Everyone at Polygon who saw it The Super Mario Bros. Movie I had the same impression – it has its ups and downs, but Jack Black as Bowser steals the show. Whether the character Princess Peach is singing a heartfelt impromptu piano ballad or viciously threatening Luigi’s mustache, Black throws himself into the role with a goofy, over-the-top passion that the rest of the film lacks too much.
That goes for all the ways Black has promoted the film, from navigating a ridiculous CG platformer level on Instagram to appearing in Bowser’s cosplay at the film’s Los Angeles premiere. He’s been performing ridiculous, over-the-top stunts to promote this movie for months, and the best part is that he seems to genuinely enjoy it.
There are bound to be people who don’t appreciate this approach, or the specter of a grown man chasing after the camera, rolling on the floor in a lime green suit and yelling at the lyrics to his “Peaches” anthem, a cartoon portrait of the Princess herself. It’s undignified. It’s commercial. It’s very, very silly.
But that’s a big part of why it’s so fun to watch. His commitment to the bit thus clearly crosses the line from “contractual studio promo obligation” to “adult game”. His utterly shameless energy is an open invitation for very serious adults to feel like kids again, to embrace that kind of egoless nonsense around what still sparks joy in their lives. It shapes pretty much all of his social media appearances these days, not only Super Mario Bros. Movie-relative. And it’s refreshing and kind of endearing.
So if you’re ready to spend the next few days with Bowser’s song “Peaches” in your head, dive into Black’s latest celebration of silliness as he sings the song while wearing another Bowser-respectful costume and smashing a peach -colored piano in a model of a huge mushroom-shaped room and finally throws himself on the floor to just really scream it all out. May we all one day have a chance to love something the way Jack Black loves emotions.
