Charamiwa
Bob-omb
Oh god the world didn't need that.
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Discussion The Super Mario Bros. Movie impressions/previews thread
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SpaceGodzilla
Did You Get that Thing I Sent You?
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someone who works for deadline liked it
Mer.Saloon
Chain Chomp
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Let's face it, this movie has one goal. And that goal isn't to challenge its viewers and their perception of Mario as a franchise, to challenge our relationship with the corporate structure of game branding or anything super thought provoking.
The goal of this movie is: To sell Mario video games to children who never played one. To the kids who may have been too young in 2017 to own a Switch. To children from other countries where phones dominate the young market and Nintendo is only a blip.
It's an advertisement. And that means playing it safe. And playing it safe isn't bad. A bit boring and cliched if you're an adult who isn't a Mario fan, but ultimately harmless. And to a child, it could be one of their first theatrical movies, and first experiences with Mario first hand.
It's true but i don't 100% agree with the advertisement part. Yes it'f of course to sell games, but Kit&Krysta talked about it in like one of their recent podcast. I think it was one last week. The movie isn't just not to promote video games. They def want this to do well and stand on it's own. As they said, they want to make a wheel of good products so you get stuck in that cycle of buying their console, seeing the movie, going to the theme park, buying merch etc. They are currently adding to that wheel.
They want people that plays the game to go see the movie and the people who see the movie to buy the games. I do think they wanted to play safe for the first movie so it has the most chances to succeed. But i doubt all their cinematic projects will be that way and seen as advertisements.
Mer.Saloon
Chain Chomp
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"Standing on it's own." - In this case will be not overly relying on deep and navel gazing questions regarding Mario lore and such. Which can come across as shallow to certain people especially compared to movies that challenge our perceptions of characters or at least tackle questions on reality even if by the standards of a kid movie. (Lego Movie, or Puss in Boots)
It's all about investment in the product as is. If you're not a Mario fan this movie will not change your mind and it isn't trying to. It wants to tell you "what Mario is all about". And in the case of the kids in the audience, it's supposed to hype them up for how fun Mario is that they absolutely must start playing the games.
There's nothing wrong there. It's only negative when the advertisement bends over backwards to sell stuff, and basic logic is thrown out the window to overprioritise the sale. That's a cynical approach which is what people have said of past Illumination films.
This is just you assuming stuff though. I'm saying internally, Nintendo wanted to build a wheel of consumption for years. They want to reach to most people as possible and that's why you are now seeing theme parks and movies. They are all made to sell each other, but i doubt they put so much effort in the mario movie just to sell Switchs. It is clearly products they want to succeed on their own. That's the nuance i wanted to add to your comment.
Of course they want to attract kids into their marketing system and that's another way to get them. But just labelling this movie as an advertisement is underselling it. I've seen adults regain interest in Nintendo just by looking at images of the theme park.
The success they will gain from this whole expansion will be insane. I don't think they are ready for how much it will be.
Tentacle-tropes
Kremling
I’m not sure what you’re expecting but the bolded was frankly never gonna happen in almost any context Nintendo was involved with it. Doubly so after the disastrous first movie while also re-entering the market. Many a movie/franchise has suffered because they tried being too cute the first time around.
It is an advertisement the same way the Lego Movie was an advertisement. The goal isn’t to increase sales of video games since that is a possible secondary byproduct. The biggest goal with the movie is to further expand Nintendo’s brand outside the gaming market. They want Mario & their other IPs to actually be household names instead of kinda. If all they cared about was selling mores games & consoles then it would be as cynical as an Adam Sandler movie.
Mer.Saloon
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If an adult person has a perception of what Mario is, how does a movie based on Mario shift that? As far as we're seeing, the characters of Mario, Luigi, and Bowser are filling their roles as standard. The only characters whose perceptions look to be challenged will be Princess Peach and maybe Donkey Kong, but overall the film isn't entirely driven by them.
It depends on your definition of the word "advertisement". To me there is a difference from an "advertisement" and an "ad". An advertisement is just trying to tell you what you are getting into when you immerse yourself in the brand but it doesn't have to be bad for it.
You want an example of memorable and even good advertisements? You go back to the 90s when the Looney Tunes were selling all sorts of products on TV, exploring a lot of their exaggerated personalities in ways that made sense for them and hey were entertaining in their own right. There were anarchic jokes that weren't bogged down by selling you stuff at all. Faithful Looney Tunes humor.
Then you have "ads". Shallow products that hold up terribly to scrutiny. They are shallow and have some of the most BS logic all meant to follow in the name of "brand". The problem is, the brand is so rigid and batshit insane that you can't take it seriously at all.
I'm thinking about a lot of the cartoons from the 80s that did some of the stupidest ideas all for the sake of selling you a new toy or accessory. These are cynical and think poorly of the audience. It exploits younger viewers naivety of basic logic to get away with stupid logic just to sell them something.
No, I don't believe Mario will be that.
Judging by a lot of people's stunned reactions, even your own before all these reactions came in, I think a lot of people didn't think that.
Lego Movie is a special case because the Lego Movie was a channeling of the spirit of Lego in a way that relates to our reality. It challenged our perception of how we see Lego and an advertisement for it in general. It embodied the spirit of creativity and love that children grew up with. It was less about the product itself and more about how the viewer percieves the product, being Lego. In that way, yeah it challenges.
Movie reviews are the most unreliable of them all honestly due to how surface level they are, it could have 100% RT and it still wouldn’t tell me anything about the movie. Remember how Doctor Strange had like 100% RT and very glowing social media impressions? People were so used to the usual MCU template that they went crazy over them doing something slightly different, suddenly it has “Matrix and Inception vibes”. Actual movie was nothing special. Being Illumination’s best movie doesn’t tell me anything either, anything can be better than Despicable Mid, I just want to know if the movie is good
Movies can often have a “ludic” quality to them, look at a lot of Spielberg and Lucas films. Pretty sure Miyamoto said that the movies that inspire him the most when making games is stuff like Indiana Jones. When a movie is “fun”, it has qualities that are way more subtle than stuff like fanservice or being structured like a MCU movie. I haven’t seen a whole lot of videogame adaptations but the big problem that prevents them from ever being well regarded is how they are pretty basic movies in terms of execution, feature some easter eggs “for the fans” and this is supposed to be enough for it to be considered good. In reality it needs more than that
Movies can often have a “ludic” quality to them, look at a lot of Spielberg and Lucas films. Pretty sure Miyamoto said that the movies that inspire him the most when making games is stuff like Indiana Jones. When a movie is “fun”, it has qualities that are way more subtle than stuff like fanservice or being structured like a MCU movie. I haven’t seen a whole lot of videogame adaptations but the big problem that prevents them from ever being well regarded is how they are pretty basic movies in terms of execution, feature some easter eggs “for the fans” and this is supposed to be enough for it to be considered good. In reality it needs more than that
I mean it's a Mario movie. Lets keep expectations realistic, I expect a lot of fun nostalgia but I mean people expecting like some top tier "movie of the year" thing or a top end animated classic that gets talked about as one of the best are probably expecting a bit much.
There's not a ton of story meat to draw from for a movie here as is the case with most video game movie adaptations, lets be honest. It's not like you're adapting Tolkien or even Marvel characters that have 60+ years worth of proven storylines and characters to cherry pick.
If it reviews similar to the Sonic movies, that'll be fine. Something fun for kids that scratches the nostalgia itch for parents. Professional critics will be more harsh on it than people from social media screenings.
There's not a ton of story meat to draw from for a movie here as is the case with most video game movie adaptations, lets be honest. It's not like you're adapting Tolkien or even Marvel characters that have 60+ years worth of proven storylines and characters to cherry pick.
If it reviews similar to the Sonic movies, that'll be fine. Something fun for kids that scratches the nostalgia itch for parents. Professional critics will be more harsh on it than people from social media screenings.
I don't think they need to shift the perceptions of people on characters for it to be a standalone product. I feel like most characters will keep their personality but still, seeing Mario talk and have expressions will be an expansion of the video game products to give them more life than just selling video games. I'm curious to see how it will affect the next Mario game tho. I feel like they can only go more ambitious now and will be challenged even more.
For the reviews, i'm still a bit scared. Fans loooved it, and movie goers seem to think it's good. Some are mixed, but don't seem too bad to give it a rotten tomato (except for like 2 i've seen). I think around 70% will be it, and it will be enough to garantee success.
For the reviews, i'm still a bit scared. Fans loooved it, and movie goers seem to think it's good. Some are mixed, but don't seem too bad to give it a rotten tomato (except for like 2 i've seen). I think around 70% will be it, and it will be enough to garantee success.
Marce-chan
Magical Girls <3
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I was feeling underwhelmed and not really hyped for this film(mostly because of the first trailer). But damn... I'm sold now. Looks like some real childhood dream coming true.
Pro Critics are generally harsh with video game movies, looking at Rotten Tomato scores
Warcraft - 29% rotten
Uncharted - 41% rotten
Tomb Raider (2018) - 53% rotten
Mortal Kombat (2021) - 54% rotten
Sonic the Hedgehog - 64%
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - 69%
Great Detective Pikachu - 68%
Nothing over 70% for any of those.
Warcraft - 29% rotten
Uncharted - 41% rotten
Tomb Raider (2018) - 53% rotten
Mortal Kombat (2021) - 54% rotten
Sonic the Hedgehog - 64%
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - 69%
Great Detective Pikachu - 68%
Nothing over 70% for any of those.
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let that number permeate a little
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This seems to be going down exactly how I expected - a kinda average kid's movie that's expertly on brand and has lots of Easter eggs and nods to the games but doesn't aim to go beyond that. It's the Sonic movies or Detective Pikachu - perhaps in a better space for fans because Mario is more outwardly faithful, but that doesn't necessarily make it rise up as a film itself.
While I totally get people saying "I'm not here for the plot" or "I don't mind the film playing it safe," I wish we didn't have to choose between a movie that captures the tone and spirit of the franchise and a movie that's better than serviceable. There is some great kid's and all ages stuff, both in terms of style and substance, and I wish the Mario movie could have been that too.
While I totally get people saying "I'm not here for the plot" or "I don't mind the film playing it safe," I wish we didn't have to choose between a movie that captures the tone and spirit of the franchise and a movie that's better than serviceable. There is some great kid's and all ages stuff, both in terms of style and substance, and I wish the Mario movie could have been that too.
Mer.Saloon
Chain Chomp
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I do think some of it has had to do with the people in charge of these projects in the past not really having a natural respect of the franchise in question and its ability to adapt to the silver screen. And so some of the spirit of the games gets lost or outright dismissed. But then you get some creators who are waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too deep into the franchises and have a rough grasp on the reality of a good movie, like Warcraft.
Now we have Miyamoto on board with the creatives at Illumination giving their backs and forths of expertise trying to respect the Mario brand as best as they can while still making a standalone product to be enjoyed.
In the case of Mario, there's just not much for this franchise to give to a first time in the cinema outside of the visual treat we've seen from these trailers. Yeah the plot may be average, but look at the pure kinetic energy being transferred into the visual spectacle to try and embody us in the games themselves. We're in the Mushroom Kingdom as a tourist and literally being served the world we wanted since that first Mario movie was announced and many of us are kids. What more is there to ask from the first rodeo that wouldn't just bog things down?
How many "great" kids movies can you honestly name from the last 10 years?
It's not that easy to make a great film, let alone one that is tied to a fairly thin (story wise) source material that also has strict limits on how far you can push the character/story mechanics.
Tentacle-tropes
Kremling
What stunned reaction? Don’t be putting words into my mouth. This is what I expected if the movie was handled well. I expected within the Sonic area overall since the first trailer. Quite a few people called this for the movie since the original announcement the only people who seemed to be shocked are those who wanted more.
And, it’s great that we have the Lego Movie but this movie was never gonna be that for several reasons.
Overall I think they should get something under their feet first as they re-enter the market. Find success with something basic then a sequel can go farther. If they want this to be a long term project then we can see more ambition & daring after from other projects after the first brick is laid.
Mer.Saloon
Chain Chomp
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You gotta ask yourself how would someone make a first time viewer friendly Mario movie without it coming across as safe? The more you dive into things, the more complex and sometimes even messy plots can become that bog down a film as well. We've seen this from films like Warcraft that tried to cram an epic war narrative from two sides of the conflict into a nearly 3 hour film, and that still wasn't enough.
Deeper narrative is something we can hope from a sequel.
Paper Mario and the Thousand Year Door. Rogueport alone challenges a lot of what Mario is. The first time you see that noose in the plaza, you know this is a more dangerous location. You know things are going to be just off.
You've broken the viewer's reality. Now comes the time to play with it.
That's a location though ... plot mechanics? What's your protagonist (Mario) compelling need and desire in the story? Is it really that important? What are the stakes? Is the villain really that compelling? What's your first act, second act, third act, what's the payoff at the end?
These things are not that easy to do, especially with a character like Mario, where look I love the Mario games, but it's not like Mario has some kind of massive character dilemma that even a Luke Skywalker or Rocky Balboa or a Simba from The Lion King have where they're going to have a ton of character development and character catharsis.
It's just not what the source material calls for.
Linkstrikesback
Starman
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The stuff they put in TTYD is probably the primary reason Nintendo said "hang on a minute" and started putting a super tight leash on the franchise. There's absolutely zero chance they do anything like that in film.
These films are all going to be the safest they can ever be
Mer.Saloon
Chain Chomp
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Mario doesn't have to be complex. That isn't his point as a character. His worlds are what's complex as well as the people around him, hence why I took an example from the location.
In his games, Mario is an inspirational figure who brings out the best in characters. The way he helps Vivian overcome her insecurities by supporting her with his positive attitude. The way he stands confident against the crazy antics of the villains who just can't fathom this happy-go-lucky guy.
Even looking at the mainline games, it's never just about Mario. The depth is from the worlds. The sprawling levels with secrets inside and bizarre characters. His games embody the spirit of fun road trip movies like Emperor's New Groove, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Alice in Wonderland.
There's your depth.
I know. I just wanted an example.
I mean... i do think a sequel could go more adventurous. But yea, Mario is their most "bland" IP so i wasn't expecting something mind blowing. If the movie is good i'm in. I would be disappointed if we get a bland Zelda or Metroid adaptation tho. These have more potential story wise.
And that's fine. I don't really even want some kind of "daring, plot heavy" Mario movie ... like maybe for sequels they can get a bit more dense story wise, but this first film should be just a standard "hero in wonderland saves the day" plot.
That's not story depth really though, that's just setting and tone. Story is driven by character need/desire and then expressed through character development, conflict, etc. not locations, that is basically the fundamental of any great story. Locations and tone can help but they should be a secondary aspect to the core story which comes from the character.
And anyways from what we can see, the Mario movie has great locations in spades, Mushroom Kingdom, Rainbow Road, even Luigi's Mansion type areas ... for a first movie it definitely has that aspect going for it. I mean tonally and environment wise I think largely they nailed it.
JorgenRaft
Chain Chomp
I don't think people were expecting like "The Last of Us" level plot version of a Mario movie.
But I think some were hoping it would have a bit more emotional depth that you do see in some Disney/Pixar, Dreamworks, and Sony animated films.
But I think some were hoping it would have a bit more emotional depth that you do see in some Disney/Pixar, Dreamworks, and Sony animated films.
I mean to be honest even Last of Us is pretty freaking thin plot wise. The Walking Dead has a more complex plot and a lot more characters (even the earlier seasons).
Emotional depth is not something you can just conjure up at the snap of a finger, it needs to have a protagonist that has some serious problems/flaws, and I just don't know if tonally that would work for a Mario movie.
Do people really want to see a Mario that for example even has the guilt/dark past of Simba from the Lion King or something or Mario dealing with family problems like Pixar's Turning Red? I think probably not, you add emotion, but by venturing into that territory you also take away from the general tone of things.
Mario is just supposed to be a fun everyman who has things turn out good for him in the end because he gives a good effort.
Mario is a pretty uncomplicated franchise where "fun" has always been its only real core property, so I don't think complex emotions that'd sway some movie critics has or will ever be on the table for a movie like this. However, even with a "happy-go-lucky" tone, I think there's a lot of small gestures you could do to make it an affecting, heartfelt movie.
I mean, just with the fact that you have two brothers as the leads it'd be such a shame if they don't even try to bring some heart into that. Have them have this loving, but bickering sibling dynamic with scenes of them not really cooperating perfectly in their plumbing business (character flaws!). Maybe you could have them be separated unexpectedly during some smaller argument they didn't get to resolve, but after this happens and Luigi gets in peril you get these moments where you can tell that Mario is concerned for him. Just a brief thing, and you'd have some other character like Toad or Peach comforting him and cheering him up shortly after, turning him from worried to determined and happy again, but just some small genuine moments and facial expressions would do a lot to create authenticity. With very small actions you've suddenly created the smallest bit of tension where you really want them to be reunited not just because "Luigi is good guy, good guy dying is bad", but because they got separated on a bit of an unresolved note and you want to see it resolved by reuniting them. When they do reunite they will have realized during their adventure that despite their bickering, they still care for each other a lot when it comes down to it, with the third act displaying in full force by defeating Bowser what they can do when they work together at their best. Back in Brooklyn they have truly become the perfectly cooperating Mario Bros. (character development!)
Everyone can relate to this kind of dynamic, whether it's for a sibling, friend, partner or whatever, and it'd all be neatly packaged within a whole bunch of silly and goofy scenarios. The best kinds of fun movies earn it by slowing down just a second at times and being authentic. Luigi being in peril should be quite concerning for a likeable character, so I hope they allow Mario to show that for a moment. Mario being this optimistic, happy force feels so much stronger if you show him falter for just a second, because then you can tell that he works for it. It wouldn't make him complex, and I don't think he should be either, but it'd make him more genuinely likeable than "endlessly optimistic hero guy who seems unphased in his happy-go-lucky demeanor even when family and friends are in peril".
I mean, just with the fact that you have two brothers as the leads it'd be such a shame if they don't even try to bring some heart into that. Have them have this loving, but bickering sibling dynamic with scenes of them not really cooperating perfectly in their plumbing business (character flaws!). Maybe you could have them be separated unexpectedly during some smaller argument they didn't get to resolve, but after this happens and Luigi gets in peril you get these moments where you can tell that Mario is concerned for him. Just a brief thing, and you'd have some other character like Toad or Peach comforting him and cheering him up shortly after, turning him from worried to determined and happy again, but just some small genuine moments and facial expressions would do a lot to create authenticity. With very small actions you've suddenly created the smallest bit of tension where you really want them to be reunited not just because "Luigi is good guy, good guy dying is bad", but because they got separated on a bit of an unresolved note and you want to see it resolved by reuniting them. When they do reunite they will have realized during their adventure that despite their bickering, they still care for each other a lot when it comes down to it, with the third act displaying in full force by defeating Bowser what they can do when they work together at their best. Back in Brooklyn they have truly become the perfectly cooperating Mario Bros. (character development!)
Everyone can relate to this kind of dynamic, whether it's for a sibling, friend, partner or whatever, and it'd all be neatly packaged within a whole bunch of silly and goofy scenarios. The best kinds of fun movies earn it by slowing down just a second at times and being authentic. Luigi being in peril should be quite concerning for a likeable character, so I hope they allow Mario to show that for a moment. Mario being this optimistic, happy force feels so much stronger if you show him falter for just a second, because then you can tell that he works for it. It wouldn't make him complex, and I don't think he should be either, but it'd make him more genuinely likeable than "endlessly optimistic hero guy who seems unphased in his happy-go-lucky demeanor even when family and friends are in peril".
The brother "angle" is really the only "meat and potatoes" story element that you could milk emotion from that they have from what I can really see.
You could do something like Luigi and Mario work together and get along, but Luigi is tired of being in his brother's shadow, that sort of thing, and the character development is through the story they almost lose each other and realize how much love they have for each other (awwww). To amp it up you could set the story up that the brothers lost their parents (or one of their parents) when they were both young and had to struggle a bit as kids but through it all they basically relied on each other, Mario helped raise Luigi (or vice versa) and now as adults they might be drifting apart.
Though I think even adding that (Mario/Luigi not having parents/being orphans that grew up having each other's backs) would be something hard to get Nintendo to agree to, they may not want to have the canon set up that way.
Sure that would work, but am I going to rip the movie if it doesn't have that? Nah.
Multiverse
Moblin
Eh no we don’t hope for or need a deep narrative Mario. That’s not the right brand for that. Maybe a Metroid movie. Also Paper Mario is one of the lowest selling Mario games. Let’s not do that and repeat Detective Pickahu 2.0. The main goal of the movie is purely to bring the Mario universe to life and capture the spirit of the (main) games faithfully (which is lighthearted “fun”). The games never had complicated stories. Making a deep narrative movie would be against what the brand stood for for decades.
I don’t think this movie is just an “advertisement” for the games either. This movie exists because Nintendo wanted to expand their ip. It’s a far bigger deal. It‘s not just an ad for the games. This could potentially be another huge sector of their business alongside gaming.
I don’t think this movie is just an “advertisement” for the games either. This movie exists because Nintendo wanted to expand their ip. It’s a far bigger deal. It‘s not just an ad for the games. This could potentially be another huge sector of their business alongside gaming.
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JorgenRaft
Chain Chomp
Well yeah that's kind of my point. TLOU has a very simple plot but its complexities come from the characters and relationships. But again, it'd be silly for a Mario movie to get that deep.
Sure this seems faithful to the source material but while the Mario games get great reviews despite having a simple plot and characters, that's not something that's gonna get a movie too high of recognition. If that's all a person is looking for, they're probably set. That's probably going to be the case for most of the audience for this movie. But many people, whether critics or fans, just expect to get something more out of movies on an emotional level. Just because a movie has the goal of being a fun time at the theater, it doesn't mean it can't add some emotional depth or complexity to the characters without raining on said fun.
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entut1
Bob-omb
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Super Paper Mario is where Nintendo had enough. TTYD was perfectly fine to them. And given Nintendo always strives to make Mario better just like they do in the games, they will make sure the movies get better/put new spins on Mario. I wouldn't keep it off the table to see some of the RPG stuff leak out to the movies later on. They already are pulling some pretty obscure characters for this movie.
Mario can get deep. Paper Mario has a few interesting themes in those games.
Galaxy with its storybook.
Actually, Paper Mario gets really weird as well. And very forth wall humor as well. Might be an interesting direction to be inspire if a Super Mario Bros 2 movie is greenlit lol
Galaxy with its storybook.
Actually, Paper Mario gets really weird as well. And very forth wall humor as well. Might be an interesting direction to be inspire if a Super Mario Bros 2 movie is greenlit lol
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entut1
Bob-omb
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I spent hours making this thread, if I need to change the overall structure to make it impressions-only and I need to make another review thread, ehh...Besides, I don't think the site wants dozens of Mario movie threads lying around, there's probably gonna be an OT in addition to this and the pre-release discussion thread...
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New set of impressions
Bowser Sr.
Bob-omb
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I don't particularly recall anything specifically heavy happening in most Mario RPGs. SPM was the closest to "what the hell is going on" with the way it tried to mash up The Count of Montecristo and Shakespeare with toilet jokes at the same time, but even that isn't particularly more serious or gruesome than what Disney regularly does in their media for kids.
But this isn't really something that I think factors here since this is a movie based on the traditional games and in that it really is just "beat the dragon save the princess", which they're clearly trying to add more juice to already by making it a brooklyn origin story + saving his brother instead of the princess + Seven Samurais-esque journey where they find friends to help beat the dragon.
But this isn't really something that I think factors here since this is a movie based on the traditional games and in that it really is just "beat the dragon save the princess", which they're clearly trying to add more juice to already by making it a brooklyn origin story + saving his brother instead of the princess + Seven Samurais-esque journey where they find friends to help beat the dragon.
you're on Famiboards. you're too late
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entut1
Bob-omb
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My guess is that Nintendo didn't really hold the directors back on the story but the intention was to provide a pretty straightforward narrative and amp it up with jaw-droppin action, cinematography and intriguing worldbuilding. Which is, realistically, how do you turn a 3D Mario game into a movie.
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entut1
Bob-omb
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if they are hellbent on making sure the movie feels like a Mario game with the sense of adventure and thrilling action that comes with it, and they adapt Galaxy next, they WILL make sure it FEELS like Galaxy, both in terms of scope and epicness.
Tentacle-tropes
Kremling
This movie provides a good foundation to expand upon for anything that comes next. Like Charlie Day wants a Luigi’s Mansion movie, & it’s there where you could go experimental in some places or even a deeper character study about Luigi.
Bowser Sr.
Bob-omb
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Yeah, everything we've heard and read from the directors points towards that. This is trying to be "the story that we imagined SMB1 was telling as kids" realized in cinematic form, and thats fine in my book because that is exactly what I would've done if I were told to make a Mario movie too.
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I’m not going to say they have the most groundbreaking stories ever, but off the top of my head you’ve got:
An abusive family relationship between Vivian and her sisters, Admiral Bobbery having to be walked back from deep depression following the death of his wife and his self blame of having not been there for her, and the main villain being a decently disturbing demon who possesses Peach, decapitates Grodus, and is a higher level threat in general than we typically see.
The whole story centers around the tragic romance of a man and woman from different tribes, and how the woman is implied to have been beaten to near death by the man’s father, and eventually forced to become a Pixl to save her life at the cost of her memory, while the man becomes a nihilistic villain seeking to wipe out all reality in his grief. We do see one world completely wiped out and wander through its ruins, and at one point you go through the Mario equivalent to hell.
The Origami creatures in general, most notably Peach, have a disturbing pod people quality to them and the game kind of plays it for body horror. On top of that, 3 named characters are killed in the game; Bobby, who’s sacrifice is noteably grieved on as a plot point, Olly, who is killed in the final battle, and Olivia, who unwishes her own existence to undo the damage her brother had caused to the world. Unlike the previous two games, these sacrifices actually stick and there is no revival.
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entut1
Bob-omb
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Like, I've not seen the movie yet, but it is really cool how from the spots/trailers you can see how the world is played so straight in terms of wonder and everything. There's not really much cynical stuff, apart from a few jokes about how Mario finds the place to have weird things going on (which is totally fine for an origin). Every kingdom has its own vibe, its own breathing colors, its own culture. In a way, it does feel like the world of the RPGs who's more fleshed out. And the camera is actually dynamic in this, doesn't stay often in static or barely-moving shots.
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That’s really where this movie will shine/have great WOM imo. It looks to have a stunning transition of Mario world and mechanics to film. Easily the best part of the footage we’ve seen so far
Bowser Sr.
Bob-omb
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But literally everything you've listed is, again, not remotely heavier than what kids cartoons are already used to be doing for long years, be it in maturity or thematic weight, and frankly you kinda worded some of it far more grizzly than it actualy was
(Vivian's abuse is blatantly squabbling and cartoonish, Grodus is a robot who survives as a talking head, the Shakespeare-transplant plot in SPM is sandwiched within the context of potty humor, nerdy pop culture jokes and villains who fly by farting and so on, all violence in Origami King is smoothed over by the paper nature of the characters much in the same way where Transformers cartoons for kids get away with body horror due to the robotical nature of the characters).
SpaceGodzilla
Did You Get that Thing I Sent You?
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Should note there are more press screenings tomorrow, before reviews on Tuesday
OP
OP
entut1
Bob-omb
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In defense of WestEgg, I don't remember a lot of Disney movies where a supporting character which death happens mid-movie has a profound impact on a main character's journey in the last 20 years. They actually seem to have moved away from that mostly.
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