A Love Letter to Your Youth: ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’
The Super Mario Bros. Movie poster outside AMC Royal 6 Threatre
Evangelia Papakosmas, '26
Mamma Mia! Fans of Super Mario, listen up — this movie is for you! Millions of Super Mario Bros. fans have been eagerly awaiting this movie for years. Fans begged for the return of the legendary brothers after the 1993 release of the original film, and Nintendo delivered on April 5 with “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” release.
Regardless of whether you're a fan of Super Mario or not, there is no denying that this movie has gotten the publicity it deserves. The plot follows Mario, Princess Peach, Toad, and other classic Nintendo characters as they prepare to save Luigi and face off against the powerful Bowser to stop his plans to rule the world. This film has now become my all-time comfort movie, alongside many other Nintendo fans.
Fans can uncover hidden references to many of the Nintendo games we all played as kids throughout the film. This film is upbeat, full of action, humorous and nostalgic. Nintendo has fans across all age groups, so I believe this movie deserves the utmost praise. The movie has already broken box office records since its release.
The film's earnings have $204.5M and they are still rising. Most people are familiar with the Super Mario games for their lovable characters, warp pipes, mushrooms, go-karts and unique superpowers. Whatever the critics say, all passionate and devoted fans will agree that this film is truly a love letter to our youth.
The film gives us a rare look into Mario and Luigi's lives apart from their fantastical adventures. Unexpectedly, the fans' favorite aspect of the movie has turned out to be a direct view into their family life. Fans of the film have praised its new and sincere depiction of the brothers' everyday lives.
Rather than Princess Peach being the generic damsel-in-distress, she is instead a powerful leader of her kingdom. We've all seen Peach in trouble because Bowser always captures her, but it is amazing to see her stand up and help Mario save the Mushroom Kingdom. This relates to her strength and leadership displayed in the 2005 Nintendo DS game "Super Princess Peach," creating a special moment.
Bowers' love and devotion to Princess Peach was my favorite part of the film. It was charming and hilarious how the writers gave Bowser this kind of attention. Fans have long viewed Bowser as a vile and frightening creature, but in the movie we witness him become sensitive and lovely with Peach. Before this, I never imagined I would ever come to love Bowser. His song "Peaches'' went viral right away, and I agree with the millions of fans who, like @HeroofLondon on Twitter, want it to win a Grammy.
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is praised by audiences for its vibrant and engaging visuals. However, one scene that particularly stood out in fans' eyes is the Rainbow Road sequence. This scene reminded me of the most iconic “Mario Kart” road you can drive on. All throughout the movie, the animation was incredibly beautiful, but this scene, in particular, was one of a kind. The intense and high-stakes race was a nice change of pace, even more so given the vivid and bright depiction of the classic Mario Kart road and its many items.
Beyond the weight of being another video game adaptation, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” also had high expectations to live up to as it brought the lively franchise's world onto the big screen.
Another part of the film that really spoke to me and other fans was the significance of Mario and Luigi’s relationship. The plot is clearly made to show Mario’s adventure to save his brother, but the film shows other parts of the loving moments they share. Throughout the film, they continuously remind themselves that they are there for each other no matter what, with Mario reassuring Luigi saying, “Nothing can hurt us as long as we’re together.”
No matter how old we get, the best way to characterize this movie is as a love letter to our childhood. Nintendo and Illumination gave this movie their best in terms of easter eggs, characters, sound effects and other details. This movie has forever changed video game cinema.