Grade:
Transfiguring Adoption awarded this movie 5 Hoots out of 5 based on how useful it will be for a foster/adoptive family. [Learn more about our Hoot grading system here]
Movie Info:
- Rating: PG
- Genre: Kids & family, Comedy, Adventure, Animation
- Runtime: 92 minutes
- Studio:Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment, Nintendo
From the Cover of The Super Mario Bros. Movie:
“With help from Princess Peach, Mario gets ready to square off against the all-powerful Bowser to stop his plans from conquering the world.”
Transfiguring Adoption’s Overview:
Universal Pictures, Illumination, and Nintendo band together to bring us this action packed film which brings us the Super Mario World like it should be presented in movie format. Brothers, Mario and Luigi, are on a quest in the real world to prove their worth by excelling at their plumbing business. However, they continuously run into roadblocks of failure which have their past boss and even their family poking fun at them. The storyline begins to change when the brothers are transported to another real through a sewer pipe deep beneath Brooklyn. Luigi is transported to a dark realm where he is held captive by the villain of our story, Bowser, king of the Koopas. Mario is transported to the Mushroom Kingdom where he meets his new friends, Toad, and friend/mentor/romantic interest, Princess Peach. The trio sets out on a mini quest to seek the aid of an ape culture called the Kongs where the audience will be introduced to the character, Donkey Kong. Together and along with their power-up items the group will come together to make a stand against the nefarious King Bowser.
This reviewer was skeptical of how well this beloved video game world would be presented after the absolute failure of the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie. I was pleasantly surprised that this film maintained the integrity of my favorite childhood franchise world. The storyline itself did not seem to be very deep. This I believe was due to the fact that so many characters had to be introduced and there had to be explanations about situations such as how a red mushroom power up impacts a character as opposed to a blue mushroom power up. Thus, I’m really hoping for a sequel in which the audience now already understands the relationships between the characters and world. Having said all this the movie was very action based and moved quickly. I found myself very entertained and was saddened when I realized that there were only 30 minutes left in the movie while watching it in the theater.
** Spoilers Could Be Ahead **
How Is This Relevant To Adoption & Foster Care?
The Super Mario Bros. Movie seems to be created for the general public. Since it is a popular franchise it is going to appeal to middle school through high school students and on to adults. However the animation style and colorful hues are going to be appealing to elementary aged children. The movie itself was not created with children from traumatic backgrounds in mind but there are several themes in which families will find useful to begin discussions. Many of the themes are going to do with describing family and friend relationships. Mario and Luigi are brothers, who are trying to find success and worth through building their own plumbing business. When things seem to not be going well, the brothers’ family makes fun of them at dinner. Worst of all is the disapproval that Mario receives from his father because it seems to impact him the most. Overall families might appreciate talking about how loving, healthy family relationships do not put performance based requirements (such as being a success at one’s job) on love. On the positive side of family relationships is the brothers’ relationship and commitment to each other, themselves. A big quote in the movie Mario and Luigi say to each other is, “nothing can hurt us as long as we are together.” Foster and adoptive parents will appreciate this theme as it opens the door to discuss how how healthy families stick together and watch out for each other. There is a small correlation with foster and adoptive families through the Princess Peach character as she briefly discusses her back story which includes being adopted by the Toads and not knowing her family of origin. The following part of the review will mention some cautionary points, however, many of them seem to be mild.
Discussion Points:
- Unhealthy Family Relationships
At the beginning of the movie Mario and Luigi are found having sunk all of their savings into a new commercial for their newly started plumbing business. The brothers are on their first job and return to their family’s home for dinner having failed their first job. What the audience will see during the family dinner is mostly relatives expressing how the brothers have made a mistake leaving their previous jobs and pursuing what they perceive to be a “crazy” dream. Children from traumatic backgrounds may have not had healthy family dynamics modeled for them. Thus, this experience can be a great time for parents to discuss how family members support each other and the impacts of the relatives words on Mario and Luigi. - Parents’ Acceptance
Following off of the point above we specifically witness Mario’s father expressing his disapproval of the brothers’ decision to pursue their own business. Even more so, the father expresses that Mario is bringing Luigi down by allowing Luigi to follow Mario in this venture. While the other relatives’ negative words impact the brothers, the movie shows that the father’s words are particularly painful for Mario.
More often than not children from traumatic places crave acceptance and approval from caregivers. However, our children often can view acceptance as performance-based as it has usually not been modeled for them in an unconditional manner. We will discuss this same point in the “Cautionary Points,” to follow, but feel that this is a great topic for caregivers to keep in mind when discussing this movie after viewing. Caregivers need to keep in mind that the love and acceptance they show a child has great power, and caregivers need to recall constantly that our children will always crave acceptance from their birth family. - Healthy Family Relationships
Throughout the movie is a notion that Mario sums up when he yells, “Nothing can happen to us, as long as we’re together,” to Luigi when the duo go through a warp pipe. While this cannot be literally true (negative things still happen to families/friends who stick together) the symbolic theme is great for foster and adoptive families to note – namely, families that stay together, help and support each other through difficult circumstances. It would be interesting for caregivers to talk with children about how Mario, Luigi, and their friends sticking together in the movie allows for positive outcomes. - Persistence
Through the entirety of the movie viewers will witness Mario’s passionate persistence to do what it takes to be reunited with his brother, Luigi. Mario will be witnessed failing many times in challenges given to him by friends or taking on unsurmountable tasks which seem impossible for him. However, it is noted in the film that no matter how many times he is knocked down (metaphorically and literally) he continues to push forward to ensure the safety of his brother.
Many times children from traumatic pasts have experienced a lot of changes and upsets to their life. This may result in changes where stability is uncertain. Children who chronically experience instability may have difficulty planning for the future or thinking long-term since nothing in their life seems to last. Persistence is a great topic for families to discuss. While our children will not need to work toward saving a sibling from a giant Koopa creature, they will need to have persistence for situation such as studying to graduate high school or doing chores well in preparation to keep and hold a future job. - Romantic Relationships
In the movie Mario and Princess Toadstool begin to become interested in each other, while King Bowser is obsessed with the Princess and wants to force her to care for him. This contrast can open up a healthy dialogue for caregivers in discussing healthy romantic relationships. Since children from traumatic backgrounds may have not a good model for healthy loving relationships, some children attempt to barter for love/friendship (giving away toys or prized possessions to strangers) or demand that other people form friendly bonds with them. It’s worth noting that throughout the movie that Mario and Princess Toadstool find desirable qualities in the other. Caregivers can also bring up with children that the two don’t go from stranger to romantically involved; in fact, while the audience can detect they are interested in each other, there is no mention of a romantic relationship starting. This can highlight the importance of getting to know a romantic interest for while as a friend first instead of merely jumping into something.
Cautionary Points:
- Cartoon Violence
Throughout the film there is constant cartoon violence whether it be a character throwing a shell at someone else or a character merely tripping during a battle to fall and get hurt. Everything appears to be done in a cartoon violence style that is reminiscent of the old Looney Tunes cartoons where Wile E. Coyote might get hit on the head with an anvil but still walks away from the experience and is scheming right away in the next 30 seconds. Thus, this reviewer would have to say that the violence seems to be mild. However, it does still exist and we want to make parents aware of this in case your child is highly triggered by violence or has a difficult time separating fantasy from reality. - Performance-based Expectations
During the film Mario’s dad confronts him about his disapproval for the brothers’ plumbing business venture. Even more so, dad expresses that Mario is sabotaging his brother, Luigi’s, life as well. This conversation takes place at the beginning of the film starting as a surface conversation around the extended family dinner table and then progresses more deeply in a private conversation between Mario and his dad. Throughout the film we catch glimpses of how this thinking and conversation have negatively impacted Mario. Finally, at the end Mario’s dad (and family) appear to be proud of the brothers when they have saved the world from the evil Bowser. It’s unfortunate that the film leaned heavily on this thinking and did nothing to have Mario’s dad express that he still loved Mario despite they’re differing outlooks on life.
Children from traumatic backgrounds have a tendency to have a performance-based view of love and acceptance from adult caregivers. For example children from a foster care background made subconsciously believe that by acting as a perfect child that they would never have been removed from their birth home and in progression they will be loved by their foster family if they are perfect. Caregivers should recognize this theme in the movie and be ready to discuss it directly or indirectly with their children. - Separation from Parents
Princess Peach describes her backstory in the movie and explains how she came to be in the fanciful Mushroom Kingdom. The condense version is that she wondered into the land through a warp pipe from another world. She knows nothing about her life or parents before coming to the Mushroom Kingdom.
While this is a direct and physical separation from her parents, we also discussed in the point above that there seems to be an emotional separation that Mario has from his family.
Many children from traumatic pasts have experience either a physical separation from their birth family or an emotional absence from their parent(s). Caregivers would do well to consider the past and sensitivity to this topic when thinking about their child viewing the movie. - Bullying
A big positive message of this movie culminates around Mario’s trait to never give up even in difficult circumstances. Unfortunately, in order to make this point the movie sprinkles bullying with the storyline. At the beginning of the movie, Mario and Luigi are belittled and verbally bullied by their old boss, Spike. The audience also witnesses the brothers being verbally belittled by their family during dinner at the beginning of the film. In all the situations Mario rises above or stands up to the bullying. The bullying that seems to actually have an impact on him is that from his dad. Otherwise, the movie really doesn’t portray Mario as a victim of bullying but more as a situation he has to overcome. The movie does portray Luigi as the victim of bullying. Two instances being physical bullying where a toddler Luigi has his block building knocked over by another toddler. The other situation portrays King Bowser painfully pulling on the hairs of Luigi’s mustache to get him to the king information; when Luigi does talk, King Bowser rips his mustache and throws him to the ground. The theme of bullying can definitely be a positive conversation with your child but caregivers should be aware of their child’s needs when viewing the movie.
Discussion Guide:
- Would you rather live in the Mushroom Kingdom or Jungle Kingdom? Why?
Caregiver Note: For this question we are not looking for a deep answer. This question is merely designed for you to get to know your child better and discover more about their likes or personality. - Princess Peach seemed excited to see another human when she met Mario. Why was she so happy to meet someone who looked like her?
Caregiver Note: Children from traumatic backgrounds often feel like an outsider and that no one else truly understands them or their situation. In the movie Princess Peach seemed to be excited to meet and get to know Mario because he was another human. Peach knew she came from another world and while she was grateful and adored the Toad people who found her, she knew she wasn’t from their world. For this question it would be good to talk with your child about how Peach seemed to enjoy meeting someone that was similar to herself. It can also be beneficial to note in the movie that it was fine for Peach to feel connected to Mario but still love the people who raised and cared for her growing up. - Mario’s dad didn’t approve of the brothers’ new job. How do you think Mario felt when his dad told him he was making a mistake?
Caregiver Note: Children from traumatic backgrounds can tend to feel that they must earn someone else’s approval or love. The interaction between Mario and his dad at the beginning of the movie might be a bit concerning for a child with this mindset. It would be good to discuss how Mario felt during this conversation. It would also be good to talk about how Mario’s dad was more than likely concerned about his sons but discuss how he might have shared these feelings in a better way. This is a great conversation for your family to have but it is suggested that you focus the energy of the conversation on Mario and his father’s relationship unless your child makes it more personal. In this way you can have a deeper discussion that feels safe. - Why do you think Mario didn’t give up running Princess Peaches obstacle course?
Caregiver Note: Mario seemed to continue thinking about saving his brother Luigi and would NOT give up doing anything he could to help save him. Children from traumatic backgrounds often have trouble thinking about future goals and only think in the here and now. Consequently, it can then be difficult for kiddos to continue working on a goal (i.e. raising a grade in class at school) when they don’t see immediate results or something new catches their attention. - Tell about a time you or a friend didn’t give up on something. Why do you think it was important to not give up?
Caregiver Note: This question is building off of the last question. Predominantly, you want question #4 to be a conversation about the characters in the movie. However, this question is where you are hoping that the conversation can begin to become a bit more personal. You will have to gauge your child where they are at. If they don’t want to talk about themselves, then ask about a friend of theirs. Do not be disheartened if your child doesn’t want to talk about themselves. Making the questions more personal could make the conversation uncomfortable for them and scary. You might simply off up the questions and see if your child comes to you in the following days/weeks to talk about them. - What power-up item would you like to use in real life? Why?
Caregiver Note: This again a question that is not meant to be very deep. It is merely designed for you to learn and get to know your child more and see if you can discover more about what they like or what is important to them. - Why do you think Donkey Kong wanted to be known as more than someone who simply hits and destroys things?
Caregiver Note: In the movie Donkey Kong was portrayed by the Jungle Kingdom as a big, strong ape who could destroy things effectively. At one point Donkey Kong exasperatedly states to Mario that he is more than those things. It would seem that Donkey Kong wants people to see him for who he really is and look beyond his physical traits and stereotypes. This might be a complex topic to breach with younger viewers. However, the topic can resinate with children from traumatic backgrounds, as many of our kids do not want to be simply know by their trauma or background. This question is designed for you to focus on the character in the movie and discuss how Donkey Kong might want people to know him as (i.e. clever, humorous, a good leader, etc.). It would be good for you to talk with your child about how Donkey Kong might feel when people don’t see him completely or if they only see one part of him. - How do you want other people to know you or see you?
Caregiver Note: This question is going to build off of the previous question. As always we are hoping to make things a bit more personal but we don’t want to push answers here as the “personal” nature in and of itself may make the situation a bit scary for your child. It might be interesting if you, the caregiver, would mention some traits or characteristics you see in your child to help them along. During this question we are hoping you can discover a few traits that are important to your child that you may or may not already know about. Again, if your child doesn’t want to talk about this, then be available in the next coming days and weeks to see if maybe your child will willingly start a conversation about this on their own. - What did Mario mean when he said, “As long as we’re together, nothing will happen to us?”
Caregiver Note: Children from traumatic backgrounds often have not had healthy role models for how to interact and stay connected in a family. It can be common for our kids to feel the same level of attachment with their caregiver as they do the stranger who is a cashier at the store. In the movie there was a healthy theme of Mario and Luigi sticking together with each other to help each other get through difficult situations. This question would be a great time to highlight those moments and discuss how healthy family and caregiver relationships can offer us those same positive aspects. On the flip side it would be interesting to discuss what might have happened to Luigi if Mario didn’t stick together with his brother and have a healthy family connection with him. - What are some ways that you can stick together with your family?
Caregiver Note: Here we go again – building off of the last question and presenting an atmosphere where the topic is more personalized and not only about the characters in the movie. While your child will not have to follow you, the caregiver, through a warp tunnel to a alternate world, there are several ways you can have a discussion about how your child or even the whole family can stick together. Some examples might be: staying near the family’s shopping cart at the store, making sure the caregiver knows what friend’s house the child is playing at, staying near siblings at the park playground instead of immediately running off with other children you don’t know, not telling important information like addresses or phone numbers to people you just met, and so on. As you can see from the examples, physical proximity might be part of the conversation (especially for young children) but there are more conversational and emotional ways that a family can stick together as well.
About the Author: Darren Fink
Co-founder and President of Transfiguring Adoption. Darren is a graduate of Illinois State University where he studied fine art. He offers foster and adoptive parents over a decade of experience in parenting foster and adoptive children, as well as his introductory to counseling training. Darren is the author of the [“A Guide to Magical Creatures Around Your Home,”] book series.
**Transfiguring Adoption is a nonprofit organization seeking to nurture growth in foster and adoptive families by giving a HOOT about their families. Transfiguring Adoption does not intend for its reviewers nor its review to be professional, medical or legal advice. These reviews and discussion guides are intended to help parents to better be able to connect and understand their children who come from traumatic backgrounds.
