D
Deleted member 2
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Finally seeing this movie in about an hour. So excited.
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Film The Super Mario Bros. Movie |ST| But first, we need to talk about Cinematic Universes (Open Spoilers)
- Thread starter WestEgg
- Start date
Hope you enjoy it!
Decoyman
Bob-omb
There were a lot of really cool cinematography moments that stood out to me on rewatch. Pretty much every action scene was a greatly shot delight, but there were a few smaller things I really enjoyed;
- The way the movie handles Mario's height. The camera generally aligns Mario's eyes in the vertical center so Mario always feels taller than he actually is, as a way to reinforce his exuberant determination. It's easy to miss how Mario barely reaches up to the diner seats at the start of the movie and assume that Foreman Spike is simply a giant when he lumbers over the brothers (on that note there's a lot of landscape details, characters and creatures that play around with how much bigger they are than Mario in a relative sense). Later on in the family dinner scene, the camera is panned out isometrically while Mario is leaving dejected, showing how tiny he truly is and emphasizing his perceived insignificance.
- In the final battle scene, the cracked TV airing the Mario commercial cuts out its signal with Mario's bruised reflection being seen on the same side that he was in the advert. Aside from coming full circle back to where we started, I loved how this felt like it hammered home his perceived responsibility in the events leading to this moment, and the fact that he's compelled to have to face the problem all on his own with Luigi's image having disappeared from the screen.
- Everything about the final battle in general. Mario and Luigi doing a Rider Kick was something I never knew I needed in my life.
- The way the movie handles Mario's height. The camera generally aligns Mario's eyes in the vertical center so Mario always feels taller than he actually is, as a way to reinforce his exuberant determination. It's easy to miss how Mario barely reaches up to the diner seats at the start of the movie and assume that Foreman Spike is simply a giant when he lumbers over the brothers (on that note there's a lot of landscape details, characters and creatures that play around with how much bigger they are than Mario in a relative sense). Later on in the family dinner scene, the camera is panned out isometrically while Mario is leaving dejected, showing how tiny he truly is and emphasizing his perceived insignificance.
- In the final battle scene, the cracked TV airing the Mario commercial cuts out its signal with Mario's bruised reflection being seen on the same side that he was in the advert. Aside from coming full circle back to where we started, I loved how this felt like it hammered home his perceived responsibility in the events leading to this moment, and the fact that he's compelled to have to face the problem all on his own with Luigi's image having disappeared from the screen.
- Everything about the final battle in general. Mario and Luigi doing a Rider Kick was something I never knew I needed in my life.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Who knows? Nintendo probably has countless concepts lying around.
I wish my cinema did that. There only was standard cinema advertisement.Sitting in the theater for the Mario movie and they're playing a commercial for... the Mario movie.
Edit: now they're playing a commercial for BotW, Link's Awakening, and Skyward Sword. Technically my first time seeing Zelda in a movie theater.
^ sadMarioFace
Lucifer
Like Like
Finally seen the film and it gets a 10/10 from me. It's basically an action/comedy/feel good film for nerds and casual Mario fans. Went with two friends who aren't hardcore Mario fans but like Mario somewhat and they loved it as well.
Tried to get some of the criticism, but really couldn't take some things seriously, like people asking why there's a random cat suit or why the flowers have fire power and such. It's like asking why things are as they are in Wonderland.
Tried to get some of the criticism, but really couldn't take some things seriously, like people asking why there's a random cat suit or why the flowers have fire power and such. It's like asking why things are as they are in Wonderland.
Looking like a Saturday increase for domestic.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
So, what does Famiboards's Self-Proclaimed #1 Super Mario Fan think of The Super Mario Bros. Movie now that he has seen it?
Set your expectations accordingly and you're in for a fun time, and here's to Mario 2 coming out in 3-5 years!
I'll start with a lot of the positive points. First, the obvious: this is a very pretty looking and sounding film. From Brooklyn to the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond, we got a bright and cartoony world bolstered with fun shots and dynamic action. And the musical references to the games were another highlight. It was always entertaining to hear a familiar jingle or tune weaved into the orchestral score, and sometimes it even gave me chills. Both of these aspects make up some of the most fun aspects of the film. Nearly every era of Super Mario is represented in some shape or form - a power up, a visual nod, a song cue, or directly used as part of the plot. It'd be easier to name main games that they didn't pull from, let alone the extra nods to Donkey Kong and Mario Kart. This is one of the most faithful video game adaptations I've seen in terms of matching the look and sound, and it's evident that Nintendo's oversight helped a lot in that regard. If that's the main thing you are looking for - a film that looks like Mario, sounds like Mario, and has a lot of the fun and whimsy of Mario - then you're gonna like this movie.
The most pleasant surprise here is Peach. The trailers and marketing gave the impression of a very generic #girlboss character, and thankfully she was way better balanced than that. Action oriented and cool through her actions, but keeps a regal and kind undercurrent that is befitting the game's version of the character. I also enjoyed her rapport with Mario and wish we had more moments of it. Not the most in-depth character, something that I can say for the whole cast, but for something I was apprehensive about, I was very pleased. I don't have many complaints about the characterization otherwise. I think I'll grow to appreciate how Bowser was handled as time passes, especially how they balanced goofy and genuine menace. Jack Black and Charlie Day are the standout performances for sure.
On that note, if I had to pick a core theme from the movie, it would be dealing with insecurity. Mario is characterized decently close to the games - a stubborn, can-do everyman who loves his brother, albeit with not as much of the happy-go-lucky attitude. To give him an arc, they throw doubt his way through outside sources. His old boss bullies him, his plumbing business isn't very successful, and his family, especially his own father, mocks him and sees him as a letdown. He's a small timer with a small stature, and even Peach points that out. But it's the same determination that others see as foolish that leads him to save the day and save his brother. Whether or not Mario is a good guy is never in doubt, even if he doesn't initially have the skills, he just needs to see that for himself and believe in his determination. This matches well with Luigi, who doesn't get a lot in the film but who gets to show a moment of courage when he saves Mario in the climax, showing his love for Mario is greater than his fears and anxieties (overall I was satisfied with the brotherly love on display in the film!). Donkey Kong also showcases this theme well as a showboating prince who is boisterous and rude but who is ultimately a good guy that wants to make his father proud - a fitting rival to friend relationship for Mario. But it's Bowser that expresses this theme the most explicitly as a dark mirror of Mario, an aspect I appreciate more after discussing the film with my partner. He's just as stubborn as Mario, and he projects confidence for days, but he's a big bully that craves power to rule the world and to woo Peach. Even the slightest hint that she may not like him sends him fuming, and Mario, who is an average but friendly guy who ends up building a positive but primarily non-romantic rapport with Peach, is more of a threat because of what Bowser projects onto him. Bowser dwelling in his insecurity makes him a villain, while Mario overcoming his insecurity makes him a hero.
All that being said, while this theme is present in the film, I would be lying if I said that the movie overall wasn't a little...shallow? The movie faithfully captures the style and tone of Mario, and the dynamic shots during the film's more energetic scenes are a delight, but in some regards, I feel like that's where the movie puts most of its substance into as opposed to the moment to moment storytelling. The fast pace is not hard to follow but leaves little room to breathe at points, and the emotional beats that are there don't hit as hard as they should. The humor was done better than in the trailers, but I wouldn't say we have gut-busting humor here, just some chuckles despite there being a lot of shots at jokes (Toad was, predictably, a pretty obnoxious character). We have a great thematic core, but characterization overall is kept to just enough to get the story going and not much beyond that. The writing overall was also a little on the nose, never unclear but also rarely super interesting or unexpected. The fight scenes are a great example. Mario vs DK and Mario vs Bowser follow the exact same fomula: Mario gets curbstomped, Mario gets a power up, and then Mario curbstomps his opponent, a set up that takes a lot of the tension out of the fights. I would have preferred more of a back and forth for some of these.
It's whimsical and light and not ill-fitting for Mario, and thankfully it focuses on being earnest and I truly appreciate that, but because it plays it simple and doesn't try to push itself further, it's less effective as a film overall. I liked the film, I would watch it again, but I also wish I could love it like I do films like Turning Red or Puss in Boots: The Last Wish or Spider-Verse or many more animated films that punch above their weight. But it's also a fun time that plays well to a general audience, which is exactly what it is going for, and in that regard the movie is a rousing success. I hope now that this film is bound to make a billion dollars and a sequel is all but guaranteed, SMB2 is more willing to push the humor and emotion further, to be a deeper and more interesting film, and to give its beats room to breathe further. The pieces are here - let's just go further with it!
(I won't lie, though - hearing Chris Pratt Mario pull a more Marinet like voice for the plumbing commercial, then pull back to the Brookyn voice and comment on them doing the voice as a joke, only for the Marinet cameo character to come in right after? That broke my heart.)
The most pleasant surprise here is Peach. The trailers and marketing gave the impression of a very generic #girlboss character, and thankfully she was way better balanced than that. Action oriented and cool through her actions, but keeps a regal and kind undercurrent that is befitting the game's version of the character. I also enjoyed her rapport with Mario and wish we had more moments of it. Not the most in-depth character, something that I can say for the whole cast, but for something I was apprehensive about, I was very pleased. I don't have many complaints about the characterization otherwise. I think I'll grow to appreciate how Bowser was handled as time passes, especially how they balanced goofy and genuine menace. Jack Black and Charlie Day are the standout performances for sure.
On that note, if I had to pick a core theme from the movie, it would be dealing with insecurity. Mario is characterized decently close to the games - a stubborn, can-do everyman who loves his brother, albeit with not as much of the happy-go-lucky attitude. To give him an arc, they throw doubt his way through outside sources. His old boss bullies him, his plumbing business isn't very successful, and his family, especially his own father, mocks him and sees him as a letdown. He's a small timer with a small stature, and even Peach points that out. But it's the same determination that others see as foolish that leads him to save the day and save his brother. Whether or not Mario is a good guy is never in doubt, even if he doesn't initially have the skills, he just needs to see that for himself and believe in his determination. This matches well with Luigi, who doesn't get a lot in the film but who gets to show a moment of courage when he saves Mario in the climax, showing his love for Mario is greater than his fears and anxieties (overall I was satisfied with the brotherly love on display in the film!). Donkey Kong also showcases this theme well as a showboating prince who is boisterous and rude but who is ultimately a good guy that wants to make his father proud - a fitting rival to friend relationship for Mario. But it's Bowser that expresses this theme the most explicitly as a dark mirror of Mario, an aspect I appreciate more after discussing the film with my partner. He's just as stubborn as Mario, and he projects confidence for days, but he's a big bully that craves power to rule the world and to woo Peach. Even the slightest hint that she may not like him sends him fuming, and Mario, who is an average but friendly guy who ends up building a positive but primarily non-romantic rapport with Peach, is more of a threat because of what Bowser projects onto him. Bowser dwelling in his insecurity makes him a villain, while Mario overcoming his insecurity makes him a hero.
All that being said, while this theme is present in the film, I would be lying if I said that the movie overall wasn't a little...shallow? The movie faithfully captures the style and tone of Mario, and the dynamic shots during the film's more energetic scenes are a delight, but in some regards, I feel like that's where the movie puts most of its substance into as opposed to the moment to moment storytelling. The fast pace is not hard to follow but leaves little room to breathe at points, and the emotional beats that are there don't hit as hard as they should. The humor was done better than in the trailers, but I wouldn't say we have gut-busting humor here, just some chuckles despite there being a lot of shots at jokes (Toad was, predictably, a pretty obnoxious character). We have a great thematic core, but characterization overall is kept to just enough to get the story going and not much beyond that. The writing overall was also a little on the nose, never unclear but also rarely super interesting or unexpected. The fight scenes are a great example. Mario vs DK and Mario vs Bowser follow the exact same fomula: Mario gets curbstomped, Mario gets a power up, and then Mario curbstomps his opponent, a set up that takes a lot of the tension out of the fights. I would have preferred more of a back and forth for some of these.
It's whimsical and light and not ill-fitting for Mario, and thankfully it focuses on being earnest and I truly appreciate that, but because it plays it simple and doesn't try to push itself further, it's less effective as a film overall. I liked the film, I would watch it again, but I also wish I could love it like I do films like Turning Red or Puss in Boots: The Last Wish or Spider-Verse or many more animated films that punch above their weight. But it's also a fun time that plays well to a general audience, which is exactly what it is going for, and in that regard the movie is a rousing success. I hope now that this film is bound to make a billion dollars and a sequel is all but guaranteed, SMB2 is more willing to push the humor and emotion further, to be a deeper and more interesting film, and to give its beats room to breathe further. The pieces are here - let's just go further with it!
(I won't lie, though - hearing Chris Pratt Mario pull a more Marinet like voice for the plumbing commercial, then pull back to the Brookyn voice and comment on them doing the voice as a joke, only for the Marinet cameo character to come in right after? That broke my heart.)
Set your expectations accordingly and you're in for a fun time, and here's to Mario 2 coming out in 3-5 years!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I mostly agree but this part here:
was probably the most impressive part of the story for me. Everything else I kinda predicted either from the trailers or from seeing people's reactions, but that bit you pointed out really hit me. Interesting theme to bake into the movie, and the way it was executed on both sides elevated it for me.
Mr Doggo
Anti oof
Im still at the cinema watching the film.
Its incredible how something so bland as mario became such a beautifullg animated, gripping and above all charismstic film. They really had to create entore concepts for this.
It will be impossible to return to the mario games now where mafio and all characters dont talk, where the animation doesnt scratches what even NLG does and when the world is so static.
Its incredible how something so bland as mario became such a beautifullg animated, gripping and above all charismstic film. They really had to create entore concepts for this.
It will be impossible to return to the mario games now where mafio and all characters dont talk, where the animation doesnt scratches what even NLG does and when the world is so static.
Mer.Saloon
Chain Chomp
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I do think some of Peach's personality is over compensating for the fact she's the only major female character in this film.
The film went above and beyond to not show her in a vulnerable position, and while I think they did it really well, I can't help but feel like that will naturally tone down as more female characters join the cast and take their own place in the spotlight. I could easily them pushing Daisy's outgoing attitude really hard, and downplaying Peach. And I don't think that's something they'd do consciously.
Maybe I'm just cynical, but thats just my suspicion.
space_dragon
Cunning Commander
Had a blast watching the film today! Might not be the highest bar, but I think it's the best video game movie yet! It did almost everything I'd want from a Mario movie. (I just wish my boy Luigi had more screen time!)
D
Deleted member 2
Guest
I lost it at the jumpscare horror sting while Luigi was panning his flashlight across the dark woods and the light passes over the Dry Bones. Absolutely lost it. Perfect execution 10/10, funniest part of the movie to me. It was played so straight, and the absurdity of it being a familiar Mario baddie pushed me over the edge.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Bowser Sr.
Bob-omb
- Pronouns
- He Him
It's karma for all the times I had to hear my young cousins call Rosalina "Elsa"
BZL8
Rattata
- Pronouns
- He/They
7/10 for me.
Pluses:
Negatives:
Did anyone who watched the film feel that they were watching a 90 minute cut of a 120 minute film? Part of me wonders if a director's cut may be in store.
Pluses:
- Great visuals and animation, absolutely Illumination's best on that front.
- Jack Black kills it.
- Lots of references and easter eggs
Negatives:
- Awful rushed pacing and editing that absolutely was detrimental to the story and characterization.
Did anyone who watched the film feel that they were watching a 90 minute cut of a 120 minute film? Part of me wonders if a director's cut may be in store.
SiG
Chain Chomp
Not me.
I was expecting it to be rather short based of rumors and hearsay, but it ended up feeling as it was just the right length, as it never overstayed its welcome.
I was actually surprised how the climax actually took place in Brooklyn, of all places. It felt like it was cribbing from the 1993 film at times. I just didn't expect it to be cribbing that much.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yes.
Maybe a 100 minute film, at least. Several scenes felt like they ended very abruptly with no breathing room, other scenes had dialogue rushed so quickly to its conclusion that I felt I was missing half the conversation. Some scenes felt like the conversation was gonna continue, but then it just.. cut to another scene. Which was equally short. Then cut back. It was a bit odd.
I had a blast, don't get me wrong. But it definitely felt like a little breathing room was left on the cutting room floor. Someone said today (I forget who) that it almost felt like they had a more comfy cut done and the studio then trimmed a lot of the comfort out to get the movie down to a dead-on 90 minutes. And that's genuinely what it felt like to me.
entut1
Bob-omb
- Pronouns
- he/him
at least you can say the movie is in agreement with your profile description
Seriously tho, upon multiple rewatches of this thing, clearly a lot of stuff was cut. Something should've happened before the wedding scene for sure, Mario should've gotten a scene in between Cranky's intro and the stadium hall, DK and Mario had a longer eel scene and even the Brooklyn fight was surely cut down, the flower field scene is for sure cut down too. There's like at least 10 minutes of intimate stuff essential to the characters that got out the window for sure (and it's a freaking shame, there is certainly a great movie in there that was brought down by editing)
JR436
Probably looks better in a dress.
- Pronouns
- He
Maybe - although I think Daisy would still stand out from Peach stick to the movie interpretation. As you say, she's a lot more outgoing and....loud. She's also by all accounts a very competitive person, something that movie Peach demonstrably isn't.
Maybe I'm being overly charitable to the writers, but I think the only real change to Peach in this movie is competency and agency. She's essentially the 3D World version of the character given form, which was the probably the best way to get rid of the baggage she has from the games without making her unrecognisable.
Summary of Wednesday to Friday so far for Mario's Box Office performance.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I wonder if an extended cut is something we can expect when the movie is released on digital/physical then, if it’s seems like stuff was there that was just cut
entut1
Bob-omb
- Pronouns
- he/him
Well in general, when you're doing an animated movie, most of the editing happens before the process of animation starts (you're basically cutting storyboarded scenes down). However, clearly stuff that was already completely animated did not make it to the movie (like the Cheep Cheep joke is cut in half)
Movie now pacing for $377.2 million opening, $56 million domestically on Saturday (+2% over Friday), on pace to get the best Wed-Sun domestic 5-day opening ever at $204.2 million, beating Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen's $200 million 5-day opening.
deadline.com
‘Super Mario Bros’ Hits High Scores: Record Opening For Animated Pic At $377M+ WW, 5-Day U.S. Record $204M+; ‘Air’ Soars To $20M – Sunday Box Office Update
The Super Mario Bros Movie is expecting a Friday of $59 million that puts it on course for a $146M three-day and $204M five-day opening. Worldwide at $377M it's a record for animated movie.
deadline.com
entut1
Bob-omb
- Pronouns
- he/him
Literally best global opening week for an animated movie of all-time by about 10 million. Imagine if it gets to 400M WW by the end of the weekend.Movie now pacing for $377.2 million opening, $56 million domestically on Saturday (+2% over Friday), on pace to get the best Wed-Sun domestic 5-day opening ever at $204.2 million, beating Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen's $200 million 5-day opening.
‘Super Mario Bros’ Hits High Scores: Record Opening For Animated Pic At $377M+ WW, 5-Day U.S. Record $204M+; ‘Air’ Soars To $20M – Sunday Box Office Update
The Super Mario Bros Movie is expecting a Friday of $59 million that puts it on course for a $146M three-day and $204M five-day opening. Worldwide at $377M it's a record for animated movie.
Hope you have fun!
Mr.Fletcher
Bob-omb
I loved it to bits. It’s not without flaws, some of which could derail your enjoyment depending on your expectations, but it’s a lot of fun.
I don’t think you can be a fan of Mario without getting at least some enjoyment out of it.
Will happily buy when it’s available outside the cinema.
I don’t think you can be a fan of Mario without getting at least some enjoyment out of it.
Will happily buy when it’s available outside the cinema.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
I can't get over how poorly the licensed music was implemented. I'm old enough that I like those 80s pop hits (and Battle without Honor or Humanity from Kill Bill) unironically, but the way the songs were cut into snippets and shoved into their respective scenes remains grating a day later.
I'm not negative on the movie overall. It's absolutely catnip for a Nintendo/Mario fan and looks and sounds great, apart from the aforementioned licensed tracks. On the other hand, the critics are right about The Mario Movie on its own merits -- the writing/pacing makes The Transformers: The Movie (1984) look like high art by comparison.
I'm not negative on the movie overall. It's absolutely catnip for a Nintendo/Mario fan and looks and sounds great, apart from the aforementioned licensed tracks. On the other hand, the critics are right about The Mario Movie on its own merits -- the writing/pacing makes The Transformers: The Movie (1984) look like high art by comparison.
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Hajeman
Handheld
- Pronouns
- Mr.
Mario movie on track to make > $200 million domestic & > $400 million global in 5 days opening. That's massive and breaking many records. Will crossing $2 billion at the end of 60 days in cinemas
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Watched it yesterday and had a great time. My only two complaints are the exaggerated pacing and the overuse of licensed music, as others have said. We're talking about a franchise that has some of the most beloved soundtracks of all time, so i really don't get all this licensed music. But overall it was fun, some parts made me laugh out loud (Bowser definitely stole the show), and i feel like the movie mostly did what it was supposed to do.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Also, more proof that there was definitely more to some of these scenes at some point:
Mer.Saloon
Chain Chomp
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I found out that in the soundtrack there's actually music not found in the movie that might have been in the segments where the licensed music was.
This is clearly where Take on me was during the driving segment!
I hope when the home release comes out, maybe they can remove the licensed music and put back these tracks.
Magic-Man
Perseus Jackson
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I highly doubt they're going to do that. It's just gonna stay an extra music track.
Mer.Saloon
Chain Chomp
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Sigh I know.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
It's so weird listening to this with album art that credits Kondo.
Also this is so good, I woulda flipped hearing those themes in the theater
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I liked that. It is definitely overused, but this was one of my favorite uses since Shrek 2.
Mer.Saloon
Chain Chomp
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I think execs were thinking that when Sonic did well. But this current success probably means many projects are going to be speeding through the negotiation process.
Warlord
Chain Chomp
Saw it last night. Really liked it, super fast-paced which I both liked (cut the usual overplayed tropes) and disliked (could have extended some scenes a little bit and show us a bit more of the world). Planning to watch it again in english when it comes to streaming services to hear some of the english performances (Jack Black in particular)
Bowser Sr.
Bob-omb
- Pronouns
- He Him
Daisy in general's entire shtick is already being excitable and upbeat, this Peach was level headed and grounded and even when she was angry with Mario/Bowser she still was angry in a controlled way, it should be very easy to get a Daisy, if they decided to use her, that didn't "Step on Peach's toes" I think.
Just ship out Daisy as the kind of character that Kristen Schaal voices (hell, get her to do the voice maybe??) and you already have a functional American Cartoon Daisy.
LukasManak22
who the fuck is that
SiG
Chain Chomp
Battles Without Honor and Humanity wasn't from Kill Bill.
Battles Without Honor and Huminity is from...New Battles Without Honor and Humanity, which was a sequel to a long line of yakuza films of the same name (the theme heard was made particularly for the 2000 installment by Tomoyasu Hotei, best known for his work in Samurai Fiction).
Quentin Tarantino just likes to rip off themes from things that he likes. The power of licensing music.
Mer.Saloon
Chain Chomp
- Pronouns
- He/Him
It would be really nice if they just had no licensed music for the DVD release. I know it won't happen but goddamn these are so good.
And hey, no having to pay royalties for licensed music so it's a win for everybody.
Sigh I wish I didn't get my hopes up like that.
JR436
Probably looks better in a dress.
- Pronouns
- He
I'd feel a little shortchanged if I was Tyler - these all flow really well.
Also, gotta say that the main theme Tyler came up with is quite nice. It's a motif you hear a fair bit in the movie - sounds appropriately Mario.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'd also feel a little shortchanged if I was Grant Kirkhope or David Wise.
