TheBadGamingBoy

The short version of this review is that it's just about everything a Mario film could be. The long version? Read the review to find out.

I'll start with the story. It's a very simple plot. Mario & Luigi fall into the Mushroom Kingdom. Luigi is captured by Bowser and Mario has to rescue him. What you saw in the trailers for this film is exactly what you get. Something simple. Despite this, the film still has depth to it. I'd say a lot of the depth comes from the chemistry between Mario & Luigi as well as Mario's clear growing feelings for Peach. If you're going into this expecting it to be the next Godfather or LEGO Movie. Don't. Temper your expectations. This does not have an Oscar worthy plot. But that is a point for the film simply because most mainline Mario games had never been heavy on the plot.

Next, we'll talk about the most controversial aspect. The casting. I'll start with Chris Pratt. As somebody who was vehemently defending him leading up to the film, I was genuinely surprised by his performance. His take on Mario is really really good. Keep in mind. This is NOT the Charles Martinet version of Mario. And it doesn't try to be. This is another version of Mario. Like Lou Albano or Walker Boone. And it works really well for the film. At worst, most people will view his performance as "okay." At best, most people will view his performance as "really good." But it is not bad. He is not dull in the slightest in the film. The trailers did not do him justice.

Now the rest of the cast as short bullet points since I don't want the characters to be too bloated.

Charlie Day as Luigi: He sounded really good. He was always perfect casting for Luigi and this movie really reaffirms that.

Anya-Taylor Joy as Princess Peach: She sounded really good as well. A lot of people were concerned about how Peach being an action hero would take away from her soft and kindred personality. But that is absolutely still intact. It's just another side of her we've only ever seen in spin-offs.

Jack Black as Bowser: Best cast member in the film. Sometimes he'll slip into sounding like Jack Black, but that does not affect his performance in the slightest. He still sounds incredible and is clearly eating this role up.

Keegan-Michael Key as Toad: He sounded really good. The voice is definitely a Toad voice, but it works for a movie. Nobody is gonna wanna listen to the ear stabber that video game Toad is for an hour and half.

Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek: As somebody who's known for doing really deep voices usually, this performance as Kamek is literally pitch perfect. What little dialogue he has is actually incredible and I couldn't think of a better voice for Kamek in this film.

Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong: Seth Rogen is good in this film. I think his voice actually really suits Donkey Kong, but I do believe that some people will be put off by the fact that this is just Seth Rogen.

Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong: If I had to choose a weak link in the cast, it is Fred Armisen. He's not bad, but he could be much better.

Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike: He wasn't in the movie much, but his voice fits Spike really well for the take they go for in this film.

All the supporting actors also do really well for what they're given and Charles Martinet's Cameos in the film are just beautiful and an exciting thing to hear.

Objective Broad Conclusion: This film is really a fun family movie. Not everyone is gonna be as into this film as Mario fans will be. But this is still a rather fun time if you're not a Mario fan. 7/10

Objective Mario Fan Conclusion: From a video game movie adaptation standpoint, this has set a standard for what they should be. This was a really really good film that is almost everything a Mario Movie should be. Some Mario fans will be put off by Chris Pratt. But at worst, his performance is passable. 8/10

Subjective Personal Conclusion: This film is perfect in almost every sense of the word and is my all time favorite film. 10/10.