The undisputed king of platformers and the most famous character in the history of video games is taking his biggest leap: from consoles to the big screen. Super Mario Bros. The Movie moves the Nintendo superstar and the essence of his games to a medium as different as cinema.
We must recognize that the project is in excellent hands: its creator Shigeru Miyamoto and is imported brought to life by the animation studio Illumination. With that in mind, the question arises: will Nintendo put its well-known stamp of quality on it?
Super Mario Bros. The Movie
Honestly, Super Mario Bros. The Movie is not the first movie based on the character. It’s not even the first animated movie starring Mario. But unlike Super Mario Bros. the film starring Bob Hoskins and Dennis Hopper, or the 1986 anime, which was recently restored in 4K, Universal Pictures can’t afford to falter in the face of high expectations from generations of fans of the character.
Fortunately for everyone, the creators of Minions took fans very seriously. Universal Pictures described Super Mario Bros. as an animated action-comedy Movie, based on the world of Super Mario Bros. and its plot is indeed quite faithful to the classic video game story.
The movie’s plot
A colossal flying ship menacingly covers the sky. Bowser, the powerful and ferocious king of the Koops, has begun to wreak havoc and destruction wherever he goes. He overpowers other kingdoms with his army. His main goal does not seem to be conquest, but a mysterious superstar that is conveniently protected in each castle, but this is only the first step towards a bigger plan.
Under normal circumstances, Bowser would have hardly any resistance. In addition to his massive brute strength and fire-spitting ability, he has a legion of properly armed police and even a powerful sorcerer. However, his partner has just arrived in the Mushroom Kingdom.
A rigid form comes to consciousness from among the tree-sized mushrooms. His huge blue eyes, an even bigger nose, and a specially groomed mustache would not have gone unnoticed were it not for the huge red hat that matches his shirt and contrasts with his jeans. Covering his hands, with clean white gloves. An embroidered letter on the visor of the cap: “M” for Mario.
Standard of the film adaptation
Neither a video game nor an animated film about heroes and princesses: Super Mario Bros. The film licks its lips at both concepts with great success, making them omnipresent for 90 minutes. But the way they are projected in each scene at a time, in each frame, creates something different: every fan’s dream comes true. Let the abstract become concrete and the impossible dissolve. And above all, the viewer, young, old, or of any age, will enjoy Nintendo’s superstar.
Super Mario Bros. The Movie is a delightful feast worthy of the Big N seal of quality. It is an extension of the abstract image that exists in popular culture, which every video game fan has even considered in various forms, based on satisfied fans of Super Mario. brothers 3, Donkey Kong Country, or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at the same time. And it’s not easy. But the way everything happens on the screen is insultingly simple and at the same time surprising and completely hilarious.
All in all, the epic challenge was met with honor. The animated theatrical debut of Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Bowser manages to consistently capture what has already been seen on consoles and elsewhere. But without sacrificing the surrealism of Shigeru Miyamoto’s imagined universe. But best of all, it feels like an extension of the console experience, even as Mario himself learns the rules of this new animation to welcome and engage the new viewer.
A Chance for Redemption in the World of Video Game Adaptations?
And above all, one constant: the more you’re passionate about video games, the more you’ll love Super Mario Bros. From the Movie. Talk about a humorous, winking adventure from Illumination (creators of The Minions). The film does its best to deliver a true platformer with plenty of winks, surprises and carefully thought out elements hidden in the background. Elements that invite the most discerning of pointillist fans to head merrily toward the screen.
Despite being one of the first attempts to adapt a video game to the big screen, the film was a box office flop. It had also received negative reviews for its confusing plot and for not being faithful to the Super Mario Bros. games. The film has been considered by many to be one of the worst video game adaptations in the history of cinema.
Since then, there have been a few video game movies that have been successful at the box office and have been well-received by fans and critics alike. The animated film “Ralph, the Demolitionist” (2012) is an example of a movie that not only captured the essence of video games but was also a hit at the box office and received positive reviews.
Another example is the adaptation of “Detective Pikachu” (2019), which managed to appeal to both fans of the game and casual viewers with its well-structured plot, humor, and darker tone. The film was also a success at the box office and a sequel is scheduled.
Mario Bros. movie breaks records
The movie broke the record this weekend. It grossed $204.6 million at the U.S. box office and $173 million in international sales, bringing its worldwide total to $377.6 million. It is an adaptation of a video game, although it blends in with the real world, as the film begins in New York. Its implementation budget was $100 million and was shared with Universal Pictures.
Comscore analyzed with senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian and noted that cartoons based on video games such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Pokémon, Anbrids 2 and Illumination were also very successful.
The plot of this movie is based on the famous brothers Mario and Luigi, who start a business in New York, but there are many problems with their parents. In the process, they get sucked into the city’s pipeline, which takes them to the Mushroom Kingdom, where the real story begins.