LOS ALAMITOS, CA – After over three years of excited anticipation from video game fans across the globe, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” hit theaters on April 5, 2023. The movie had a record-breaking theatrical release and became the highest grossing movie of 2023 and the highest grossing video game movie of all time within nine days of coming out. Most recently, the movie surpassed the $1 billion mark in the global box office.

Although the movie didn’t receive amazing critical acclaim, it garnered high audience scores and has become a well-loved movie across the video game community. As someone who was raised as a die hard Nintendo fan, I can say without a doubt that “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” did not disappoint. 

The Movie

Most criticisms towards the movie trend towards the lackluster story and the static characters. To those challenges I say that none of us were expecting a grand story. No one plays Mario for the story factor. We play the games for the stunning graphics, cool game mechanics, and always fun callbacks to old parts of the franchise. 

The movie is littered with fun Easter eggs for both Mario fans and old school Nintendo fans. In the main city that Mario and Luigi live in, several businesses are named after Nintendo Entertainment System games such as “Punch Out Pizza.” Additionally, several different power-ups and various sound motifs that have appeared across the Mario game franchise are included in the movie.

The art is one of the other amazing parts of the movie. The style is consistently cute while also being beautiful. The backgrounds feature tons of fun details, and the dynamic lighting of the movie adds to the atmosphere of each scene. The animation is also fluid and appealing to the eye, making the whole film flow that much better.

Along with the art, the movie’s music does not disappoint. Both the movie’s original score and the licensed tracks chosen to accompany the composed music are fun and entertaining. In terms of licensed tracks, the movie features an array of classic 80’s hits such as “Take on Me” by A-ha, “Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra, and more. The original music was composed by Brian Tyler who was assisted by the legendary Koji Kondo, the composer of numerous classic Nintendo themes such as the “Legend of Zelda” theme and the original “Super Mario Bros.” theme.

The Cast

When the cast was originally announced in September 2021, video game fans across the globe had mixed reactions. Although the movie features a superstar cast with experienced performers such as Chris Pratt, Jack Black, and Anya Taylor-Joy, many fans were disappointed by the decision to cast primarily live action actors rather than experienced voice actors.

When I first saw the cast announcement, I was just as skeptical as everyone else, and after seeing the movie, my skepticisms were confirmed. Although the performances weren’t terrible, they definitely weren’t exceptional. I was hopeful for Pratt since he has voice acted in several successful films, but his performance as Mario did not bring the character to life in the way I expected it would. He simply lacked the enthusiasm that Mario has in the games. His “Wa-hoos!” were the most disappointing, and none of them made me excited for Mario as a character.

The shining star of the cast is Jack Black. His amazing performance as Bowser is both menacing and hilarious at the same time. Black is also responsible for arguably the best moment in the movie: his rendition of “Peaches,” a song that has now gone viral on TikTok.

Princess Peach

Even before the movie was released, many were disappointed with the kick-butt heroine approach Illumination decided to take with Princess Peach. Multiple trailers show her easily powering through obstacles and outshining the other characters in physically taxing areas. Because of this, critics claim that the movie turns her into a “Mary Sue” character. A Mary Sue is a female character who is portrayed as having no flaws, oftentimes to add female empowerment to a movie in a lazy way.

Despite what critics have said, I feel that the movie did Peach justice. In the first Mario game, Peach was portrayed as a damsel in a castle, and that narrative followed her through several games, including but not limited to “Super Mario Bros 3,” “Super Mario 64,” and “Super Mario 3D Land.” In these games she is typically wearing her signature poofy pink dress and asking Mario to come to her castle and eat cake before she is whisked away by Bowser.

Many critics of Peach’s character in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” feel that they should have kept a greater focus on her girlier aspects. A lot of feminists have also claimed that it’s okay for people to be girly, and making Peach into a fighting heroine is a lame attempt to appeal to the female audience with traits that don’t fit her character.

I think many fans fail to recognize that Peach does fit these feminine fighter traits. As early as “Super Mario Bros. 2,” Peach was a playable character who fought off enemies with the other characters. In the “Mario Kart” franchise, Peach has always been an option, and in”Super Mario 3D World,”Peach is a playable character with her own special abilities.

Nintendo did Peach justice in their movie by making her a cool feminine hero who acts as a mentor for Mario, similar to Obi-Wan Kenobi in “Star Wars” or Gandalf in “Lord of the Rings.” She keeps her pretty dress but also has the ability to run miles ahead of the rest of the other characters all while wearing heels.

This portrayal of Peach stays in touch with her girly side while also recognizing that she has the capabilities to do amazing things as a heroine. Furthermore, the emphasis on Peach’s physical abilities is a welcome departure from several sexist portrayals of her character. Peach’s only solo game, “Super Princess Peach,” is one of the most degrading games towards females I’ve ever played. Rather than have Peach jump on enemies like Mario does, her powers are fueled by her emotions. She cries, throws tantrums, and laughs happily in order to progress in the levels. I find it incredibly insulting that the one Mario game with a female lead portrays her as whiny and overly emotional, a common sexist depiction of women in media. Because of Nintendo’s previous sexist depictions of Peach, their focus on her physical capabilities in the movie was a great way to reinforce her capabilities as a leader and a fighter. 

Conclusion

All in all, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is a fun time for anyone, whether or not they’re a Nintendo fan. Although the story lacks volume at certain points, the incredible visuals, killer soundtrack, and fluid animation keeps the movie entertaining. If you haven’t already, go watch it!