nintendo And Enlightenment Entertainment (Minions, All on stage…) have embarked on a laborious undertaking in recent years, designing an animated feature film in the universe of mariowhose games are on the whole more focused on the gameplay than the screenplay, not to mention the fact that dubbing is rare. The trailers and other video clips broadcast before the launch clearly reassured us and above all delighted us visually, but what about the final product? So we went to the room to find out what Super Mario Bros. The filmin VF once is not customary. What definitely make forget the poor adaptation live action from 1993?
One of the best video game adaptations to the cinema that we have ever seen.
To start, the plot of Super Mario Bros. The film is smoothly conducted since it lasts only 1h32. It’s short and we clearly wouldn’t have been against a little extra, especially when the somewhat abrupt conclusion, which would have deserved a little more detail. At least, the feature film does not suffer from any length and entertained us throughout, an ideal format to enjoy as a family with young children. However, do not expect to find a complex narrative there, it has never been the prerogative of the license after all. The basic pitch also has similarities with the film in live action, since mario, Luigi and their family live in New York. It is therefore particularly the opportunity to see the two plumbers in action, not without humor, which is never heavy and always subtly dosed.
Obviously, numerous references to the products and the long history of nintendo are present throughoutwithout being limited to the universe of mario Besides. One or more additional viewings will no doubt be necessary to identify each easter eggs, depending on the video game culture of the viewer. Here, the devil is clearly in the details, proof of the passion that has been put into this project. As this is not done at any time to the detriment of the action or the staging, quite the contrary, we can only be in awe, frankly bravo. Best of all, things like the go-karts tie right into the local culture of that ultra-colorful otherworld in which mario And Luigi end up being transported, where among other things is the Mushroom Kingdom. Hey yes it is pure isekaibut our hero doesn’t have the luxury of asking himself existential questions on screen despite the astonishment and the feeling of discovery that can be read on his face, because he has to save his brother.
This common thread has the merit of show the close ties of this funny siblingwhile complementing the dynamic maintained with the Princess Peachwhich therefore does not play a role of damsel in distress. Illumination thus manages to offer a heroine with a strong temperament without it overshadowing mariowhile Luigi somehow embodies the “damsel in distress”. However, do not believe that this big coward is not entitled to his quarter of an hour of glory, we are dealing with Super Mario Bros. after all ! Bowser is equal to itself and its objective is therefore not surprising, but we concede that it may surprise neophytes (and its troops). Although he is inherently evil, he is a character with a fairly high sympathy potential, whose mood swings amuse. We also find in the foreground a brave Toad that stands out from the rest of its kind and that good old donkey kong who is entitled to rival treatment Vegeta.
To give life to all this beautiful world, we salute the vocal performances of the French dubbing castthose of Pierre Tessier (mario), Audrey Deaf (peach) and Jérémie Covillault (Bowser) on your mind. And, yes, Charles Martinet also gives voice in VF, listen carefully! One of his two characters is also highly symbolic for several reasons. The little star Lumalee and his morbid dialogues which are the total opposite of his very cute voice otherwise made us die of laughterthank you Kaycie Chase.
The visual aspect is irreproachable, delighting our eyes with each shot. Illumination managed to transcribe this whole universe by adding a touch of realism without distorting its essence, enough to put stars in our eyes. Even better, the staging transposes the gameplay games without it seeming forcedincluding platform phases and the chase in karts of trailers on the Rainbow Road. On the other hand, we were a little ticked off on the soundtrack. No, not on the excellent compositions of Kōji Kondō re-orchestrated without a hitch, but on the use of 80s songs eaten to the bone as Holding Out For A Hero by Bonnie Tyler and take on me of A-ha, excellent by the way. At the time, it kind of took us out of the movie and back into reality, probably because we weren’t expecting them there in the first place, even though they work well.
As a fan of the license, Super Mario Bros. The film is clearly one of the best video game adaptations to the cinema that we have ever seen, fully embracing his source material using it to his advantage. We can only recommend it to you. Note finally that two post-credits scenes are presentthe first for mainly humorous purposes, while the second sows a seed for a possible sequel.
Note : 4.5 out of 5 stars
Super Mario Bros. The Film is already available for pre-order on DVD and Blu-ray (standard and combo with the 4K UHD version) on Amazon.
| Alexandre SAMSON (Omega Law) Responsible Corrector – Editor | ||
| Addicted to Assassin’s Creed and Destiny, great fan of RPGs and passionate about video game experiences in general. Reader of comics (DC) and various manga (One Piece!). Chemist by training and Whovian at heart. | ||
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