Tag: The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Film Review: A Minecraft Movie (Warner Bros. Pictures)

By: Jesse Striewski

Here’s about as much that I honestly knew about Minecraft (the game) prior to entering the theater for A Minecraft Movie this past weekend; it was some sort of building block game that also included zombies and various other animals and weird creatures in it that my kid just ate up (and seemingly had to have anything Minecraft related) around six or seven years old at the time.

And here’s what I know about it now after watching the film on the big screen – still not much! That does not mean I didn’t find the new film starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black to be a fun ride of sheer video game escapism entertainment, similar to 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie (which coincidentally also featured Black in a voice role).

The simplest breakdown of the film’s events involves nerdy outcast Henry (Sebastian Hansen), his newly acquired friend and washed-up video game Champion Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (played brilliantly by Momoa), his older sister Natalie (Emma Myers), and their realtor Dawn (Danielle Brooks) all getting zapped through a portal into another world (or “Overworld”) after Garrison locates a magic orb and crystal that previously belonged to Steve (Black) in this very magical land (are you following me yet?).

Meanwhile good guy Steve, who’s been imprisoned by the evil piglin ruler of the Nether Malgosha (voiced by Rachel House) believes he needs to get these items back in order to rescue his wolf and faithful companion, Dennis, back from Malgosha. There’s plenty of fish-out-of-water jokes and running and screaming as events rapidly unfold along the way, but surprisingly it never loses its viewers’ attention.

Many critics have so far described the film as “mindless” or even a “cash grab” (what movie isn’t though?), but at the end of the day, it still maintains its heart. I may not have been much of a Minecraft connoisseur prior to going into the film per se, and I may have found some of the crowd interaction more distracting over anything else, but after catching it this past weekend, I can definitely say I’m willing to give it a try now more than I’ve ever been.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Film Review: The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal Pictures/Illumination/Nintendo)

By: Jesse Striewski

Remember the original 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie, where the late Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo first played the plumber brothers Mario and Luigi in a live action, heaping mess? It was the first ever film of its kind based off of a video game, and the makers of it painfully missed the mark, leaving audiences severely unimpressed. After all these years, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is what (most) fans have surely been waiting for.

This version is your standard search-and-rescue type of set up when brothers Mario (played by the very non-Italian Chris Pratt – but hey, it’s all about the selective outrage though, am I right?!) and Luigi (portrayed perfectly by Charlie Day of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame) are whisked away and separated into an unknown underworld while attempting to save their home city Brooklyn from a plumbing emergency. They also just happen to land while the evil King of the Koopas, Bowser (another spot-on casting move with Jack Black) is plotting on taking over Mushroom Kingdom and marrying Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy). But through the help of Peach, Mario learns just how “super” he can become as he sets off to save both his brother, and the innocent kingdom from peril.

Everything that was left out of the ’93 version makes its way into the story here seamlessly and without feeling forced, as the brothers each encounter strange new lands and befriend new characters along the way. And there’s nearly a reference to every Mario Bros.-related game that’s come since the titular hero’s very first appearance in Donkey Kong all the way back in 1981, with everything from Mario Kart to Luigi’s Mansion. Sure, it’s essentially just a large advertisement for Nintendo, but it never crosses any lines that don’t make any sense to the plot.

All in all The Super Mario Bros. Movie is harmless family entertainment without being too overly cute, and focused solely on its story rather than getting in any unnecessary political agendas or jabs. The humor never stoops to low-brow levels, yet still manages to incorporate jokes aimed at adults. And there are plenty of throwbacks for nostalgia hounds to gush over (even the music, which stays very- ’80s throughout, is always well-placed). The film is a rare labor of love that’s beyond easy to find yourself fully escaping into it’s realms, and quite frankly, probably the best video game-related film produced thus far (sorry, Sonic!).

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars