Gaming fans are in for a treat! Nintendo's flagship heroes make their big-screen appearance in Super Mario Bros, joining the Netflix catalog this July 5, 2024... The film is the result of a collaboration between the Illuminations studio - part of the Universal Pictures group, responsible for such films as The Minions and The Great Lego Adventure - and Nintendo, who have joined forces to produce the film based on the universe of the famous game: Super Mario Bros.
This new (and sublime) trailer shows both impressive and funny images from the not-to-be-missed cartoon! It all begins in Bowser's kingdom, where Luigi is held prisoner. Then we're transported to the incredible setting of the Mushroom Kingdom, where we find Mario and Peach in a wonderful world dotted with thousands of mushrooms. It's time for them to take on the great antagonist, with a memorable go-kart race on the Rainbow Road.
In the original version, Chris Pratt will lend his voice to Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy to Princess Peach, while Charlie Day will don Luigi's green cap, Jack Black will be Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key will assume Toad's mushroom head, Seth Rogen will be Donkey Kong, while Fred Armisen will play his grandfather, Cranky Kong, and finally, we'll find Kevin Michael Richardson in the role of Kamek as well as Sebastian Maniscalco in that of Spike.
The film is produced by Chris Meledandri, founder and head of Illuminations Studios, in collaboration with Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. The film will be co-financed by Universal Pictures and Nintendo, and distributed worldwide by Universal Pictures.
Our verdict
Let's start with what's perhaps the most obvious: we could already see it in the trailers, but Super Mario Bros. is visually sumptuous. The animation is magnificent, and no matter how well-paced the staging, it's a joy to watch the Mushroom Kingdom and all the characters from the games come to life. Unlike many animation studios that go all out for photorealism, Illumination embraces its cartoonish, videogame feel, and it works!
As for the story, there's nothing really surprising - apart from a rather novel introduction to the Mario universe, the rest is very much in keeping with the video game aspect, with levels to follow and victories to achieve. Even the power-ups and brick paths are present. And there are plenty of references and nods to games. From the music to the characters and the scenery, it's all part of a fan service that, for once, is rather jubilant! The climax of this fan service is obviously reached during the scene adapting Mario Kart's Rainbow Road, which can be seen in all the trailers. It's arguably the film's best scene.
On the other hand, many were wary of hearing Chris Pratt dub Mario in the VO, but the film takes the trouble to distance itself from the game's voices, and it works. We can't compare it with the VF version, which is popular the world over, as we were only able to discover the film in its original version. This allowed us to admire the immense talent of Jack Black, who once again proves his comic genius. By giving his voice to Bowser, he makes the villain the best character in the film.
We obviously recommend the film, which will appeal to the whole family, so successful is its device. Anyone who has ever held a joystick in their hands while playing a Mario game will enjoy this adaptation. For such a feature-length film, the one-and-a-half-hour running time may come as a surprise, but Super Mario Bros. is constantly to the point, and none of its scenes is too much. This gives the film an extremely enjoyable pace, with no time for boredom!
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