The Super Mario Brothers Movie

There are few movies that come along that can bridge the generational gap between the parents that are taking their kids to see them and the kids themselves.  This is most definitely one of those movies.  These characters are known and beloved by millions around the world that grew up playing the games.  Being a child of the first video game generation I was raised on a steady stream of Mario.  Much like many other parents of my generation, unlike our parents who rarely if ever played video games, we did.  Mario was one of those things that I couldn’t wait to play with my kids.

          Now I have been reading a few of the early reviews that this film is getting beat up in and I just don’t understand it.  I understand wanting more substance but it’s a Mario Bros. movie.  The only thing that this movie needs to do is make you laugh and smile.  Now that isn’t to say people of my generation that were crushed by the utter disappointment of the live action Mario movie of 1993, I had some worry but not much.  You see this time unlike the last time Nintendo was in total control and kept a close eye on their most beloved mascot.  If you have ever played a Mario Bros. game, then this movie will be a joy to watch.  It’s so full of Nintendo easter eggs im sure I missed a bunch of them.  The story is exactly what it should have been, and the visual beauty of the whole movie was just wonderful.  Nintendo chose the right partner in Illumination to bring its characters to life on the big screen.  The voice acting was great, but the star performance of the whole movie was easily the voiceover work of Jack Black as Bowser.  This movie besides being just a lot of fun and laughs is just a big love letter from Nintendo to all its fans.

          This movie is going to be one of the biggest movies of the summer and for good reason.  Sitting in that theater with my son I had a blast just as much as he did.  It does what so many other films of its ilk do. It brings us back to our childhoods even if it’s just for a brief 90 minutes but that’s enough time to make you smile the rest of the night.  Me and my son sang the Bowser love song from the movie all the way home and laughed hysterically about it the whole time and immediately fired up Mario Kart and played all night when we got home.  If you have any love for this game franchise or Nintendo in general, this movie is a must see for all audience members young and old. The Super Mario Brothers Movie is distributed by Universal Pictures and is playing in theaters now 4.5 out of 5

*This movie review was originally published in The Current River Observer as the River Reels article written by Jeffrey Riggs