The Super Mario Bros Movie

[blaincorrous]

Saw the Mario movie this past weekend. What a mess. When someone said they were going to make a Mario movie back in the 90’s, someone next to them said “what would that even look like? Mushrooms, giant turtles, and whatever a goomba is?” That’s the moment they committed to making something completely off the walls and different from that. It was imaginative, weird, and unsettling. It was everything that Mario wasn’t aside from red and green overalls, and it was gleefully so.


Then, in 2023, in typical Illumination fashion, they make a new version that harkens back to that original vision of just making the most literal interpretation possible.

Only this time they have 30 more years of references to draw on.

The result is a cross between “word salad” and “low hanging fruit”.

It’s “low hanging fruit salad”.

 

[Cottontail]

It’s “low hanging fruit salad”.

Indeed it is. I've never seen a movie with more references to the source material. And, at the same time, it felt completely hollow. I found myself actually rooting for Bowser. I would never have imagined myself saying this before I watched it, but... (*squirm*)... I...... I................. wishithadbeenmorelikeSonic. They tried too hard in all the wrong ways and ended up with something totally incoherent, storywise.

Although now I need a plush penguin.

 

[blaincorrous]

Indeed it is. I've never seen a movie with more references to the source material. And, at the same time, it felt completely hollow. I found myself actually rooting for Bowser. I would never have imagined myself saying this before I watched it, but... (*squirm*)... I...... I................. wishithadbeenmorelikeSonic. They tried too hard in all the wrong ways and ended up with something totally incoherent, storywise.

Although now I need a plush penguin.

Mario had a bigger debut period than Sonic… but innuendos about Sicilians being bigger will probably stop there. Mario won’t have the same… ahem… legs to keep up.

I can just see how this film came about. Nintendo probably shot down anything that would have made this more relatable and less goofy. (But somehow, we still get “Nietzsche, the Luma”.)

There was zero character development… unless you count Mario getting used to eating mushrooms. (Which is funny, considering Dr. Robotnik got there first…)

 

[Deleted member 58849]

just making the most literal interpretation possible.
View attachment 106756

If I recall correctly, this movie’s plot was originally going to feature very little to no Mario, and make it explicitly about Peach… despite the movie’s title.
Nintendo had to then step in and demand it be rewritten.

 

[LilPaddedBunny]

The movie didn't seem too interesting to me from clips I saw online. Just a bunch of incoherent references. I never saw the movie yet but now I'm not sure if I should bother. Does anyone know if the two Sonic movies are any better, I never saw those either yet.

 

[littledinogoesrawr]

I think it was Great. Hollow? Yes.
I mean it's Mario we are talking about, not Last of Us.
The target are kids, room was filled with kids with their parents, and fans of the Game.

 

[Diaperman95]

Saw the Mario movie this past weekend. What a mess. When someone said they were going to make a Mario movie back in the 90’s, someone next to them said “what would that even look like? Mushrooms, giant turtles, and whatever a goomba is?” That’s the moment they committed to making something completely off the walls and different from that. It was imaginative, weird, and unsettling. It was everything that Mario wasn’t aside from red and green overalls, and it was gleefully so.

View attachment 106755
Then, in 2023, in typical Illumination fashion, they make a new version that harkens back to that original vision of just making the most literal interpretation possible.
View attachment 106756
Only this time they have 30 more years of references to draw on.

The result is a cross between “word salad” and “low hanging fruit”.

It’s “low hanging fruit salad”.

I have not seen the new one but thee one from the 90's was very bad. Much like the live action dragon ball movie back 10 or 12 years ago. So painful to watch.

 

[Deleted member 64479]

The movie didn't seem too interesting to me from clips I saw online. Just a bunch of incoherent references. I never saw the movie yet but now I'm not sure if I should bother. Does anyone know if the two Sonic movies are any better, I never saw those either yet.

I'm going to see it next week. I have to, just because I love anything Mario or Nintendo. I saw both Sonic movies too. Jim Carey was awesome as usual. I liked the second one better tho.

 

[LilPaddedBunny]

I'm going to see it next week. I have to, just because I love anything Mario or Nintendo. I saw both Sonic movies too. Jim Carey was awesome as usual. I liked the second one better tho.

Jim Carey is one of my favorite comedy actors, that's one of the reasons why I thought I might like the Sonic movies!

 

[blaincorrous]

This movie could have been much better. I would like to have my brunette badass, Princess Daisy, show up and inspire Luigi to find his courage. It would have been the prefect side story, and the Luigi and Daisy fans would have shown tha fuck up for that. It would have knitted the secondary story together and provided some much needed character development.

I have a soft spot for Princess Daisy. In fact, I’m starting a collection of Daisy paraphernalia. I have both her Amiibos and will be preserving them.

 

[mirrorcurtain]

Indeed it is. I've never seen a movie with more references to the source material. And, at the same time, it felt completely hollow. I found myself actually rooting for Bowser. I would never have imagined myself saying this before I watched it, but... (*squirm*)... I...... I................. wishithadbeenmorelikeSonic. They tried too hard in all the wrong ways and ended up with something totally incoherent, storywise.

Although now I need a plush penguin.

I agree.

 

[LittleAndAlone]

The movie didn't seem too interesting to me from clips I saw online. Just a bunch of incoherent references. I never saw the movie yet but now I'm not sure if I should bother. Does anyone know if the two Sonic movies are any better, I never saw those either yet.

As a Nintendo fan in the 8 and 16 bit days, the Sonic movies are way better. Surprisingly good considering Sonic games don't have much more plot to work with than Mario games.

Mario was still cool I guess. I don't get out much or care for movies much. It was more something of a fun Little's night out to go see a childish movie in IMAX for me. Worth seeing for any Nintendo gamer for sure.

As always there is way too much focus and setup time wasted dragging out and harping on the boring and cringe plumbing business failing and Brooklyn and Italian heritage stuff before any Super Marioing even happens. Stuff that never even appears in the games. They really just need to let that go and work in a more exciting video game backstory. Since when do Mario and Luigi have a disproving dad and family in the real world and sit down for dinner? It just doesn't work.

Both Sonic movies are amazing and for me are the gold standard on how video game movies should be done.

The I hate mushrooms thing in Sonic was a direct dig at Mario, carrying on the old 16 bit rivalry. It was pretty sad to see Mario not liking mushrooms being shoehorned into the Super Mario movie, almost like it went completely over their heads and they didn't know it was a subtle backhanded diss from Sonic.

 

[Mfluder]

Might be missing the point, but Mario kinda showed back in the 80s that something doesn't need to be complicated, complex, or cerebral to be fun.

Run. Jump. Get princess.

That's all the game was, and that's all this movie is - a good time. They're not screening this shit at Cannes.

(if it's not clear, I thought the movie was great)

 

[LittleAndAlone]

Might be missing the point, but Mario kinda showed back in the 80s that something doesn't need to be complicated, complex, or cerebral to be fun.

Run. Jump. Get princess.

That's all the game was, and that's all this movie is - a good time. They're not screening this shit at Cannes.

(if it's not clear, I thought the movie was great)

Yup. But they still spent almost half the movie failing at being plumbers in Brooklyn and sitting down for dinner with a anonymous dysfunctional family. Instead of running, jumping, and getting the princess. They do this in EVERY Mario movie and it's beyond cringe and painful. They need a better and quicker to resolve and more video game appropriate back story instead of the 80s Brooklyn plumber crap they keep trying to keep alive.

 

[LilPaddedBunny]

Yup. But they still spent almost half the movie failing at being plumbers in Brooklyn and sitting down for dinner with a anonymous dysfunctional family. Instead of running, jumping, and getting the princess. They do this in EVERY Mario movie and it's beyond cringe and painful. They need a better and quicker to resolve and more video game appropriate back story instead of the 80s Brooklyn plumber crap they keep trying to keep alive.

I don't think it would be bad to keep the plumber backstory in, if it was only the first few minutes of the movie. Maybe just have them working in pipes and discovering a secret warpzone to the mushroom kingdom. I think that's what happened in the Super Mario Bros. Super Show in the 80s, IIRC. As for that show, I thought the live action stuff was cringe and they should have just left it out. I actually liked the old Legend of Zelda cartoon though.

 

[Chiknheadz]

Ill be the odd one out. The 90s mario movie wasnt the best, but remains a treasured classic to me. Now the new movie.... oh man I love it! "Your princess is in another castle" Also seeing Diddy, Dixie, and Kiddy was unexpected and very welcomed knowing DK was in the movie. I hope to see many more nintendo games adapted to movie.