Okay, so who else is super pumped for the Super Mario Bros. movie that’s coming out in April from Nintendo and Illumination? Well, if you ask me and all of my friends, we’re super, duper pumped. But, if you ask Twitter, well, you may get a different answer. A far different answer.
And, that’s not necessarily to say a bad answer. It’s just different, and most of that falls squarely on Chris Pratt’s shoulders. As first reactions to the Super Mario Bros. movie trailer have shown, some people find his voice “jarring” coming out of Mario, while some are much more enthused for Jack Black’s performance as Bowser. But, you know what? I’m excited for all of it, Pratt’s voice included, and I have five reasons why. Here we go!
The Voice Cast Is Phenomenal
As mentioned, I’m actually quite excited for Star Lord’s performance as Mario. I’ve never been into the whole “the worst Chris” argument, and I thought he was pretty great in the LEGO movies, so I really don’t have a negative opinion of the sparse lines we’ve heard so far from him in the trailer.
In fact, I liked the little inflection he put in his voice when he said, “Mushroom Kingdom, here we come!” at the end of the trailer. Sure, it definitely sounds like Pratt, but I also didn’t want Mario to sound like Charles Martinet for the entire movie, either. God bless the man, but he’s only saying lines like, “Let’s-a go!” and “Ya-ha-ha!” in the games. So, I honestly don’t think I could tolerate that high-pitched voice for an entire film. Sorry!
Look, I’ll reserve my judgment for when I see the eventual film, but I already know that Jack Black is going to kill it as Bowser, just from the trailer alone. I also love Keegan-Michael Key with his amped up performance as Toad, and I honestly can’t wait to hear more of Charlie Day as Luigi. Plus, I’m absolutely in love with everything Anya Taylor-Joy does, so I’m looking super forward to her performance as Princess Peach. Add in Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong (who, given his voice acting track record, is likely just going to sound like the actor himself), and I’m actually really intrigued by all of these talented people voicing some of my favorite characters of all time. It’s phenomenal.
The Movie's Success Could Pave The Way For More Animated Adaptations Of Video Games
Look, I’m probably America’s greatest defender of video game movies, but even I have to admit that a lot of them aren’t very good. Like, I loved the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie, even calling it the best video game movie ever, but, here’s the thing: I wish more video game movies weren’t live-action. I know, I know, that doesn’t make much sense, because I just said I love the Sonic the Hedgehog movie, and that’s (mostly) live-action. But, I really think video game movies could be even better if they stuck with a medium that they’re even closer to than live-action, which is animation.
I know the animated Ratchet & Clank movie wasn’t very good. I’m well aware of this. That said, while Ratchet & Clank is a wonderful PlayStation series, it didn’t really have Sony behind it the way that Nintendo is behind this new Super Mario Bros. movie. Honestly, I think more love and care (and pizzazz) could be put into a video game movie if it’s animated and has the video game company’s full support behind it. I’m hoping that this movie will pave the way for other animated video game adaptations. Good ones! An animated Shadow of the Colossus movie on the big screen would seriously be the bee's knees!
I'm Interested To See How The Movie's Plot Will Fit Into The Already Established Mario Bros. Lore
If you read my bio, you’ll know that I’m a Nintendo fanboy for life! Funny story, but when I was only three, my father said he lost me at the airport. After he searched everywhere, he eventually found me in an arcade, staring up at somebody playing Donkey Kong. So, when I say I’m a Nintendo fanboy for life, I mean it. I ride or die with Yoshi.
Being that kind of fan, I know a lot about the Super Mario Bros. lore. I’ve seen every Nintendo cartoon, played all of the games (yes, even Hotel Mario, Mario is Missing, and Mario’s Time Machine), and I've even dressed up as Mario once or twice (or three times) for Halloween. So, I’m really interested to see how this movie both adds, and possibly even changes, aspects of the lore. We’ve already been introduced to a whole kingdom of penguins in the trailer, which is unlike anything we’ve ever seen in the games or other media, so I’m beyond excited to see what else is added for this movie. I can’t wait!
As A Huge Apologist Of The First Movie, I Want To See If This New Animated Movie Will Be Better Than The Live-Action Original
I recently wrote an article in defense of the original Super Mario Bros. movie, and yeah, I’ve come to love the film. It wasn’t always this way, though. In fact, many moons ago, I once called it one of the worst video game movies of all time, placing it at number two. I had a lot of bad memories of that film as a kid, and it wasn’t until I watched it again recently as an adult that I’ve actually come to not only enjoy the film, but also respect the chutzpah it took to make such a bizarre adaptation of the video games.
I’m wondering if the new animated movie could do an even better job of replicating the games. It already looks like it will from the trailer, with Bowser holding an invisibility star, and our lead landing in the Mushroom Kingdom, but just because the animated film looks more faithful than the live-action original, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be better. Maybe the original, which we’re still talking about today (usually not for the best reasons) will still be the more unique and interesting movie of the two, so I’m pumped to see if this new film can surpass it.
Granted, most people will probably say that the recent trailer alone was already better than the first one, but still! I now love the original, so I want to be even more impressed by this new one.
If It Does Well, The Sky’s The Limit For Other Nintendo Video Game Adaptations
Lastly, remember how I said that I hope this does well so that we get more animated video game movie adaptations in the future? Well, the sky’s the limit for several other Nintendo franchises if this one makes good money. Remember, Nintendo recently bought their own animation studio, so presumably, they have more movie ideas in mind. Can you imagine what those ideas might possibly be? Because I can!
Just think, what if we got a Donkey Kong movie after this, then a Legend of Zelda movie, then a Metroid movie, then a Kirby movie (you see where I’m going with this), and then finally, a Star Fox movie, which could all ultimately lead up to (Donkey Konga roll, please)…a Smash Bros. movie! Come on now. No Nintendo fan in their right mind wouldn’t want to see that on the big screen. We already have the MCU, now give us the NCU. Come on, Nintendo. You know we want it!
Are you as pumped as I am for the Super Mario Bros. movie? For more news on all things Mario, make sure to swing by here often.
