The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
★½
This review may contain spoilers.
there are things to like here, but most notably there are story things and character things that if expanded on would have made this thing pretty good actually like Peaches character her longing to see beyond the stars, to dream of a place beyond the place where she is a princess is really neat and a cool notable thing that should have been expanded on much more it's that element that makes her character shine, or Mario's character there are small things like trying to prove that he is something not to his family but to himself that if expanded on would have made this movie have a pretty significant impact, would have made it more than a popcorn flick.
I liked the sound design in the movie, there are a bunch of subtle sound details that I liked, loved when the game sounds came into they were well done.
I liked the original score in places, it was stronger when it was the game music, the scene where Bowser and Kamek played the underground them on the cool piano, wish it was more of that during the montage sections, I liked No Sleep Til Brooklyn in the opening scene, what would have been cool is like 8-bit renditions of the licensed music I think.
the models for a few characters were pretty cool and nice with some cool details like wrinkles and knuckle lines and stuff where I was like wow that was impressive detail here, there are a couple of good animations, Rainbow Road, the literal road had some cool particles and effects on it, especially the edges of the road and when the road broke, another pretty cool thing one was how the bricks were building up on the map,
I liked Charlie Day as Luigi, there are subtle voice acting things that he is doing that sell the character like he is using his natural voice but it's acted in a way that he sounds consciously anxious and scared and full of fear much like the character that he is playing, opposed to him Keegan micheal key is doing the opposite of Charlie Day in the way that he is doing a voice different from his own and is selling the voice acting here with the high pitched-ness to his tone, but most notably it's not over bearing or annoying, Kevin Michale Richards is doing similar to Keegan and selling the character of Kamek the difference between the game and the movie are pretty big here but the movie sounds much better than the game IMO, full of life and really bringing much needed character to this crazy cooky wizard and finally I wanted to mention some others like the sections when Ana Taylor-Joy has to do the moments full of sencarity is where her character shines when she has dropped the mask of the princess and is just talking openly and honestly are when her character shines, same with Jack Black when bowser gets angry is when his bowser voice really starts to take a whole new vibrant and full of life kind of tone to it.
also, Dry Bones was In this which was pretty cool because he is my favorite Mario character.
notes below
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- I like this opening scene -- browser's introduction, it's powerful.
- I like Charlie Day as Luigi, he's doing the most.
- I do like this one-er with the construction site, it's pretty cool, and the music is very cool here too, no Mario music though. no sleep til Brooklyn works here though.
- I do like the costumes on everyone.
- I like this heart-to-heart between Luigi and Mario in the bedroom, wish it was expanded on, we sat with these feelings a bit longer.
- I do like how the game music creeps in very slowly and quietly in this scene where they find the pipe.
- I wish we would have focused on building the bond between Mario and Luigi before splitting them up.
- Keegan-Michael Key also kills it as Toad, his voice here is amazing.
- the soundtrack is good, big, and bombastic I kind of love that.
- DRY BONES!! BRO MY FAV MARIO CHARACTER!
- also this kind of Luigi mansion esq scene is pretty cool.
- also the scale of the kingdom is wonderful, it feels giant and big and filled with life.
- I like the voice acting on the Toad guards and the Toad general.
- I like how this map displayed itself.
- I do like the princess model, it's expressive when it needs to be.
- I don't like I need a hero here during the training session, wish it was the regular Mario music, but I get the need for a training montage here.
- Baby Luigi and Baby Mario!! LEEEETS GOO! lol.
- I feel there is a bit of world-building going on in these montage sections, showing the extent of the world and the canons and stuff.
- the first time I watched this movie in theaters a bunch of kids behind us screamed and yelled this song and it was awful, I think I will associate that memory with this song forever.
- also cooler than the Peaches song the underground song being played here was so cool.
- ooo I like that match cut from coronation to present peach
- also love this moment between Peach and Mario where she is telling him there is a huge world out there.
- it's this moment that I wish was expanded on in the final cut of this, I know it's kind of a reference to Mario Galaxy but besides that the sincerity behind Peaches voice here is real.
- "Do princesses find him attractive" "They do if they have good taste" This was a good moment, funny.
- I do like that they are making the only thing bowser wants is to be with peach how ever he can.
- I hate that we didn't get Mario music during the kart section.
- Fred Armisen voiced cranky kong, that's crazy he did a great job.
- The DK rap playing here was great.
- I do like Donkey Kong's model, it's pretty detailed in close-ups.
- "So like Peach was super impressed," he asks shyly
- I like the effects on Rainbow Road pretty cool. the subtle particles drifting off into nothing on the side are very cool -- or how it come off the wheels. -- the particles on the broken road.
- I like how the camera was floating around in the kart scene from time to time.
- wish the Mew-Ray was just under the sea and we didn't see him, would have been cool to only see if you were keeping a keen eye right then, it doesn't add to the stakes by having something in the water the stakes are already really high by this point he should just be trying to get back to the princess no need for the Mew-Ray to appear now other than reference.
- Kevin Michael Richardson doing great as Kamek
- King Bob-omb sitting on the koopas was pretty funny.
- oo I like the colors of the blue on the top of the island as she uses her powers.
- like the cool 2d side-scrolling moments.
- feel like maybe Luigi should have helped Mario "stop" the bomber and they fail and then we get another moment of sincerity when they team up in the end to stop Bowser where they are like oh we couldn't do it that time What makes this time different then Mario gets depressed or upset or something, then Luigi is fighting Bowser for a little while.......
- I like the sound effects on the star.
- Jack Black is doing pretty good when he has to be an angry browser, where he shines
- .......then we get this scene where he is like nothing can hurt us as long as we are together, but we swap Mario and Luigi, so that Mario is saving Luigi, maybe you could tie that flashback with Baby Mario and Baby Luigi back here to, maybe only have the Baby scene plays and then we play the part where Mario saves Luigi then we parallel that with him saving Luigi again saying as long as we are together.
- question why start Mr. Blue Sky here if it was;t going to be a. the credits song, or b. the song that played while the title card was on the screen
- love the overture of Mario music that plays over the credits.
