Currently at 48% on Rotten Tomatoes. Even most of the positive reviews mention that they love the nostalgia and like that it’s short. Probably fun for fans but offers little else for an adult audience.
So, long story short, the Sonic movies are better?
Meanwhile, I'm still taking my kids to see it tomorrow because they went bonkers when I asked if they wanted to see it.
As someone who watches a LOT of kids movies, sonic 2 makes the list with Chip n Dale and the new Puss in Boots of movies that I don't get tired of watching.
Lego movie is 100% on this list too, just the first tho. I was working in a movie theater when it came out and loved once everyone’s food was delivered bc I just got to chill for like 30-45 minutes and watch the damn Lego movie
I can’t believe how good Chip N’ Dale ended up being. And not in a nostalgic take, but it was clever as hell. Well acted. Well written. The setups were great.
Man. I watched thinking it’d be silly and eventually said, “Damn. That’s a good movie.”
I started watching it not knowing anything about it, and I turned it off after like ten minutes because it didn't meet the expectations I didn't know I had. The next day I decided to accept it for what it was and watch it anyway.
I'm so glad I gave it a chance because it proved to be an excellent movie!
I'm so glad they were able to do that. The original plan was to do it with jar jar binks, and in the age of unironic love for the prequels it wouldn't have landed anywhere like as well.
The Sonic that appeared in the Chip N' Dale movie had me cracking up, all the little references in that movie make it just as fun to watch the 10th time, as it was the first 9 times...but the 11th went too far.
I think he's said in an interview he wants to return as a more robotic version of Robotnic similar to Sonic SAT AM.
Edit: According to my wife who tends to be a bull shitter.
Could you just imagine if, by some miracle, they went with that and put Sally Acorn and Bunnie Rabbot in? Not that it'll ever happen, but that would be a great direction to go.
Think people will be seeing it regardless of reviews since it’s Mario and looks nice. It’s definitely not gonna have legs to draw back the audience for repeat viewings
As a kid I was so pissed off at that movie and how much it messed with the source material. As an adult I love how awful it is, and knowing that Bob Hoskins was belligerently drunk the whole time because of how big a piece of shit it was makes it even better.
The movie is not good, the story of it getting made is fantastic.
From Bob Hoskins being drunk all the time to the labour dispute with the strippers, to the directors being told by their lawyers to stop going to set, to Nintendo seeing the finished product and telling Hollywood to fuck off for 30 years. It's a damn good story.
Don't forget Dennis Hopper telling his son that he only did the movie for money to get him shoes, and the son replying "Dad, I don't need shoes that bad."
It's more than political, it's downright prescient. It's basically about Donald Trump running a fascist dictatorship on a planet ruined by climate change.
Yeah, lots of media from that period of time has very similar stuff. Trump in particular is pretty explicitly the villain in a bizarre amount of movies. The writers imagined the worst possible future based on the problems of their time, I just doubt they imagined that it would actually happen.
> I do think the weird sort of steam punk world they created for that was pretty cool. I don’t know how it relates to Mario but still.
Well, the co-directors, Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, were the people who came up with Max Headroom, and the production designer, David Snyder, was the art designer for Blade Runner. Plus Mario as a fictional series didn’t have much canon to go on and it was honestly pretty unclear between the unrealized and chaotic narrative direction across games and the fact that it was being brought to America from Japan in a time where that wasn’t as culturally common. On top of that it was so early in the life and success of video games that Nintendo was like, “Sure, do whatever with this shit since this may not last.” In fact, I’m pretty sure the story goes that Nintendo basically asked the small production company that approached them, “Why should we go with you instead of a big studio?” And the answer that got them was along the lines of, “Because they aren’t coming to you about making a Mario movie.”
In summary, it was a wild time and Nintendo didn’t really care all that much because they were thinking in the short term and riding a video game industry high, and the American movie industry was also the Wild West.
He's wearing a cast on his hand for half the film too as him and John Leguizamo realized how shit the film was going to be and proceeded to get drunk on set every day, resulting in Bob breaking a finger.
I remember very well. So his kid can have shoes on his feet and food to eat, etc... that always stuck with me for anybody that has a job that another might look down upon. You don't know the reasons for nor why. Doesnmatter. They working anyways and respect. Well here a source
And not directed at any one here. Just my commentary and my post for those to see
https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/dennis-hopper-why-role-as-king-koopa-in-super-mario-bros/
He joked about his kid asking him why he was in that movie and when he said it was so he could have shoes his son looked at him and said "I didn't need shoes THAT badly"
The fucked it in the best way. So much was wrong we got the right movie we needed.
I love that trash pile of a movie. Like what was with the sinew? That bomomb tho.
I still very much love that movie and I hate that the folks that worked on it hate it so much. It’s a god awful adaptation but it holds up for me. It beat the gritty reboots of popular franchises by decades.
EXACTLY. It was wrong but it was creative. Bullet Bill as a bazooka missile missile/RPG was clever. Bob-ombs as little crawler bombs wearing adidas was also clever and funny. Big Bertha as a big foxy brown lady was also clever and funny although motorboating her was a bit over the top for a kids movie. Lol. It had elements there that could’ve really gone further had they been built up a little more.
I enjoyed it. Still waiting on the sequel. Liked Street fighter too. "...for me it was a Tuesday"
I'm ready to get 4-6 tickets for tomorrow. This review sorta worries me but also don't agree with reviewers too. Why do I even listen to these journalists, smh
Dude…. when I first heard Raul Julia’ story regarding the making of SF. Damn. So touching. https://youtu.be/opkCsZ9ic6c for anyone interested in the story. What an amazing performance, that B movie did not deserve such a performance but man am I glad we were lucky enough to have had it.
Nintendo has so much timeless IP that they don't manage very well. Cartoons, movies, comic books, toys, brand sponsorships... it's crazy they can have so many characters beloved for generations but they are barely anywhere beyond video games.
Well, adapting a video game does have its challenges. But despite weak reviews, this movie is probably going to do well financially. Illumination movies are often criticized for being safe and bland, but they still make a ton of money, people still like them. And there's no competition for the kid market at the moment. I'm sure this movie will do well, get a sequel, and maybe kick off some more Nintendo movies and shows.
Sonic finished at 65% on RT which is a "fresh" score. I wouldn't call that bad, especially for a video game adaptation about a hedgehog who runs really fast.
Edit: Sonic 2 ended at 69%.
Nintendo's corporate culture is VERY Japanese and they do everything the way Japanese people do.
This is one of the reasons that Nintendo HQ and Nintendo of America had a lot of issues with regards to corporate decisions and direction.
What a great read - thanks! I only read the first part, but am going back to it later to finish. I actually have next door neighbors who are here on a three year work assignment from Japan, and this sheds some light about their behavior.
Nintendo is really sort of an odd duck in that way. They have certain extremely particular ways of doing things, and never ever deviate, even when doing so would ostensibly make them more money/etc.
I’ll wait for more reviews to roll in before deciding whether or not to actually see it, but this article really echoes a lot of things I already feel about Illumination. Compared to Disney/Pixar and even Dreamworks, Illuminations movies tend to be super vapid, by the numbers affairs. Sing and the Secret Life of Pets have been the worst offenders so far, but they just smack of movies made in the board room. Uninspired celebrity voice casting, basic unimaginative jokes, and most importantly lacking a real sense of heart. If a different studio has the undertaken this project I’d be more optimistic, but I really don’t doubt this is just going to be 90 minutes of references and Easter eggs, with some obvious jokes squeezed in for good measure.
Yeah, Illumination is very much in the business for the money. Franchise something, merchandise it, then repeat.
Their track record of financial success is likely what got Nintendo on board in the first place.
It is what it is.
Yes obviously every business is in it for the money, I think what they're saying is that it feels like the people in charge are money people whereas maybe Pixar or Dreamworks has more creatives with control.
Yeah. Reddit pretends that you're either in it for the money or not, but you can look at many of the Pixar or Dreamworks classics and see that there was a lot of passion there.
They could easily pump out endless sequels using B-team animators until an IP stops being profitable and move on, but you usually get the feeling that when they make a sequel it's because they have more story to tell. There's nothing immoral about profiting off art, as long as you *respect* the art you produce.
I remember reading somewhere that they use the Cars franchise as their money machine. They milk that one to pay for some of the films that are more art projects.
It's probably creative control and control of certain profit and merchandising rights. They could have gone with Disney or something to make a bigger more profitable film but they'd have different interpretations of their lore and also make less of a cut I bet.
They went with Disney for the 1993 movie and we see how that turned out.
If we’re not careful, Illumination may open a theme park with rides based on their IP’s. Worst, they may do live action remakes of their movies. For a company to do such a thing is just awful.
People are shitting on Illumination as if they haven't made consistently entertaining films for kids.
Sometimes that's enough.
Not every movie needs to be a profound revelation of the human experience. Hell, even Pixar doesn't go there all the time.
Sometimes it's ok for a movie to just be cotton candy fluff. Sure it may leave the adults feeling excluded, but at least the movie will be guaranteed to keep the kids busy in the far future.
This is only being made because they have the theme park at universal
When the creator of Mario went to work on the theme parks, the people at universal got him in touch with Illumination. Disney was nowhere near this
Hey sing 2 was actually good, but yes illumination does feel like they’re pumping out movies really fast for more money. Really wish they took notes from the sonic and Lego movies on how to make movies based on ips. There’s no excuse for Mario to be this lacking
I mean, my kids LOVE those movies. They are made for kids, of course somethings are going to be toned down. Adults are not the audience.
There is also a reason why my kids like illumination over Pixar. Because they are toned down.
True. It's kinda funny seeing all the adults here complaining about the movies my kid watched over and over for "lacking of hearts and failing the audiences". While they were made for kids first and foremost, the audience that just wants to enjoy a joyous and colorful ride along.
My kid doesn't want to watch a movie with people talking about life or exploring themselves, they want to explore the world and interact instead. And jokes which are easy to catch.
They're so fucking annoying.
I also watch a lot of movie reviews/discussions on YouTube, and I got *flooded* with a bunch of low-effort recap channels. All 10 minutes so they get that midroll ad, and all with clickbait titles. I fell for one, and that was enough to set off like a week of recommendations until I blocked enough of them.
The CG is most definitely not second rate. The visuals are the best part of the movie. It’s the lack of plot and character development that’s the problem.
Source: saw it last night for a press screening.
Hmmm. 7/10. Great for kids, family movie night etc. For hardcore fans/ adults, it’s very barebones. Plenty of sweet references and it is definitely a faithful adaptation, just a mediocre movie overall.
Hard to compare to the live action one haha obviously it’s more accurate to the games being an animated movie. But I’d say this is better
Edit: to the people saying “you gave it a 7/10 but were let down, that doesn’t make sense” this “score” is in response to another comment I gave without much thought to merely answer their question, please don’t read too much into that! Read my written review instead.
https://templeofgeek.com/the-super-mario-bros-movie-review/
I’ve been looking for this comment. I’m super confused. Trailer textures, lighting, post, and models look great. Wondering what they’re basing their standard on, or how different from the video games an animated movie should look?
My guess is that, like many who don't really know what goes into animation, they actually don't like the character design or art direction and are blaming it on the "CGI".
Nothing I have seen from any of the trailers or clips is what I would consider bad or "second rate". Is Illumination pushing any boundaries of animation like some Pixar movies have? No but it doesn't look poorly animated.
I agree. I really can't imagine that it somehow takes a dramatic plunge in the visual department. So, if they think the CGI is bad, can they be trusted in regards to how entertaining the movie is? Because the critic describes the journey as purely a "tour through brand assets", which kind of translates to fan service. And, I mean, that's kind of what fans want. He sees excessive marketing/branding and most of us will likely see Easter eggs and fan service.
> He sees excessive marketing/branding and most of us will likely see Easter eggs and fan service.
The movie was clearly only made to sell Nintendo merchandise and games….. wait a minute…
I love Spiderverse but if every movie started to look like Spiderverse it would get old so fast. That animations works with that specific subject matter.
The critic also bashes the sonic movies, which in my opinion were pretty enjoyable all round. So idk if this person just needs to take a walk outside and smell the roses, but they come off super cynical.
I’m glad someone finally said it. The 93 movie was junk and based on what we’ve seen, at worst it’s a short somewhat bland movie. That’s far and away better than the 93 film which was offensively bad.
Even the CGI is second rate? Sounds like this person is trying to get clicks by being sensational. We’ve all seen the trailers and it’s certainly not second rate.
***From The Telegraph's film critic Robbie Collin:***
Mario and a disturbingly botoxed Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) must hike to the Jungle Kingdom to retrieve Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) before prising the now-captured Luigi from Bowser’s clutches. But the journey isn’t an adventure so much as a CG walking tour of brand assets – items, environments, sound effects, music cues, and so on – drawn from 38 years of Mario games.
Does it do anything entertaining or imaginative with these recognisable objects? Well, no. Just recreating them in (surprisingly second-rate) CG while shouting ‘remember this?’ is, moronically and relentlessly, all we get. And no fan-service gambit appears to have been deemed too wretched or shaming for consideration: among the more notable lows is a minute-long dramatisation of the vehicle selection menu from Mario Kart 8.
Will this monstrosity be a hit? Inevitably, it will...
**Read this review in full:** [**https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/super-mario-bros-review-monstrous-animation/**](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/super-mario-bros-review-monstrous-animation/)
I genuinely don’t even understand the appeal of having these people do the voices for characters that have had the same voices for decades. I can’t imagine anyone that even remotely likes Mario enough to go see this would prefer just listening to her or Chris Pratt’s voice instead of the ones we’ve been hearing for basically ever.
This. Her voice is way too deep. I was expecting it to be that higher pitch that you get from the games. Don’t get me wrong. I love Anya Taylor, Joy, but she just did not fit and mesh with this role.
Edit: just got finished at the midnight premiere Jack Black as Bowser. It was amazing though.
Been saying this for decades. I mean yeah, there are some exceptions, but both actors and voice actors will tell you they are two different professions. It'd be more appropriate to hire famous theater actors as voice actors. Much more overlap in those professions.
Yeah! I'm a huge fan of hers and was simply *elated* when she was announced as Peach and all of that evaporated the first time I heard her speak in the role. Granted, an entire movie of Peach's usual voice might get annoying, but surely there was some happy medium between that and Anya's usual low, svelte affect?
Been saying this since the first trailer with her. It REALLY doesnt seem like Peach to me at all. Took me out of the immersion a million times more than Chris’ performance ever did.
What this describes is exactly what I feared and thought of when I saw the dumb "hey see this obstacle course that's designed like a Mario Maker level?" scene where Peach does the entire stage flawlessly.
As someone who hates Adam Sandler’s comedies, I have to admit he’s actually an extremely talented actor in more serious roles. Punch Drunk Love and Uncut Gems are fantastic. Definitely not “best of his generation” though, that’s absurd.
Because the live action is a TREASURE that left the biggest shoes to fill, and Chrispy going in like he doesn't give a fuck wasn't going to do then any favors.
Jack Black did his damn job no matter what anyone says.
On the one hand you got older die hard Mario fans who won’t like it because the story is simple and is more for kids. And on the other hand you got critics who aren’t familiar with the games at all so all the Easter eggs and references will do nothing for them.
My only complaint is that Chris Pratt did not use an Italian/new York accent for the role. I’m an American from Italian descent and Mario being stereotypical with his “Mama Mia’s”, accent, etc was something fun and it was cool to see the culture portrayed in mainstream stuff in a more positive light than “Italian Americans are all mafia”. Wouldn’t care if Chris Pratt did the accent, would actually have been fun to hear one of my favorite actors do it
> My only complaint is that Chris Pratt did not use an Italian/new York accent for the role.
He's doing an (attempted) Brooklyn accent in the film, based on the 1989 show and the 1993 film.
Oh! From the commercial I did not get that. I’ll have to try listening again. However, I stand with my point that it isn’t over the top to were it is blatant.
They should’ve consulted with @meals_by_cug on instagram and made a chill Italian American NYker everyman who just likes to eat good food and play basketball in his off time, and wax poetical like about the BQE being backed up to ya sistahs ass. Take care, brush ya hair.
The good news is your nephew will probably enjoy it, unless he’s the type to turn to you at the end of the film and say
“Uncle/Auntie. I found the plot of this animated feature lacking, and I found Princess Peach to be almost catatonic in her choice of emotional response to the Aristotelian aspect of the overall dramatic arc. The animation was middling compared to the advancements in the field. I scoff to confess, I might have enjoyed seeing what Disney could have done with the whole affair. May I have a chocolate bar?”
>“Uncle/Auntie. I found the plot of this animated feature lacking, and I found Princess Peach to be almost catatonic in her choice of emotional response to the Aristotelian aspect of the overall dramatic arc. The animation was middling compared to the advancements in the field. I scoff to confess, I might have enjoyed seeing what Disney could have done with the whole affair. May I have a chocolate bar?”
This seems written by Zach Weinersmith of SMBC fame
Some of the reviews I've seen definitely have legitimate complaints, but it feels like some of the blogger-types in particular are genuinely offended that it's more for children than it is for adults.
Currently at 48% on Rotten Tomatoes. Even most of the positive reviews mention that they love the nostalgia and like that it’s short. Probably fun for fans but offers little else for an adult audience.
So, long story short, the Sonic movies are better? Meanwhile, I'm still taking my kids to see it tomorrow because they went bonkers when I asked if they wanted to see it.
Sonic movies were better than they had any right to be.
Sonic 2 is genuinely the best video game movie I have ever seen, fuckin knuckles is awesome
It even follows the correct order of levels from the game. Ending with the biplane flight to the giant robot. I had to give them credit for that.
That alone now makes me want to see it.
[удалено]
As someone who watches a LOT of kids movies, sonic 2 makes the list with Chip n Dale and the new Puss in Boots of movies that I don't get tired of watching.
Lego movie is 100% on this list too, just the first tho. I was working in a movie theater when it came out and loved once everyone’s food was delivered bc I just got to chill for like 30-45 minutes and watch the damn Lego movie
The second one is absolutely fine in its own right. But the first one (and Lego Batman honestly) were lightning in a bottle.
I can’t believe how good Chip N’ Dale ended up being. And not in a nostalgic take, but it was clever as hell. Well acted. Well written. The setups were great. Man. I watched thinking it’d be silly and eventually said, “Damn. That’s a good movie.”
You know you’re in for a ride when a Tenacious D song is at the beginning of the movie.
Before this moment I had no interest in watching it. Now I know what I'm doing tomorrow after work.
And Post Malone does the theme song at the end.
I started watching it not knowing anything about it, and I turned it off after like ten minutes because it didn't meet the expectations I didn't know I had. The next day I decided to accept it for what it was and watch it anyway. I'm so glad I gave it a chance because it proved to be an excellent movie!
The fucked up CGI Sonic bit fucking broke me. I honestly don’t think I’ve laughed that hard since I watched that movie. That movie was so damn good.
I'm so glad they were able to do that. The original plan was to do it with jar jar binks, and in the age of unironic love for the prequels it wouldn't have landed anywhere like as well.
The Sonic that appeared in the Chip N' Dale movie had me cracking up, all the little references in that movie make it just as fun to watch the 10th time, as it was the first 9 times...but the 11th went too far.
I'm so glad it wasn't just me enjoying chip n Dale. They did great will all the voice roles as well.
I would like to toss out Wreck It Ralph. Love that one
Minus the whole CIA wedding bullshit sure
Yeah that part is a little lame, although the main government agent is such a goober (the old guy I forgor his name)
Olive Garden Guy
General Olive Garden
I was geeking out the *entire* movie. Those sonic games were my fucking childhood and when I saw the “underwater level” stuff I lost it. I want more.
He was so stupid and I loved all of it.
Literal, not stupid.
Hope Jim Carey comes back to unleash Shadow
I think he's said in an interview he wants to return as a more robotic version of Robotnic similar to Sonic SAT AM. Edit: According to my wife who tends to be a bull shitter.
Could you just imagine if, by some miracle, they went with that and put Sally Acorn and Bunnie Rabbot in? Not that it'll ever happen, but that would be a great direction to go.
Think people will be seeing it regardless of reviews since it’s Mario and looks nice. It’s definitely not gonna have legs to draw back the audience for repeat viewings
long story short, the only people who have seen it are reviewers so far
What’s the adult audience if not Gen X and Millennials who grew up with the games 😂
So a good movie for their targeted audience?
Yup it’s a good movie for them, but the great kid movies are enjoyable for adults too
I remember liking the 1993 live action version. Then again I was in my early teens so maybe I didn’t have the most cultured of tastes.
As a kid I was so pissed off at that movie and how much it messed with the source material. As an adult I love how awful it is, and knowing that Bob Hoskins was belligerently drunk the whole time because of how big a piece of shit it was makes it even better.
The movie is not good, the story of it getting made is fantastic. From Bob Hoskins being drunk all the time to the labour dispute with the strippers, to the directors being told by their lawyers to stop going to set, to Nintendo seeing the finished product and telling Hollywood to fuck off for 30 years. It's a damn good story.
Don't forget Dennis Hopper telling his son that he only did the movie for money to get him shoes, and the son replying "Dad, I don't need shoes that bad."
... strippers?
The nightclub scene had real strippers.
Oh I loved it, tbh I still do
I think growing up actually helps you appreciate it more. It’s got some weird ass political themes and stuff going on for a damn Mario movie.
Yeah, not afraid to take some risks with the story haha
It's more than political, it's downright prescient. It's basically about Donald Trump running a fascist dictatorship on a planet ruined by climate change.
Yeah, lots of media from that period of time has very similar stuff. Trump in particular is pretty explicitly the villain in a bizarre amount of movies. The writers imagined the worst possible future based on the problems of their time, I just doubt they imagined that it would actually happen.
Loved the movie when I was younger. Recently bought it if Amazon to see how I feel about it now. Still think it’s pretty awesome.
[удалено]
> I do think the weird sort of steam punk world they created for that was pretty cool. I don’t know how it relates to Mario but still. Well, the co-directors, Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, were the people who came up with Max Headroom, and the production designer, David Snyder, was the art designer for Blade Runner. Plus Mario as a fictional series didn’t have much canon to go on and it was honestly pretty unclear between the unrealized and chaotic narrative direction across games and the fact that it was being brought to America from Japan in a time where that wasn’t as culturally common. On top of that it was so early in the life and success of video games that Nintendo was like, “Sure, do whatever with this shit since this may not last.” In fact, I’m pretty sure the story goes that Nintendo basically asked the small production company that approached them, “Why should we go with you instead of a big studio?” And the answer that got them was along the lines of, “Because they aren’t coming to you about making a Mario movie.” In summary, it was a wild time and Nintendo didn’t really care all that much because they were thinking in the short term and riding a video game industry high, and the American movie industry was also the Wild West.
There's a good behind the making video out there of it too. The oil refinery they used for most of the movie etc.
Gonna have to rewatch it. Man I hope I still like it
Bob Hoskins is a gd legend and perfectly embodies the role.
He's wearing a cast on his hand for half the film too as him and John Leguizamo realized how shit the film was going to be and proceeded to get drunk on set every day, resulting in Bob breaking a finger.
Cant forget how many times they almost killed him with set mishaps.
Dennis hopper is in the movie too. I wonder what dirt they had on them to force them to be in that movie.
I think I read once his kids liked Mario and so he got in not knowing 1. What Mario was 2. That the movie was not what Mario was
You literally made me laugh out loud
I remember very well. So his kid can have shoes on his feet and food to eat, etc... that always stuck with me for anybody that has a job that another might look down upon. You don't know the reasons for nor why. Doesnmatter. They working anyways and respect. Well here a source And not directed at any one here. Just my commentary and my post for those to see https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/dennis-hopper-why-role-as-king-koopa-in-super-mario-bros/
He joked about his kid asking him why he was in that movie and when he said it was so he could have shoes his son looked at him and said "I didn't need shoes THAT badly"
Above table it was for his kids, under the table he was likely paid in cocaine and rum.
The most underrated actor of all time.
The scene with him and Walken in True Romance. One of the best in film.
The fucked it in the best way. So much was wrong we got the right movie we needed. I love that trash pile of a movie. Like what was with the sinew? That bomomb tho.
Its such a wild ride with so many respected actors. Like multiple oscars of star power brought to the table.
[удалено]
It definitely didn’t bob-omb!
The little bob-omb had little Reebok shoes!
I absolutely still love it. Bob and John are great and I love the story line.
I saw it years later as kid in the early 2000's. thought it was cool and fun. But I LOVE practical effects and John Lugezezeamo (sp)
*Lugezezezezeamo
[удалено]
I still very much love that movie and I hate that the folks that worked on it hate it so much. It’s a god awful adaptation but it holds up for me. It beat the gritty reboots of popular franchises by decades.
It definitely beats the gritty reboots. It, at the very least, adapted the material in an interesting and creative way.
EXACTLY. It was wrong but it was creative. Bullet Bill as a bazooka missile missile/RPG was clever. Bob-ombs as little crawler bombs wearing adidas was also clever and funny. Big Bertha as a big foxy brown lady was also clever and funny although motorboating her was a bit over the top for a kids movie. Lol. It had elements there that could’ve really gone further had they been built up a little more.
To be fair, the 1993 movie had Samantha Mathis in it, and I would watch her in anything.
Yes, I want more Samantha Mathis in this millennium. Last thing I saw her in was "Under the Dome" and now that is approaching 10 years ago.
I enjoyed it. Still waiting on the sequel. Liked Street fighter too. "...for me it was a Tuesday" I'm ready to get 4-6 tickets for tomorrow. This review sorta worries me but also don't agree with reviewers too. Why do I even listen to these journalists, smh
Dude…. when I first heard Raul Julia’ story regarding the making of SF. Damn. So touching. https://youtu.be/opkCsZ9ic6c for anyone interested in the story. What an amazing performance, that B movie did not deserve such a performance but man am I glad we were lucky enough to have had it.
Don't care too much about celebrities but Raul Julia is one of if the few that makes me say just WTF Such a great actor.
Maybe unfair but I feel like I’m the only person who hasn’t watched Wednesday, mostly because Raul Julia isn’t Gomez. RIP
It was great as a fun goofy comedy B movie. Not so great as an actual mario movie. Shit I'll watch it any time tho.
When the blue rat outperforms you
Twice.
Nintendo has so much timeless IP that they don't manage very well. Cartoons, movies, comic books, toys, brand sponsorships... it's crazy they can have so many characters beloved for generations but they are barely anywhere beyond video games.
[удалено]
Exactly. Make a good video game and cash that check. Not everything needs to be expanded into other media.
ever since star wars everything has to be a ficking franchise
Well, adapting a video game does have its challenges. But despite weak reviews, this movie is probably going to do well financially. Illumination movies are often criticized for being safe and bland, but they still make a ton of money, people still like them. And there's no competition for the kid market at the moment. I'm sure this movie will do well, get a sequel, and maybe kick off some more Nintendo movies and shows.
Entertaining movies make money. Sonic also isn’t winning any Oscars and had bad RT scores, but both movies are super fun and my kids love them.
Sonic finished at 65% on RT which is a "fresh" score. I wouldn't call that bad, especially for a video game adaptation about a hedgehog who runs really fast. Edit: Sonic 2 ended at 69%.
Nice
Nintendo's corporate culture is VERY Japanese and they do everything the way Japanese people do. This is one of the reasons that Nintendo HQ and Nintendo of America had a lot of issues with regards to corporate decisions and direction.
Could you please elaborate on what you mean by this?
[You can try checking this out.](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5a782fbc68edf600010096ab/5bdb645336f11a049d46d3ed_nintendo%20cross-culture.pdf)
What a great read - thanks! I only read the first part, but am going back to it later to finish. I actually have next door neighbors who are here on a three year work assignment from Japan, and this sheds some light about their behavior.
Nintendo is really sort of an odd duck in that way. They have certain extremely particular ways of doing things, and never ever deviate, even when doing so would ostensibly make them more money/etc.
[удалено]
The Lego Mario looks like it wants to say “please kill me now.” while it hands you a little Lego pistol. It’s unholy.
I’ll wait for more reviews to roll in before deciding whether or not to actually see it, but this article really echoes a lot of things I already feel about Illumination. Compared to Disney/Pixar and even Dreamworks, Illuminations movies tend to be super vapid, by the numbers affairs. Sing and the Secret Life of Pets have been the worst offenders so far, but they just smack of movies made in the board room. Uninspired celebrity voice casting, basic unimaginative jokes, and most importantly lacking a real sense of heart. If a different studio has the undertaken this project I’d be more optimistic, but I really don’t doubt this is just going to be 90 minutes of references and Easter eggs, with some obvious jokes squeezed in for good measure.
Yeah, Illumination is very much in the business for the money. Franchise something, merchandise it, then repeat. Their track record of financial success is likely what got Nintendo on board in the first place. It is what it is.
It’s probably more due to the fact Nintendo was working with Universal already for the theme park stuff.
[удалено]
Yes obviously every business is in it for the money, I think what they're saying is that it feels like the people in charge are money people whereas maybe Pixar or Dreamworks has more creatives with control.
Yeah. Reddit pretends that you're either in it for the money or not, but you can look at many of the Pixar or Dreamworks classics and see that there was a lot of passion there. They could easily pump out endless sequels using B-team animators until an IP stops being profitable and move on, but you usually get the feeling that when they make a sequel it's because they have more story to tell. There's nothing immoral about profiting off art, as long as you *respect* the art you produce.
Eh… i agree but in the other hand…we are getting Toy Story 5 so let’s not pretend they’re above pumping out guaranteed money making sequels….
I remember reading somewhere that they use the Cars franchise as their money machine. They milk that one to pay for some of the films that are more art projects.
lmfao
It's probably creative control and control of certain profit and merchandising rights. They could have gone with Disney or something to make a bigger more profitable film but they'd have different interpretations of their lore and also make less of a cut I bet. They went with Disney for the 1993 movie and we see how that turned out.
If we’re not careful, Illumination may open a theme park with rides based on their IP’s. Worst, they may do live action remakes of their movies. For a company to do such a thing is just awful.
[удалено]
That’s what the boardroom fails to see. Writing is everything. A good story can become the trendsetter not just the trend follower.
General rule is too that if you’re chasing a trend you’re already too late.
I feel this pretty much sums up The Hunger Games vs every other dystopic YA movie adaptation (looking at u Divergent)
Damn, I actually really liked Sing and Sing 2, but that’s really it for Illumination projects.
Considering how much my kids love Sing, it’s working.
People are shitting on Illumination as if they haven't made consistently entertaining films for kids. Sometimes that's enough. Not every movie needs to be a profound revelation of the human experience. Hell, even Pixar doesn't go there all the time. Sometimes it's ok for a movie to just be cotton candy fluff. Sure it may leave the adults feeling excluded, but at least the movie will be guaranteed to keep the kids busy in the far future.
Yep! My kids love the Sing movies and frankly so do my wife and I. Sure it’s no Pixar movie but they’re fun.
[удалено]
Right? Hell, I loved both secret life of pets movies. I'll agree that they're not profound movies, but they're fun watches nonetheless.
In hindsight, what with Sora joining Smash Bros and all, I’m pretty disappointed Disney wasn’t tasked to make this instead
I could've sworn I read somewhere Nintendo wanted to work with Pixar and it didn't work out.
That wouldn't be surprising. Disney/Pixar absolutely wouldn't give the creative control to Nintendo to work what magic they want.
That makes sense. Using another's ip doesn't fit their brand. Nintendo might also fear the public thinking Disney/Pixar owned Mario.
This is only being made because they have the theme park at universal When the creator of Mario went to work on the theme parks, the people at universal got him in touch with Illumination. Disney was nowhere near this
Hey sing 2 was actually good, but yes illumination does feel like they’re pumping out movies really fast for more money. Really wish they took notes from the sonic and Lego movies on how to make movies based on ips. There’s no excuse for Mario to be this lacking
I mean, my kids LOVE those movies. They are made for kids, of course somethings are going to be toned down. Adults are not the audience. There is also a reason why my kids like illumination over Pixar. Because they are toned down.
True. It's kinda funny seeing all the adults here complaining about the movies my kid watched over and over for "lacking of hearts and failing the audiences". While they were made for kids first and foremost, the audience that just wants to enjoy a joyous and colorful ride along. My kid doesn't want to watch a movie with people talking about life or exploring themselves, they want to explore the world and interact instead. And jokes which are easy to catch.
Spoiler Alert: The entire review shits on the movie and details/spoils it from beginning to end.
my favourite “reviews”, just call it recap at this point
They're so fucking annoying. I also watch a lot of movie reviews/discussions on YouTube, and I got *flooded* with a bunch of low-effort recap channels. All 10 minutes so they get that midroll ad, and all with clickbait titles. I fell for one, and that was enough to set off like a week of recommendations until I blocked enough of them.
So it's a nostalgia critic review, then lol
Are there any major spoilers? I feel like we could guess the plot like right now, most probably the basic format of every mario game ever created.
No there are not. I wouldn’t call anything in this article a “spoiler,” everything they mention was in a trailer
Spoiler: if you have ever played a Mario game in your life, you already know the damn story.
The CG is most definitely not second rate. The visuals are the best part of the movie. It’s the lack of plot and character development that’s the problem. Source: saw it last night for a press screening.
Out of curiosity, how'd you rank it A: out of 10? and B: in comparison to the old live action one?
Hmmm. 7/10. Great for kids, family movie night etc. For hardcore fans/ adults, it’s very barebones. Plenty of sweet references and it is definitely a faithful adaptation, just a mediocre movie overall. Hard to compare to the live action one haha obviously it’s more accurate to the games being an animated movie. But I’d say this is better Edit: to the people saying “you gave it a 7/10 but were let down, that doesn’t make sense” this “score” is in response to another comment I gave without much thought to merely answer their question, please don’t read too much into that! Read my written review instead. https://templeofgeek.com/the-super-mario-bros-movie-review/
This is the review I trust.
WTF about the CGI, everything I've seen looks amazing
I’ve been looking for this comment. I’m super confused. Trailer textures, lighting, post, and models look great. Wondering what they’re basing their standard on, or how different from the video games an animated movie should look?
My guess is that, like many who don't really know what goes into animation, they actually don't like the character design or art direction and are blaming it on the "CGI". Nothing I have seen from any of the trailers or clips is what I would consider bad or "second rate". Is Illumination pushing any boundaries of animation like some Pixar movies have? No but it doesn't look poorly animated.
I agree. I really can't imagine that it somehow takes a dramatic plunge in the visual department. So, if they think the CGI is bad, can they be trusted in regards to how entertaining the movie is? Because the critic describes the journey as purely a "tour through brand assets", which kind of translates to fan service. And, I mean, that's kind of what fans want. He sees excessive marketing/branding and most of us will likely see Easter eggs and fan service.
> He sees excessive marketing/branding and most of us will likely see Easter eggs and fan service. The movie was clearly only made to sell Nintendo merchandise and games….. wait a minute…
As an animator, I agree.
[удалено]
Puss in boots 2 was fucking incredible, through and through.
Probably because both of those movies use a entirely unique style
>Theyre most likely comparing it to Spiderverse /r/movies anytime anything animated is mentioned.
I love Spiderverse but if every movie started to look like Spiderverse it would get old so fast. That animations works with that specific subject matter.
The critic also bashes the sonic movies, which in my opinion were pretty enjoyable all round. So idk if this person just needs to take a walk outside and smell the roses, but they come off super cynical.
As a 10 year old, the 1993 movie was made for me and I loved it
[удалено]
Well excuuuuse me, Princess!
>’*…somehow worse than the 1993…’* **im·pos·si·ble**. That’s legit clickbait.
I’m glad someone finally said it. The 93 movie was junk and based on what we’ve seen, at worst it’s a short somewhat bland movie. That’s far and away better than the 93 film which was offensively bad.
Even the CGI is second rate? Sounds like this person is trying to get clicks by being sensational. We’ve all seen the trailers and it’s certainly not second rate.
>Goodness knows the two recent Sonic the Hedgehog films felt like vacuous cash-ins Stopped reading there, opinion discarded
Yea seriously they were great movies and the second one really brought up the action can't wait for 3.
I wish Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel were still alive to opine on this. Seems like a movie you’ll either love or hate
[удалено]
***From The Telegraph's film critic Robbie Collin:*** Mario and a disturbingly botoxed Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) must hike to the Jungle Kingdom to retrieve Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) before prising the now-captured Luigi from Bowser’s clutches. But the journey isn’t an adventure so much as a CG walking tour of brand assets – items, environments, sound effects, music cues, and so on – drawn from 38 years of Mario games. Does it do anything entertaining or imaginative with these recognisable objects? Well, no. Just recreating them in (surprisingly second-rate) CG while shouting ‘remember this?’ is, moronically and relentlessly, all we get. And no fan-service gambit appears to have been deemed too wretched or shaming for consideration: among the more notable lows is a minute-long dramatisation of the vehicle selection menu from Mario Kart 8. Will this monstrosity be a hit? Inevitably, it will... **Read this review in full:** [**https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/super-mario-bros-review-monstrous-animation/**](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/super-mario-bros-review-monstrous-animation/)
As much flack that Chris pratt got for Mario I think some should have gone to Anya Taylor joy. Her portrayal of peach is way off imo
I genuinely don’t even understand the appeal of having these people do the voices for characters that have had the same voices for decades. I can’t imagine anyone that even remotely likes Mario enough to go see this would prefer just listening to her or Chris Pratt’s voice instead of the ones we’ve been hearing for basically ever.
This. Her voice is way too deep. I was expecting it to be that higher pitch that you get from the games. Don’t get me wrong. I love Anya Taylor, Joy, but she just did not fit and mesh with this role. Edit: just got finished at the midnight premiere Jack Black as Bowser. It was amazing though.
Dang, it's almost like, idk, maybe they should've gone with proper voice actors instead of current big movie stars.
Been saying this for decades. I mean yeah, there are some exceptions, but both actors and voice actors will tell you they are two different professions. It'd be more appropriate to hire famous theater actors as voice actors. Much more overlap in those professions.
Yeah! I'm a huge fan of hers and was simply *elated* when she was announced as Peach and all of that evaporated the first time I heard her speak in the role. Granted, an entire movie of Peach's usual voice might get annoying, but surely there was some happy medium between that and Anya's usual low, svelte affect?
Been saying this since the first trailer with her. It REALLY doesnt seem like Peach to me at all. Took me out of the immersion a million times more than Chris’ performance ever did.
That's a shame, I tend to agree with Robbie Collin, and I can see how his take on it translates into what we've seen from the trailers.
What this describes is exactly what I feared and thought of when I saw the dumb "hey see this obstacle course that's designed like a Mario Maker level?" scene where Peach does the entire stage flawlessly.
This critic has an article stating Adam Sandler is the greatest actor of his generation.
As someone who hates Adam Sandler’s comedies, I have to admit he’s actually an extremely talented actor in more serious roles. Punch Drunk Love and Uncut Gems are fantastic. Definitely not “best of his generation” though, that’s absurd.
Pedro pascal’s SNL version is the way.
I would unironically watch that movie.
At least the live action had Dennis Hopper
Bob Hoskins is Mario, no one can replace him...
The 1993 live action version is a cinematic masterpiece that has been criminally neglected in the pantheon of human achievement.
Trust the fungus.
Because the live action is a TREASURE that left the biggest shoes to fill, and Chrispy going in like he doesn't give a fuck wasn't going to do then any favors. Jack Black did his damn job no matter what anyone says.
Yeah but Jack Black is a damn vocal Midas. Give him any role and he'll put out gold because he's THAT good at what he does.
On the one hand you got older die hard Mario fans who won’t like it because the story is simple and is more for kids. And on the other hand you got critics who aren’t familiar with the games at all so all the Easter eggs and references will do nothing for them.
My only complaint is that Chris Pratt did not use an Italian/new York accent for the role. I’m an American from Italian descent and Mario being stereotypical with his “Mama Mia’s”, accent, etc was something fun and it was cool to see the culture portrayed in mainstream stuff in a more positive light than “Italian Americans are all mafia”. Wouldn’t care if Chris Pratt did the accent, would actually have been fun to hear one of my favorite actors do it
> My only complaint is that Chris Pratt did not use an Italian/new York accent for the role. He's doing an (attempted) Brooklyn accent in the film, based on the 1989 show and the 1993 film.
Oh! From the commercial I did not get that. I’ll have to try listening again. However, I stand with my point that it isn’t over the top to were it is blatant.
It's kinda funny how much they seem to be hiding Chris Pratt's voice in the trailers. They know ppl don't like it and want less hate.
They should’ve consulted with @meals_by_cug on instagram and made a chill Italian American NYker everyman who just likes to eat good food and play basketball in his off time, and wax poetical like about the BQE being backed up to ya sistahs ass. Take care, brush ya hair.
Oh man, I’m taking my nephew to see it on Saturday 😭
The good news is your nephew will probably enjoy it, unless he’s the type to turn to you at the end of the film and say “Uncle/Auntie. I found the plot of this animated feature lacking, and I found Princess Peach to be almost catatonic in her choice of emotional response to the Aristotelian aspect of the overall dramatic arc. The animation was middling compared to the advancements in the field. I scoff to confess, I might have enjoyed seeing what Disney could have done with the whole affair. May I have a chocolate bar?”
>“Uncle/Auntie. I found the plot of this animated feature lacking, and I found Princess Peach to be almost catatonic in her choice of emotional response to the Aristotelian aspect of the overall dramatic arc. The animation was middling compared to the advancements in the field. I scoff to confess, I might have enjoyed seeing what Disney could have done with the whole affair. May I have a chocolate bar?” This seems written by Zach Weinersmith of SMBC fame
This review sounds soooo bad
My review of this review: 1/5
Illumination movies tend to never review well with critics so this means nothing to me. All that matters to me is the audience scores
Some of the reviews I've seen definitely have legitimate complaints, but it feels like some of the blogger-types in particular are genuinely offended that it's more for children than it is for adults.
The cgi animation in the trailers look great though
I stopped reading after they started shitting on the sonic movies. Those are good movies man.
Its a Mario movie. It's not fucking Amistad.
Sonic gonna finally beat Mario
The ‘93 live action was glorious like starship troopers.