Finally,Shigeru Miyamoto’s “Bread and Butter” got one of the best adaptations ever received on the big screen. TheSuper Mario Bros. Moviewas a surprisingly faithful origin story chock-full of details fans of the series would appreciate the producers getting right from the get-go.
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It was actually good enough to make people forget about that whole SNL Elon Musk skit that left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth back then. This movie tried to tick all the right boxes, at least. Even though the flick went off the rails for a tiny bit and felt rushed overall, this attempt at keeping the franchise alive was rather refreshing and portrayed its characters with barely any changes to their design at all.
5The Koopas - The Actual Main Antagonists
The Troopas played the same disposable cannon fodder role that they’ve usually occupied for the past couple of decades now, although we did see tons of variants and colors. Most average Koopas were suited up with spears and helmets (occasionally, one showed up with an eyepatch, and another wore a tie for Bowser’s wedding).
The KP Koopa (now with mohawks), Paratroopas, and Hammer Bros mostly looked the same. Although, the first ones only showed up to deliver the kingdom a concert before Bowser’s big speech. We even saw some Koopa Troopas riding the ever-annoying Koopa Clown Car, which mimicked the same look the original had fromSuper Mario World.
Dry Bones essentially looked the same, too. They had fiery eyes at times when they noticed their enemy. Their lanky arms and body only made them faster (unlike their video game counterparts); their greyed shells, spiky teeth, and cute tiny tail were largely left the same.
This movie only featured one Kamek. The character was identical to the one in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, who’s also affectionately referred to as Magikoopa or Koopa Wizard. Even though he largely looks the same as he always did, we did get shinier glasses, the modern scepter, and more powerful spells. It’s still pretty noteworthy how well he can pull off a mean Princess Peach cosplay when he wants to, a scene you’ll surely enjoy while watching the film.
4The Royalty - The Big Baddies That Make Grunts Do The Dirty Work
This time around, the massively popular character King Bowser looks rather clean, unlike his initial appearance from whenSuper Mario Bros. came out. His new hair and the creative team’s decision to stick with the edgier modern look we’re familiar with fromSuper Mario Sunshineultimately paid off. They kept the aesthetic consistent with the rest of the film’s softer approach to character design. Although this version of the character had a scaly body and looked a bit short in height, he more than made up for it with his impeccable style. We see him wear a white tophat with a Bowser emblem whenever he attempts to court the Princess. It was rather cute witnessing the big baddy don a purple bowtie and white cane.
King Bob-omb looks relatively the same, he’s just got a different crown on, and his gloves are white. The change is barely even noticeable since it mirrors what he looked like inSuper Mario 64DS.
King Boo looks the same as inMario Party: Star Rush, only his eyebrows are less exaggerated now. He has a different crown that doesn’t resemble the one he wore when he was first introduced inLuigi’s Mansion.
The son of the Jungle Kingdom’s king,Donkey Kongdonned nothing but his iconic chestnut hairdo, aggressive build, and a tie with the words DK on it. His iconic appearance in the smash-hitDonkey Kong Country. The 5 AM shadow under his eyes and the light stubble was a nice addition, however.
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King Cranky Kong was a version of himself that was very reminiscent of his appearance in Donkey Kong Country but with a crown and glasses this time. They even fixed his mobility issues and made him walk rather fast, even though his character design in the film includes a gold-handled cane that he carries around (for no apparent reason) practically everywhere. Oh, and they also, thankfully, put some clothes on him; you get to see him in a red robe throughout the film—a far cry from his initial appearance in the original Donkey Kong game. According to the movie, he’s no longer Donkey Kong’s grandfather but his actual father.
2The Typical Foes - They Barely Saw Any Changes
The Super Mario Bros. Movie covered a lot of enemies from different games in the franchise. Some that saw the most changes include:
Characters that were left unchanged, however, included the likes of Goombas, Grand Goombas, Cheep Cheeps, Shy Guys, Buzzy Beetles, Bloopers, Chain Chomps, Bullet Bill, and Banzai Bill. They look mostly the same, just a lot sleeker than their pixilated counterparts—nothing to note down specifically.
Almost none of these characters had any voice-over work done on them, except for a few grunts and whines sprinkled in here and there.
1Bonus - Special Characters That Deserve An Honorable Mention
The Blue Paratroopa was a nice homage to the pickup that’s rarely ever featured in most of the Mario video games in the franchise. This Koopa was intimidating and flew directly intoMario on Rainbow Road, similar to how its shell dealt damage on the race tracks. His presence basically explained away why blue Troopa shells exist in-universe and how effective they can be, especially during theMario Kartsegments.
With blue suspenders, a tall build, and an awful attitude to boot, this character was a hard one to spot playing a cameo role. He’s Mario’s rival and former employer, and you’ll see him bullying the brothers or cowering away whenever he’s on-screen. Foreman Spike is quite possibly the only Mario villain who received a complete costume overhaul to make him appear more intimidating and streamlined with the modern-day expectations people have of the franchise and how its aesthetic should be. He made his first appearance in 1985’s Wrecking Crew.
