When it comes to movies and TV, my expectations are never high. These days, there's hardly anything out there that's original, not so cluttered up with sex and gore and politically correct rubbish. Not so "woke" as my sister likes to say.
That said, I love it when a movie surprises me and turns out to be a genuine delight. And today, I received a most delightful surprise from the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie.
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For as long as I can remember, I've been a pretty big Nintendo nut. I played a few games often enough, mostly on N64, and I still have a Nintendo DS in my possession today.
I also vaguely remember a Mario cartoon show that was pretty good. Enough to keep a young kid entertained, at any rate.
So, it's safe to say I'm a fairly die-hard fan of Mario. I even drew him and dressed up as him for FanX last year.
But when I heard of Mario coming to the big screen, I wasn't so sure.
I wasn't too thrilled about the recent movies involving Pikachu or Sonic the Hedgehog, and I was further turned off upon hearing that Charles Martinet, Mario's original voice actor in the games, wouldn't be providing his voice this time. I actually asked, "How can you have Mario without Charles Martinet?"
In good time, however, I began to reconsider.
I wasn't able to see it in theaters, but I was absolutely blown away at how well it did in the box office. It beat all the Disney movies out of the ballpark, including The Lion King and Frozen. I couldn't help feeling a perverse pleasure in this, due to my growing disenchantment with Disney.
By the time it came out on video, I relented enough to buy a digital copy on Amazon Prime, and when my birthday came along, I told Mom I wouldn't say no to the DVD for a present.
So, that's what she got me and we watched it today.
I was not disappointed at all.
It was absolutely fantastic.
It kept me entertained the whole time, and I loved all those little "Easter eggs" they scattered all over the place. There was a little nod to Mario Kart here, a little nod to Luigi's Mansion there; there were even a few shout-outs to Donkey Kong 64, which I also played to pieces.
The visual effects alone are incredible, to say the least. I mean, seriously!
As much as I yearn for the good old days of hand-drawn animation, this movie made me say, "Whoa!" out loud more than once.
Furthermore, I very much appreciated how Princess Peach was able to take care of herself most of the time without going out of her way to be tough, if you know what I mean.
She still has her vulnerable moments, she's genuinely sweet and kind, she's funny on occasion, and the romance between her and Mario is very downplayed.
It's obvious enough that they're falling in love, but the primary focus stays on the relationship between Mario and Luigi. Mario starts out trying to help his brother, and then he ends up helping Peach in the process.
Which leads us to the movie's crown jewel: the bond between brothers.
Some of my most favorite stories are about familial love. I like stories that explore the relationship between parent/grandparent and child, or between siblings.
That's one thing I'll say in favor of Frozen. All excessive hype aside, the relationship between Anna and Elsa was nicely done, and I admired that "legal loophole" about sisterly love saving the day, although I maintain to this day that one movie was enough.
Mario and Luigi are just precious in this one. They've always got each other's backs, no matter what's going on, and while Mario starts out protecting Luigi the most, there inevitably comes a time when Luigi gets to repay the favor.
No one can seem to get enough of that big hug they share toward the climax, or that "forehead bump." I can't.
Since the title is The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it gives both brothers a chance to shine.
And I, for one, think it was done absolutely brilliantly.
There should be more movies like this out there. So many, many more.
But for the time being, I'm well satisfied. This birthday present is a definite keeper, and it's only a matter of time before I watch this anew.
The only true downside was trying to keep my younger siblings quiet the whole time. I understand they mean well, but they still got a little disruptively excited more than once. So, next time will most likely be by myself, on my own private device, since I did buy a digital copy on the side.
Come on, Mario, Luigi, let's-a go again!
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