Thirty years ago, the idea of doing a movie based on a video game was heavily criticized. The 1993 movie Super Mario Bros. was so bad it should’ve been seen as a warning when movies like Street Fighter and Double Dragon were released shortly after. Maybe the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie was a surprise but its sequel was even worse than Super Mario Bros.
Granted the 1993 movie didn’t have a great plot even though they tried to take it in a different direction. It’s earned a cult classic status now. Reportedly Bob Hoskins and John Lequizamo, who played Mario and Luigi, hated the movie with Hoskins calling it the lowest point in his career. Now, Universal and Illumination have released a movie that follows the concept of the game better, but maybe a little too faithful at times.
It was probably a good idea to make it a computer animated movie, something that wasn’t available in 1993. But there are still problems. I liked that there is more of a fun-filled plot this time around in which Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day) find themselves separated though a warp pipe. The two brothers have started their plumbing business and after a disappointment first gig, Mario sees a news story about a huge leak and feels it’s a way to build their reputation.
But there is a problem was they find themself somewhere falling through Warp Pipes without much explanation. Mario lands in Mushroom Kingdom, ruled by Princess Peach (voiced by Ana-Taylor Joy) and Luigi lands in the Dark Lands, ruled by Bowser (voiced by Jack Black) an evil Koopa. Bowser had found a Super Star and he is threatening to use it to rule everything and if Peach doesn’t marry him. Unfortunately, until the big confrontation between Boswer and Mario, Bowser isn’t really given much to do during the middle of the movie except occasionally pop up in a scene to remind us he’s still in the movie.
Then, Mario, Peach and Toad (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key) ally with the Kongs. Nintendo is apparently throwing in everything they can, since Mario was originally in Donkey Kong who appears as a supporting character (voiced by Seth Rogern, because why not?) Then there’s a reference to Mario Kart and Diddy Kong Racing. It’s like writer Michael Fogel along with directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic decided that to throw in so many references and Easter eggs as a way to get people to watch it again.
I don’t blame the directors for being as creative as possible. It looks nice and some of the way they use the references from the game are clever, but it has the same problem that Ready Player One had. The references don’t flow with the story as much as if they are dropped in to make us feel like someone saying, “Remember this? That was awesome!” They also give Luigi so little to do for the middle part that it should’ve been called Super Mario Movie.
It’s not supposed to be a smart movie with a well-developed plot. But the Sonic the Hedgehog movies have mixed computer animation with live action with creative plots that were fun to watch. This feels like a movie that was set up to be the first in a franchise so why bring all the A-game on the first outing. There’s even an end credits sequence hinting that Yoshi will be in the sequel. This movie made over $1.35 billion at the box office, so I’m sure they will be a future in the near future.
I suggest the filmmakers see what the Sonic movies did and take notes.
What do you think? Please comment.
Zane Says 