at first, but quickly fit right into their respective scenes. The movie truly is a love letter to the Super Mario franchise and Nintendo’s long and rich history.

‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ is easily one of the best-animated movies of 2023. Story-wise though, it falls just a little short compared to ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ and potentially ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ which has already set the bar high and is due out later this year. With the number of characters it has, it does struggle a bit to feature everyone. It is, however, easily in the top five best video game movies of all time, a genre that doesn’t have the best track record. It brings to life almost everything we know and love from the Mario games since his humble beginnings in 1981. It’s literal proof that a video game movie sticking to its roots can indeed be a good movie.

It’s been a long time coming for the legendary plumber to finally get his long-awaited and well-deserved feature film. It takes what made the games famous and brings them to the big screen. Nintendo and Mario fans will find plenty to enjoy with all the fan service it gives, and anyone of any age will no doubt have a great time. ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ is a movie for everyone, with a story full of ups and downs, hilarious moments, wild and fun action, the strong bond between brothers, the mysterious worlds out there, and more. Just make sure to stay until the very end for the post-credit scene featuring a very special Easter egg. Mushroom Kingdom, here we come!

Written by: Sammy Hanson