The Super Mario Bros. Movie is full of awesome action sequences, including eight peak Super Mario fight scenes. The film became an immediate success upon its release, smashing box office records to become one of the most lucrative movies of 2023. The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘s cast turned out to be excellent, and the animation is visionary, which explains at least part of the film’s incredible success.
Another reason it has been so successful is that it’s chock-full of thrilling fight scenes and loaded with Easter eggs from the Nintendo games. By the end of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it’s difficult to pick out the best action sequence in the film. Luckily, by considering the scenes individually based on the animation, stakes, dramatic tension, and various other factors, it becomes possible to rank The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘s best eight fight scenes from worst to best.
Related
The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2: Will It Happen? Everything We Know
The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a smashing success which has prompted speculation about a sequel, but will Super Mario Bros. 2 ever happen?
8 Bowser And Kamek Defeat The Snow Kingdom Forces
Winner: Bowser
One of the best fights in The Super Mario Bros. Movie comes in the opening sequence when Bowser and Kamek invade the Snow Kingdom with an army of koopas. The penguins who inhabit the Snow Kingdom do their best to resist Bowser, but their attacks prove ineffective, allowing Kamek to magically toss them aside. Bowser then burns their palace down and captures the penguins.
This is one of the best Bowser moments in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and one of the best fight scenes, because it introduces Bowser in splendid fashion by showing off his power, setting him up as an intimidating antagonist for the remainder of the movie. The directing carefully builds tension as Bowser is introduced until it explodes in his epic display of strength. The music is also perfect, but unfortunately, it’s too one-sided of a fight to rank any higher.
7 Mario Fends Off A Bomber Bill In The Mushroom Kingdom
Winner: Mario
The Bomber Bill appearance is one of the best Easter eggs in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and his fight with Mario is one of the movie’s most exciting scenes. Bowser launches the Bomber Bill from his floating island, sending it shooting straight for Peach’s Palace in the Mushroom Kingdom. Luckily, Mario is wearing a Tanooki suit, which allows him to fly after the Bomber Bill, slapping it in the eye and eventually tricking it into flying into a green pipe.
This scene is riveting as Mario seeks to avoid the destruction of Peach’s palace, giving the fight enormous stakes. It ends up having massive consequences because the Bomber Bill flying into the pipe causes it to explode in the passage between worlds, sucking Bowser’s army into Brooklyn. Mario and Bomber Bill’s fight would rank higher, but it’s fairly brief, and most of it ends up being a chase, so there aren’t enough action sequences in it to beat out other fights.
6 Mario Fights Bowser Alone In Brooklyn
Winner: Bowser
Mario’s first fight with Bowser, before he and Luigi get the Super Star, is a difficult affair for the Brooklyn plumber. Bowser tosses him into a car before shooting jets of flame at him and tossing him around several more times. Like most of Bowser’s fights, this one turns out lopsided, and it would have been even worse for Mario if Peach, Donkey Kong, and Toad hadn’t showed up to distract Bowser for him.
This seems like the end to Mario, and when he is thrown into the pizza joint he used to frequent with Luigi, he has a look of failure and resignation on his face, adding emotional weight to the fight. If Mario were able to put up some real resistance to Bowser’s brute force attacks, then this fight might have ranked higher, but he is helpless without a good power-up. Even so, it’s a captivating fight that feels like it really means something.
5 Mario And Luigi Take On The Koopa Army And Defeat Bowser In Brooklyn
Winners: Mario & Luigi
In the climax of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Mario and Luigi manage to get their hands on Bowser’s Super Star, allowing them to become temporarily invincible and take on the entire army of koopas. They fight their way through the villains like a hot knife through butter, quickly reaching Bowser and confounding him with their invincibility. The brothers finish the villain off with simultaneous kicks to the head, hitting him so hard it leaves a crater in the middle of Brooklyn.
This engrossing final action sequence is incredible to watch, as Mario and Luigi effortlessly carve their way through Bowser and his forces. It showcases some classic Mario and Luigi acrobatics and makes use of the most coveted power-up in the Super Mario universe, delivering another Easter egg for game fans. The music and shot construction build an epic feel in the scene beyond the obvious stakes, making for an outstanding overall fight that’s easily one of the best in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
4 Peach Fights Bowser At Their Wedding
Winner: Peach (temporarily)
Peach’s signature moment in The Super Mario Bros. Movie comes at her almost-wedding to Bowser when she knocks out Kamek and takes on the King of Koopas herself. Peach whips out an Ice Flower power-up, using the power it gives her to counter Bowser’s fire-breathing ability. She manages to catch Bowser off-guard for a moment, freezing him solid and giving Mario and Donkey Kong the time they need to fight their way to the prisoners.
This fight is great because it gives Peach a chance to take down her arch-enemy herself, making her more than the damsell-in-distress she often is in the video games. Peach freeing herself before Mario arrives helps the movie avoid rehashing this out-of-date trope, giving the princess some agency. Though some fights in The Super Mario Bros. Movie are technically better or more visually engaging, this is one of the most meaningful ones in the entire franchise.
3 Mario Fights Donkey Kong At The Great Ring Of Kong
Winner: Mario
Mario’s fight with Donkey Kong at the Great Ring of Kong is one Mario’s first chances to prove himself in the movie. Though Donkey Kong initially wipes the floor with him, Mario manages to rally and start attaining some power-ups. Eventually, when Mario is on the brink of defeat, he gets a Super Bell power-up, turning him into Cat Mario. He then uses his enhanced agility, claws, and leaping ability to defeat Donkey Kong.
This fight has enormous stakes because the outcome decides whether the Kong Army will fight for Peach or not. It’s also one of the longest action sequences in the movie, and it remains entertaining throughout. By using several power-ups from the games, this scene is also satisfying for long-time fans looking for Easter eggs. Lastly, this fight builds incredible tension as Mario hovers on the edge of defeat for most of the encounter, only to come roaring back and win the fight, making this one of the best overall scenes in the film.
Related
Where Princess Peach Came From: 6 Biggest Super Mario Movie 2 Theories
The Super Mario Bros Movie revealed that Peach came from a different world than the Mushroom Kingdom, and it seems a sequel will provide more answers.
2 Mario And Donkey Kong Fight The Koopa Army In The Mushroom Kingdom
Winners: Mario & Donkey Kong
Mario and Donkey Kong’s fight with Bowser’s minions as they arrive to break up his wedding to Peach is another of The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘s best scenes. Mario and Donkey Kong arrive on the back of a rocket, running straight into the teeth of Bowser’s defenses. Quickly grabbing power-ups, the iconic characters make a mad dash for Bowser’s floating island, fighting off koopas and various other enemies as they go.
During this fight, the animation follows Mario from behind as he employs all kinds of classic acrobatics and attacks from the various video games. The way the shot follows him, staying in constant motion, creates a thrilling feel that is strongly reminiscent of the Super Mario games. Further, the classic Mario theme song playing in the background makes this scene into exactly what long-time fans hoped a Super Mario movie would be.
1 The Koopas Ambush Mario and Peach on Rainbow Road
Winners: The koopas
Ultimately, the best fight in The Super Mario Bros. Movie goes to the battle on Rainbow Road. This fight occurs when Peach and Mario set out from the Jungle Kingdom, taking Rainbow Road in the hope of reaching the Mushroom Kingdom before Bowser. They are ambushed on the way by Bowser’s minions, leading to a drawn out fight that ends with Peach being captured and Mario falling off the road with Donkey Kong.
This scene is a classic homage to the iconic Mario Kart game, and it’s probably the most thrilling scene in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. It is one of the longest action sequences in the film, and it builds palpable tension throughout. The shot construction feels straight out of a classic action movie, and the animation is executed perfectly. The way it evokes peak Mario Kart gaming is incredible, even ending with an attack from a blue shell. Overall, this is the best scene in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, period.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
- Release Date
- April 5, 2023
- Director
- Aaron Horvath , Michael Jelenic
- Cast
- Chris Pratt , Charlie Day , Jack Black , Anya Taylor-Joy , Keegan Michael Key , Seth Rogen
- Studio
- Universal Pictures, Illumination, Nintendo
