The Super Mario Bros. Movie

That's-A-so-nice to see Mario get the treatment it deserves in theatres at long last. Nintendo had been reluctant for too many years to lend its 'mascot' out of the video game comfort zone after the troubled, infamously failed live-action attempt thirty years ago, and it took time, experience, and a new business approach together with a major partner (as new Super Nintendo World parks open and expand as we speak in parallel) to make something worthy of the franchise and its impact on several generations of players. It basically took having Shigeru Miyamoto himself co-producing a top-tier animated feature with Illumination's Christopher Meledandri, and the result is an absolute must-watch for those who ever fell in love with the moustachioed plumber, even if it might come as a bit awkward for those who didn't.

I found the opportunity to be quite fascinating because, truth be told, the Mario fantasy itself has always retained that weird, trippy touch it introduced with the first full side-scrolling, world-defining platformer, Super Mario Bros. With time, that fantasy had been depicted and developed more visually than narratively (RPG spinoffs aside), so this film had the always risky responsibility of telling a fun, conclusive story by putting those always-underdeveloped characters against the unique backdrop fans know and love. It could have gone very wrong, from making Mario speak proper like the main character he is, to ruining some of the rules or personalities we've grown accustomed to. But for the most part, it really works.

In this story, I really like how the origins of Mario and Luigi in Brooklyn as newly, precariously self-employed plumbers harken back to the very best vibes from the 80s, when both Nintendo itself and video games in general needed to captivate the hearts of the masses to basically stay afloat. I like the contrast coming from that more grounded, but still cartoonish world, to the psychedelic Mushroom Kingdom and the other environments this movie renders so beautifully, in a jaw-dropping way.

However, from the moment the brothers leave their world, you better relax, allow yourself to go with the flow, and accept the much faster pace, the almost non-stop action, and of course the nostalgia overdose, full of references and jokes for the fans. Don't try too hard to make sense of some of the decisions, of how characters get along well or badly all of a sudden, as even if they define themselves from the get-go, the movie itself really doesn't care. There are a few good interactions, but we're here for the next nod or catch phrase while a new bunch of Mario elements are put to good use. Heh, you won't even buy into the little drama in it.

So yeah, it's a bit silly all in all, but I really didn't care either, as the fan in me was too occupied in wonder. That is for better and for worse, as those completely unfamiliar to the Mario universe might really not see the fun in some of the jokes, might not get a good bunch of the more obscure references. And even if there's no such thing as a canon to the always flexible 'lore' of the series, I also found a couple of things to be a bit out of place as more forced resources for the movie format, like the creepy Luma or the Mad Max-like origins of the karts.

That being said, I also think it's good this is an absolute gift for the fans first and foremost, a cramped, but careful and extremely gorgeous package made with respect and love for a creation that's been in the making more than 40 years. When The Last of Us surprised me with a story worth watching other than playing, when Sonic pulled off a decent effort when nobody thought it could work within a live-action environment, this colourful adventure is more of an unprecedented tribute that has the ability to cater to the kids, the parents, and the young grandparents at the same time but for very specific reasons they shared through the years, not because it's the best family-friendly animated feature for all audiences.

And while like the aforementioned elements, there are others that just got reimagined here (mostly everything related to the different take for the Kongs, even though it honours how the DK/Mario tandem started it all), the staples are just fabulous as fan service. You will love every Blooper, Dry Bones, Cheep-Cheep, Koopa, or Spiney on screen (yeah, Bowser, they're called Spinies), and also every block, hill, pipe, or item. The way they're introduced sometimes feels like an amusement park in itself, ironically.

Speaking of Bowser, Jack Black's character just steals the show. It is as respectful as the rest of the main cast, but it's the one you can really see the actor being himself in every facet and expression. I won't spoil some of the best moments of the movie that were almost solely driven and even written by Black himself, but let's say it was the very best casting decision and it's clear he was offered some performing freedom.

Second to him is Anya Taylor-Joy's fantastic Peach, and for those offended by her strength and personality, let me just tell you that it started long ago and mostly with Super Mario Odyssey, a game which is the key to many things here I won't spoil either, and that if you didn't realise with those many oversharing trailers pretty much spoiling two thirds of the film, this was always about saving Luigi, not the damsel in distress.

Finally, red hats off to the soundtrack, including the original score reminiscing of perhaps 20+ games (sometimes it's as subtle as three elegantly-placed notes at the end of a sequence), and the sound effect work making fans feel at home.

When the credits had rolled and the lights came back on I took a look around and saw half of the critics still with their eyes wide open and a big smile on their faces. The other half had just watched a kids movie that was perhaps too silly, nonsensical or just overwhelming. It is true that they've put so many elements into this that the inevitable sequel is left with way fewer to use and will have to take things deeper and slower, but I personally enjoyed the bob-bombing and will watch it again. I'm sure it's one of the best movies that could have been created with the weird, massive source material, and that it's about to be my seven-year-old kid's favourite movie for years to come.