Super Mario Bros. The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach

***Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!*** (Japanese: スーパーマリオブラザーズ ピーチ

   姫救出大作戦! Hepburn: *Super Mario Bros.: Peach-Hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen!*) is a 1986 anime kids film based on the *Super Mario Bros.* video game by Nintendo. Directed by Masami Hata (also directed *Ringing Bell* and *Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland*) and produced by Masakatsu Suzuki and Tsunemasa Hatano, the plot centers on Mario and his brother Luigi, who go on a quest to save Princess Peach from the evil King Koopa Bowser.  It is notable for being the first movie based on a video game, until it was been predating the live-action Super Mario Bros. movie by seven years as the first movie ever based on the video game.

## Plot

The film opens with Mario playing his Family Computer. Suddenly, Mario witnesses a girl on the TV screen crying for help from the enemies attacking her and escapes by jumping out of the TV. After the enemies left, the girl reveals herself as Princess Peach. Just then, Bowser appears and jumps out of the TV. Despite Mario's battling attempts, Bowser successfully captures Peach, and takes her back into the TV. Shortly afterwards, Mario discovers a small necklace that Peach left on the floor.

The next day while he and Luigi are working at a grocery store, they realize the necklace that Peach dropped becomes a matter of concern for Mario. Luigi then regards it as the "Visionary Jewel from the Country of Treasure". Soon, Kibidango, a small dog-like entity, wanders into the store and snatches the necklace from Mario, prompting he and Luigi to pursue him into the Mushroom Kingdom.

When the Mario Bros. arrive, an elderly hermit admits that Bowser has taken over the kingdom and is turning the helpless citizens into blocks. He also reveals that Friday the 13th is the marriage between Bowser and Peach. The mushroom advises the Mario Bros. to find the three powers; the mushroom of strength, the flower of courage, and the yellow star of invincibility, in order to defeat Bowser and save Peach.

After a long journey and overcoming the many perilous obstacles, the Mario Bros. eventually acquire all the three powers by Friday the 13th. That night, Mario arrives at Bowser's castle just as the wedding of Bowser and Peach started. With the help of the three powers, Mario successfully defeats Bowser, and his magic is destroyed, turning the Mushroom Kingdom back to normal. When Mario gives Peach's necklace back to her, Kibidango arrives in his true form, Prince Haru of the Flower Kingdom. Haru admits that it was Bowser who turned him into Kibidango. He also reveals to the Mario Bros. that he and Peach are betrothed to each other and are fated to marry no matter what. Heartbroken, Mario decides to leave the Mushroom Kingdom to allow Peach to marry Haru as previously planned. After a tearful farewell from Peach, the Mario Bros. are seen leaving the Mushroom Kingdom, making their long journey home as the credits roll. In the first post-credits scene, the Mario Bros. wave good-bye as they enter a pipe that says, "Grouper Productions".

In the second post-credits scene, a customer who appeared earlier in the film visits the grocery store, only to discover that Bowser and his minions are now working as punishment. She is visibly overjoyed with better service and cries out as the background changes to blue and the words "Game Over" appear while the Super Mario Bros. "game over" music plays.

## Why It Rocks

1. Very creative animation and backgrounds by 1980's standards.
2. Likable characters such as Mario, Luigi, Kibidango, Princess Peach and even Bowser.
3. Catchy music numbers, such as "Doki Doki Do It!", which was made specially for this movie and even had it's own single.
4. It was the first time where Bowser tries to marry Princess Peach, second was in *Super Paper Mario* and third was in the popular Nintendo Switch game *Super Mario Odyssey*.
5. Many funny moments like Luigi tricking the Hammer Brother to escape.
6. Bowser going to marrying Peach on Friday the 13th is very creative.

## Bad Qualities

1. Luigi wears yellow instead of green.
2. While the voices of the characters are okay, Peach's voice is incrdibly painful to hear. Bowser is voiced by a female, despite the game confirming that Bowser is a male, however, Bowser's voice actress does an incredibly good job, and it sounds like Bowser is being voiced by a male.
3. Downer ending, since it is revealed that Peach was going to be married to Prince Haru, heartbreaking Mario and causing him to go home without getting to do his biggest goal: marry Peach. This ending is the main reason why this film is not incredibly loved by almost every Mario fan, but Nintendo decided to remove Haru from future games.
4. Some moments can have really poor grasp of the source material. Examples are a dog helping Mario in his adventures and the introduction of prince Haru, a new character who is forced to marry Peach.

## Trivia

1. Mario and Luigi are portrayed as grocery store owners at the start of the movie instead of plumbers, like in the first few games of the franchise, and the three television shows.