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MUSHROOM LAND — We've all had questions about the classic Nintendo game, Super Mario Bros.
Why is Princess Peach called Princess Peach?
Why are they the "Mario brothers" when one brother's first name is Mario?
And why are all turtles evil?
Fear not, Nintendo fans, because the new flick, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," will answer none of these burning questions.
The more significant conundrum, however, is whether it will answer the question of entertaining you while you escape to another world. The answer depends mainly on your age, and with whom you head to the theater.
Here are some reasons "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" was a miss for me — and why I didn't dislike it altogether.
The turtle shells
It wasn't that funny
I didn't have too high a bar set for this movie, but I hoped to have some laughs and to enjoy myself for 90 minutes. The trouble is, I only had a couple of chuckles and enjoyed myself for a combined total of 20 to 30 minutes. Maybe I've been spoiled by other clever and funny animated films in the last few years and was just asking too much.
One of the best things to happen to animated family films in the last decade or so, is that magic mix of keeping kids entertained while having some great jokes to engage people of all ages. "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" never had a laugh-out-loud moment for me and too many of its jokes fell flat. I hope to laugh more with a comedy/adventure.
I didn't care much about the characters
Let me start this section by clarifying that I wasn't looking for Oscar-level writing and character development from "The Super Mario Bros. Movie." However, I hoped to care a little about the story and the leading players. Wildly entertaining animated movies have done just that.
I was all in on the character arcs and what was at stake in "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" and "The Bad Guys." But, even given our long history, I didn't care much about what happened to Mario, Luigi or Princess Peach. It sounds crazy, but there were times Mario popped back onto the screen and I honestly thought, "Oh yeah. He's in this."
There were efforts made to make us care about the characters with father-son issues between Mario and his dad, Donkey Kong and his dad and even Bowser and his deep love for one fruit-denominated princess. But I just didn't care very much. The most interesting portion of the movie was at the beginning, with Mario and Luigi struggling to make it as plumbers in Brooklyn. Still, we abandoned that quickly and got thrown into the adventure, as it were, but I wasn't excited about It.
The power star
It's for the kids
Now, time for me to take off my overly-critical-adult-movie-viewer hat and throw on my I'm-a-dad-looking-to-keep-my-kids-entertained hat. I didn't have a chance to take my kids to this movie, but I can tell you they would have loved it. It's bright, shiny and has some familiar characters and a great Mario Kart sequence.
When you see a movie, the atmosphere you see it in has much to do with the experience. The studio made a mistake and made "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" screening a press-only viewing. That means it was just a handful of cynical adults hanging out in a theater together, watching a movie made for kids. It's hard to get into the swing and feel the vibe of the film with that crowd.
I am not rushing back to the theater to watch it with my children, but I promise, when I do, I will have a different experience. I will not love the movie all of a sudden, but I have no doubt I will appreciate it in a different light, hearing my kids giggle and smile.
Conclusion
Compared to some of the great animated features, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" is a few steps behind. Still, it's certainly better than others I have seen lately. This is a movie for the kids, and that's OK. For those of us who grew up with this games, there is some fun nostalgia to enjoy. It's not cringe-worthy enough to make it a miserable experience — as long as you're with the right crowd and not us sardonic movie critics.
"The Super Mario Bros. Movie" is rated PG for action and mild violence.
