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Credit: Nintendo/ IlluminationA disappointing update shows a not-so-promising start for Nintendo/Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023).
Starring an A-List cast from the likes of Chris Pratt (Mario), Anya Taylor-Joy (Princess Peach), Charlie Day (Luigi), Seth Rogan (Donkey Kong), and Jack Black (King Bowser), The Super Mario Bros. Movie follows the crew of familiar video games characters as Mario gets ready to face off against the all-powerful Bowser, who plans to conquer the world. The film is directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, best known for their work on Teen Titans Go! franchise.
Check out the official trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie below:
Ever since it was announced, Illumination’s Mario Bros. film always seemed like somewhat of a gamble for its distributor, Universal. Video game adaptations have notoriously failed to live up to fans’ expectations in the past, making audiences reluctant to see the same nostalgia-fueled, CGI-laden movies based on popular 8-bit characters time and time again.
However, the movie initially seemed to prove skeptics wrong and even looked like it would at last break the “video game curse.” It generated a substantial amount of internet buzz following its extremely controversial casting reveal which, surprisingly, only worked in its favor, sparking peoples’ curiosity enough for them to buy tickets. Hype for the film only continued to build following the release of its cinematically-pleasing trailer, which featured stunning visuals and fluid, stylized animation true to the characters’ video game counterparts.
At first, it appeared there was still hope for The Super Mario Bros. Movie. But it seems like all the star power in the world couldn’t save it from critics’ harsh words. Lackluster reviews have already begun to pour in ahead of its US theatrical release, with the movie’s current Rotten Tomatoes score standing at just 48%.
This score comes from a pool of 54 reviews, many of which claim that, while generally unoffensive, the film’s uninteresting story needs a major power-up. Peter Martin of ScreenAnarchy commented on the confusing plot of the new movie, writing:
Gradually, the very young-skewing aesthetic, which might have been perfectly fine and acceptably silly for its intended audience, gives way to a mess of a movie that becomes increasingly dark and destructive.
Grace Randolph of Beyond the Trailer went as far as to deem The Super Mario Bros. Movie “totally inaccessible” to casual fans of the franchise, saying:
Totally inaccessible for non-fans of this Super Mario game from Nintendo. Fans might even have a hard time with the non-existent, antiquated and somewhat offensive story… Shocking misfire for Illumination, the only bad movie they’ve ever made.
Chron‘s A.A. Dowd had some strong feelings towards the film, putting it simply when he said:
All that pristine computer animation is akin to polishing… well, what Mario finds in pipes during his day job.
With this onslaught of scathing reviews in mind, it seems like any movie adaptation of The Mario Bros. is doomed to fail regardless of how good it looks (just look at 1993’s live-action Super Mario Bros.). Of course, regular audiences will likely think differently about the movie as more and more people go to see it in theaters. This could help boost its rating—at least outside of a critical sense. Besides, people clearly are interested in seeing the new movie; box office insiders claim it could end up grossing over $225 million over the span of its extended weekend.
For now, The Super Mario Bros. Movie might be the latest victim of the video game curse, but regardless, a sequel seems imminent after a leaked post-credits scene hinted at what could be a future storyline. It’ll be interesting to see what fans think of the film when they finally get the chance to see it, especially from its intended, younger audience. If successful, the franchise certainly has the potential to expand, but to do so, it looks like Illumination’s Mario Bros. universe will need a huge level-up in ratings first.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie arrives in theaters on April 5, 2023.
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