While the 1993 Mario Bros movie has garnered a cult fanbase and the upcoming Illumination movie has drawn polarizing feedback, another Mario movie remains in obscurity. Released in 1986, one year after the original Super Mario Bros NES game, Nintendo and Shochiku presented a feature length Japanese animated movie entitled Super Mario Bros: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach. Despite never having an official international release outside of the internet, the film has often been regarded as a personal favorite in the Mario community. So being the first ever movie based on a video game, how does it hold up today?
The main story centers on Mario and Luigi, who embark on an alternate dimensional quest to save Princess Peach from the villainous King Koopa. As cliche as that premise sounds, it's all that is needed for an adventure like this, since the original video game was a straightforward rescue journey to save a hostage princess. Similarly to the original game as well, the obstacles that Mario and Luigi face along their journey range from frightening monsters to surrealistic landscapes, commonplace in all sorts of hero journeys. The film opts for a more lighthearted comedic tone to fit with the video game's upbeat gameplay, even in lieu of the occasional dramatic obstacle or scary opponent. It does work in its favor for the most part, although some scenes do drag to the point of losing focus from the main plot. The film is usually at its most emotionally resonative whenever it revolves around Mario mourning over Peach, and even those moments are often leftover for the brother's crazy foes and chapters along their way. It's a good thing the story feels like a video game, if not for detracting reasons.
In terms of other notable qualities, the animation direction of Masami Hata goes in a more cartoony format reminiscent of 40s Western cartoons, which also works for the comedic hijinks that ensue on Mario and Luigi's quest. This direction also suits Luigi's hammy persona that contrasts with his greed, not unlike many of the original Looney Tunes shorts. Perhaps the most creative of all visual spectacle in the film would have to be the many worlds throughout our hero's journey, varying in dynamic colors, set pieces and imaginative landscapes. The animators, layout artists and background painters managed to bring creatures from the original game into animation by distinguishing their appearances just enough to work on their own. As for the voice cast, they manage to bring their own spin to the characters through emotive performances, especially Akiko Wada as the diluted King Koopa. It's still bizarre that this never had a proper English release, because one would imagine the game's huge popularity would have made that inevitable. That being said, subtitles never hurt.
As a film adaptation of the original Mario Bros game, this feature works just enough on its own for what it's going for. It might not work as an introduction to newcomers due to its heavily specific plotline, but for Mario fans, it's a solid tribute to the games with just enough wacky obstacles and fun animation to go around. I would recommend this with a grain of salt due to its limited availability and general appeal remaining amongst a niche audience. Thanks to a lot of hard work from fans and historians, the film could get even more attention than ever before.
