In the past few years, video game adaptations have become common, including a pair of “Sonic the Hedgehog” films and “The Last of Us” that just concluded its first season. These adaptations have been a way to showcase the worlds and stories of these games to a broader audience than just gamers. 2023’s “The Super Mario Bros Movie” delivers that showcase of its world and characters, but suffers from issues that could have been easily avoided.

“The Super Mario Bros Movie” follows Mario and Princess Peach on a journey to stop the evil Bowser. The movie offers a retelling of the original game’s story, staying faithful to its source material.

The art style in the movie is a standout. The Mushroom Kingdom looks vibrant and pleasing to the eye. This contrasts nicely with the dark and dull colors used in scenes that take place in Bowser’s kingdom. 

Pairing nicely with the art style is the animation itself. The way the characters move is fluid. Action scenes, like Mario’s duel with Donkey Kong and the final fight against Bowser, look fantastic. Every movement flows smoothly and is a delight to see on screen.

The characters are also a strong suit of the movie. Mario, the film’s lead, is impulsive and has a hard time quitting. This leads to a wonderful dynamic between him and Luigi, with the latter being more cautious than his brother. 

Chris Pratt, who voices Mario, and Charlie Day, who voices Luigi, give the impression that these are brothers who deeply care for each other. A highlight of this dynamic is after their father disapproves of them leaving their jobs to focus on starting a plumbing business. Luigi goes to console Mario, demonstrating the brotherly bond between the two.

Anya Taylor-Joy’s Peach is also a delight to see. She has a confident aura when she is on screen. Her dynamic with Mario is funny and sweet to see, with her teasing him for his height.

The absolute highlight of the characters is Jack Black as Bowser. He steals the show with every scene. Jack Black’s performance can range from menacing to hilarious, depending on the scene. His motivation for having ultimate power, not conquering the world, and instead wanting to marry Peach brings a hilarious twist on the generic villain formula.

While the movie deserves praise for its style and characters, it has a few problems. The main one is its pacing. The movie’s set pieces, while spectacular visually, never have time to sit with the audience. It is one after another after another, so no one set piece has real staying power, leaving the movie feeling like it is trying to rush to a conclusion.

Less reliance on licensed music would also benefit the overall viewing experience. In certain scenes, the music does not fit the on-screen action at all. During a tour of Donkey Kong’s Kingdom, “Take On Me” by A-ha plays and did not feel right at all. With the song being a love song, it does not fit a tour of a Kingdom. Scenes like this stick out due to other scenes using songs that are lifted from the original game, leading to the usage of licensed songs feeling out of place.

“The Super Mario Bros Movie” may not be the absolute best video game adaptation in recent memory. Its poor pacing harms its staying power, and some of the music choices do not fit well, but its characters and visuals shine to make it a fun watch.