‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’ an amazing animated adventure

After 30 years of waiting, fans of The Super Mario Bros can see their plumber protagonists get a shot at cinematic redemption. The all new animated adaptation promises greater respect to the source material that will somehow condense decades of games into one simple narrative, a narrative that includes mushroom people ruled by a human princess, seeking the aid of talking gorillas, in the fight against the wrath of a giant spike-shelled fire-breathing dragon turtle.

Making the world of Mario accessible to the outside world is a tall order. Thankfully, the creators of The Super Mario Bros Movie have found a way forward. Starting of course with Mario himself, who’s given a relatable down-on-his-luck backstory to get audiences on his side. When his plumbing business becomes more of a laughingstock than a success, he and his brother Luigi make a last ditch attempt to save the city of Brooklyn from a disastrous busted water main. In their attempts to shock the world with their pipe skills, they’re sucked into a portal and whisked away to the Mushroom Kingdom.

The hows and whys of The Super Mario Bros Movie will likely have you head scratching to oblivion, which is a fact the film is keenly aware of. The movie moves through plot points at a clip barely giving you a chance to pick them apart. In contrast is the film’s treatment of its characters whose motivations couldn’t be more clearly defined. An emphasis on character through action makes Mario’s Wizard of Oz-esque adventure an easy pill to swallow, even if viewers might find its nonsensical plot development a little disorienting.

The voice actors in play give those characters justice, with Jack Black as the film’s shining star giving it his all as the villain Bowser. Charlie Day and Chris Pratt pull off the brotherly bond of Mario and Luigi. Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach is relatably regal, Keegan Michael-Key finds a way to make the annoying sidekick of Toad more endearing than irritating, and Seth Rogen’s Donkey Kong sounds like Seth Rogen. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

The film is chock-full of Easter eggs for eagle eyed fans, but never at the cost of the movie’s momentum. The plot is simplistic, but rooted in character, that makes you care why it’s all taking place. The animated action is exhilarating, with a clever twist on Mario’s two dimensional origins. Fans of The Mario Bros can take to the streets and cheer, as justice gets done to the characters they covet.

Rating: Big Screen Watch