A Revisit of the Fun 2023 Adaptation of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”
- Matt Palmer
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
The eagerly-awaited “Super Mario” sequel, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” is now showing on the big screen and I will be checking out the animated sequel for the April 15th edition of the Examiner! And quick side note - since this movie is based on a video game IP, I will also be checking out a couple other movies based on a video game property that I have never seen for the April 15th edition as well!
So, before finally checking out the sequel, I wanted to revisit the 2023 animated movie since I haven’t seen it since I initially checked it out for the Examiner a few years ago.
While working underground to fix a water main, Brooklyn plumbers and brothers Mario and Luigi are transported through a mysterious pipe to a magic new world. But when the siblings are separated, an epic adventure begins.
Despite mixed reviews from critics, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” ended up being a massive hit with audiences, praised as a fun, visually spectacular “love letter” to fans of the still popular “Mario” IP. It also became one of the highest grossing films of 2023, driven by nostalgia, high-quality animation and faithfulness to the game’s aesthetic.
I really enjoyed the dense layer of easter eggs and callbacks to the Nintendo history, including many references to “Mario Kart,” “Donkey Kong” and many others. The 2023 movie also remained loyal to the original character designs and the designs of the kingdoms, successfully capturing the vibe of playing the games. In fact, there are a few moments throughout this movie where it feels like you’re watching a high-definition version of one of the games.
The movie features some visually stunning animation that brought Mushroom Kingdom and other iconic Mario locations to life with such immense detail. The Mario Kart sequence and the 2D-style side-scrolling scenes in Brooklyn are definitely a fun highlight of the movie!
The biggest highlight of this Mario adventure is, of course, Bowser (voiced by the always hilarious and energetic Jack Black). Black’s highly energetic voice work makes Bowser both intimidating and hilarious. This version of the character is a perfect adaptation of the iconic Mario villain’s personality from the games - powerful and scary, yet prone to comedic tantrums. And, of course, who can forget the original song “Peaches” that ultimately became quite a viral sensation!
Before wrapping up this revisit, I have to give a big shout out to the rest of the voice work of the other Mario characters. All of them are spot on and Chris Pratt’s voice work
for Mario is still pretty decent (as I was kind of skeptical when they announced Pratt’s involvement). While I was rewatching this fun movie, I also completely forgot that Seth Rogen voiced Donkey Kong and I hope down the road they give this version of Donkey Kong his own cinematic adventure!
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is a visually spectacular, nostalgic-driven animated adventure that thrives on fan service and charm. It’s a very successful, high-quality video game adaptation that excels at being a fun experience for all ages, prioritizing entertainment and visual fidelity over complex storytelling.
MPA: Rated PG for action and mild violence (runtime 92 minutes)
Make sure to keep on checking my Wyoming County Press Examiner reviews page on Facebook to see what else I will be checking out for the Examiner coming up! And, if you don’t have access to Facebook, here is a rundown of what I have planned for the April 15th Examiner: “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” (new release); “A Great Awakening” (new release); “The Long Walk” (recent release 2025); “All the President’s Men” (a special book to screen review) and a combined review of two video game movies “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City” (2021) and “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” (2001).
Initial release date: April 5, 2023
Streaming service: Peacock/various PVOD services
A game cabinet in the pizzeria early in the film is called "Jump Man." The character of Mario was originally known as "Jumpman" when he first appeared in the video-game Donkey Kong (1981). The character's name was changed to Mario as a tribute to the landlord of Nintendo of America's warehouses, Mario Segale.
When Luigi's phone rings, his ringtone is the startup jingle from the Nintendo GameCube. The default caller icon also resembles the default Mii on the Nintendo systems since the Wii.
When Mario and Toad try to enter Princess Peach's castle, two toad guards joke that "the princess is in another castle". This is a reference to the original Super Mario Bros. (1985), where at the end of each world (bar world 8) a toad said "Thank you Mario, but our princess is in another castle".
Designs for Mario and Luigi's parents and relatives were based on sketches made by Nintendo that went unused in games.
Many of the actors attended the premiere of the film in outfits inspired by their characters. Chris Pratt and Charlie Day wore matching red and green suits, Jack Black wore a suit with Bowser's spikes on the back and flames on the cuffs, and Anya Taylor-Joy wore a recreation of Peach's motorcycle outfit that's seen in the film.
The song "Peaches" debuted at #83 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Jack Black his first solo hit, and his first hit overall since Tenacious D's "The Pick of Destiny" peaked at #78 in 2006.
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