April is the cruelest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain. But it is also, if I check the clock, Mario Time.
含羞草研究社淭he Super Mario Bros. Movie,含羞草研究社� with its vistas of primary colors, is here to brighten our dreary springs, T.S. Eliot be damned. That there is a swell of enthusiasm for a Mario Bros. movie is a once-unthinkable development. The last time Mario hit the big screen was in the little-remembered 1993 live-action film with Bob Hoskins as Mario, John Leguizamo as Luigi and Dennis Hopper(!) as Bowser. Hoskins called the experience 含羞草研究社渁 f含羞草研究社斺赌斺赌� nightmare.含羞草研究社�
But a lot has changed in the three decades since 含羞草研究社淪uper Mario Bros,含羞草研究社� the very first video-game adaptation. A once widely derided genre is now a cash cow. 含羞草研究社淭he Last of Us含羞草研究社� is a massive success on HBO. Pokemon and 含羞草研究社淯ncharted含羞草研究社� are box-office hits. With Sonic the Hedgehog already two movies in, Mario is playing catch up.
And 含羞草研究社淭he Super Mario Bros. Movie,含羞草研究社� which opens in theaters Wednesday, is a spirited and sprightly attempt to race to the front of the pack. A collaboration between legendary video-game designer and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination founder Chris Meledandri (both producers), it含羞草研究社檚 a drastically more sincere effort to capture the fun and spirit of the Nintendo game.
And visually, it含羞草研究社檚 a dream. Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic and their animators have rendered the Mario universe with cartoony splendor, matching the game含羞草研究社檚 ingenious simplicity with a more robust and equally delightful day-glo palate. If part of the appeal of playing 含羞草研究社淪uper Mario Bros.含羞草研究社� and its many offshoots has always been to be immersed in such a sunny imaginary world 含羞草研究社� plus the bouncy earworm compositions of composer Koji Kondo 含羞草研究社� the movie has successfully mirrored that mushroom-stomping pleasure. It makes you 含羞草研究社� want to play Mario.
That含羞草研究社檚 because as nice as it is to look at 含羞草研究社淭he Super Mario Bros. Movie,含羞草研究社� it含羞草研究社檚 not anywhere near as fun as it would be to play it. It含羞草研究社檚 a-him, Mario, but it含羞草研究社檚 no a-masterpiece. The storyline is only a touch above the interstitial bits of plot you usually get between gameplay. With the exception of Jack Black含羞草研究社檚 grandly lovesick Bowser (he含羞草研究社檚 part Phantom of the Opera, part Meatloaf-styled balladeer), there含羞草研究社檚 nothing here that deepens these characters beyond their usual 2-D adventures. Mario may be a modern-day Mickey Mouse but his kingdom is on the console.
含羞草研究社淭he Super Mario Bros. Movie含羞草研究社� begins much like Spike Lee含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淒o the Right Thing含羞草研究社�: in a Brooklyn pizza parlor. There Mario (Chris Pratt, passable despite the outcry) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are struggling to get their plumbing business off the ground. There are a few moments of stereotypical Italian life 含羞草研究社� pasta and a big family dinner 含羞草研究社� before the brothers含羞草研究社� attempt to fix a water main break drops them through a portal and into the fantasy realm of the game. (In future Brooklyn-set sequels, Mario will presumably combat waves of strollers and hipsters.)
On the other side, Bowser lords over a Koopa Troop army in scenes that can feel like the most surreal imitation yet of 含羞草研究社淭riumph of the Will.含羞草研究社� But while shrinking or enlarging are possible on this other side of the green pipe, there含羞草研究社檚 never any mention of the possibility of lives being lost as Mario makes his way through mushroom patches and question-mark boxes. His predicament is just as clear as in the game: He含羞草研究社檚 been separated from Luigi and he must help save Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) from being forced to wed Bowser.
Game logic often dictates Mario含羞草研究社檚 movements. The shells of the turtle-like Koopas can be slid around like ammo. And choosing a Mario Kart vehicle is just as difficult a decision. Sometimes, the overlap is less consistent. An invincibility star is the most sought-after item in this adventure, greatly exaggerating its typical usefulness. Those things last for like 10 seconds.
None of this is likely to be enough for anyone to exclaim 含羞草研究社淥h, yeah!含羞草研究社� while hopping up and down and doffing their cap. But it is an hour and a half含羞草研究社檚 worth of superlative marketing that will whet your appetite for more Mario back home on the couch. If anything, the 含羞草研究社� as Mario would say 含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社渙key dokey含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淪uper Mario Bros. Movie含羞草研究社� only reinforces the distance between two wholly different mediums. It may be game-on for video-game adaptations but the Mario main event is still back on Nintendo.
含羞草研究社淭he Super Mario Bros. Movie,含羞草研究社� a Universal Pictures release, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for action and mild violence. Running time: 92 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.
含羞草研究社斺赌斺赌�
By Jake Coyle
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Like us on and follow us on .
