Every great hero needs a fearsome villain to test them and the Super Mario Bros. Movie is no exception with Jack Black’s performance as Bowser being an absolute standout, thanks in part to the actor’s musical talent, now showcased in a music video for King Koopa’s “Peaches” love ballad.
Prior to the release of the Mario movie, Black himself had teased Bowser had his own musical number in the film, a moment that’s proven to be a fan-favorite because every Nintendo fan loves seeing the bid bad guy hopelessly pine over Princess Peach. After all, that’s the most basic of all Mario plots, yet Black’s commitment to the role has seen him promote Super Mario Bros. like there’s no tomorrow.
Maybe it’s because Black has skin in the game in more than one way since he wrote “Peaches” for the Mario movie, which now has an official music video directed by Cole Bennet, whose resume includes making videos for Eminem, and is now available on the Lyrical Lemonade YouTube channel. As if that wasn’t enough, over the weekend “Peaches” became a verified hit after cracking iTunes’ Top 100 songs, sitting at number 61, right between Linkin Park’s “Wesside” and Ellie Goulding’s “Midnight Dreams”. As for the video, it’s simply best for each person to judge by themselves.
Sure, “Peaches” doesn’t hit quite the same without Illumination beautiful graphics, yet one could argue the mere sight of Black in that bright green suit and golden shoes is just as good. In any case, the studio also uploaded another video version of the song with footage taken straight out of the movie, including Bowser’s terrible pick up lines.
So why does “Peaches” even work? Well, for any Tenacious D fans or simply any person familiar with Black's work in School of Rock, the song really plays into the actor’s comedic chops, and those Elton John-type notes are a perfect fit for Bowser too. The song is one of Bowser’s two music bits in the film, with the other coming in Super Mario Bros.’s first post-credits scene.
The success Nintendo and Illumination are experiencing right now is unparalleled for video game adaptations, something that might really help that Nintendo cinematic universe come to fruition. With readily available spinoffs like Luigi's Mansion, Donkey Kong Country and Yoshi's Island, or sequels like Super Mario Galaxy, it's only a matter of time before a new movie is announced.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is available in theaters.
Source: Lyrical Lemonade; Illumination | YouTube