Critics and Audiences are both over-dramatic: Super Mario Bros Movie

[@CellSpex]

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[@someguycp]

2:51 to skip ad

[@FH4Player6397]

​@@someguycpThanks so much!

[@ninclow5421]

At around 6:40 you show this tiny clip of an animated movie (?) where a ship is attacked by a tentacled sea monster, (similar to the Kraken in POTC); where does that come from?

[@someguycp]

@@ninclow5421 The Sea Beast

[@Mr.encore]

Ha funny you said that across the spiderverse, would break the live action record. I mean, we got one, but instead of across spiderverse doing it in the box office, it's the mario movie breaking records in the box office and again that line of across the spiderverse breaking records in box office again like milk in your 2023 animated movies vidoe

[@robertlauncher]

I can answer the music question. They had orchestrations ready, but the studio forced the pop songs. They wanted Jump by Van Halen for the big final battle, but the composer fought hard for the arrangement of the Star theme

[@Helios2737]

​@@dakotasan8719 exactly, if you're gonna force licensed music then at least pick good songs 😂

[@christscrackers647]

I'm glad they fought for that final arrangement of the Starman theme for the final battle. If they had played "Jump" by Van Halen I would've been very disappointed.

[@mr.austinhailubasinger7822]

"Jump" was already in the final battle of a previous Illumination movie, Despicable Me 3. Pretty lame for the studio to suggest it again

[@ma.2089]

@@mr.austinhailubasinger7822 it’s illumination. I’m not surprised in the slightest lol

[@tom9841]

@@dakotasan8719 The licensed pop, rap, and rock songs were originally included in the early cut as temporary tracks by Nintendo and Illumination, but according to Shigeru Miyamoto, several of those songs were kept because they felt that the music fit the scenes that they were making.

[@justinriley]

I see both sides: A. It's a very safe, barebones and generic animated film with not much story, and it's not very well paced. B. It's got amazing visuals, and it's entertaining enough to be a fun time at the movies, especially if you're a Mario fan.

[@JoseMat2953]

I'm on the B side.

[@SM-cv8sv]

I'm more conserned that Cuties recieved a higher critic score. And a near perfect one when it first came out. Even now it ranks at 87%.

[@genossejannikov8219]

@@SM-cv8sv Cuties is obviously gross as hell, but you have to realize that "the critics who liked cuties" is a simplified construct. Not all big critics were factored into the tomatoes score for Cuties, only 81 reviews were taken into account. Many professional critics probably just didn't watch it. Also 81 might sound like a lot, but the Mario movie's tomato score is made up of 256 reviews, about 3 times as many. It's not uncommon for big/medium budget movies to have 400-500 reviews that are counted as 'by critics'.

[@gooeydude574]

Both are correct

[@scottchaison1001]

It's not barebones, don't say stupid things.

[@MatthewCSnow]

Im glad you pointed out how binary Rotten tomatoes system is, it’s not really unbelievable that it got a handful of 5/10’s

[@genericyoutubecommentchann7418]

That’s why I usually check the average score before making a judgement based on the percentage alone.

[@mariokarter13]

Some of the critic reviews remind me exactly of Pokemon The First Movie. Jaded adults, completely out of touch with the youth, complaining about how the movie won't hold their hand and explain the appeal of the biggest franchise on the planet to them.

[@bryanmoberg8408]

remember too, it's not an average, it's what percentage are positive vs. negative, it's a ratio. It's a bad system

[@ranzu3138]

@@mariokarter13 or maybe the Mario movie is just mediocre.

[@troin3925]

@@mariokarter13 So the Nostalgia Critic basically.

[@Princess_-gp3ep]

The only flaw i have with this movie is the use of licensed pop songs. I really hope there will be a directors cut of the film that restores both the unused score and the unused scenes back into the movie.

[@tom9841]

The licensed pop, rap, and rock songs were originally included in the early cut as temporary tracks by Nintendo and Illumination, but according to Shigeru Miyamoto, several of those songs were kept because they felt that the music fit the scenes that they were making. Before the music was finalized, Brian Tyler made scores for those scenes, but unfortunately, much of his work for those scenes ultimately went unused despite his protests to use his material instead, with his musical cues only heard on the official soundtrack. (The only licensed songs that Tyler didn't create a score to replace with in the final cut were in the public domain - "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" (also known as "Habanera") from Carmen, which plays when things go awry during the plumbing job, and "The Wedding March" by Felix Mendelssohn, which plays exactly where you'd expect it to.) One case where Nintendo and Illumination's veto was actually averted was during the climactic scene where Mario and Luigi pick up the Power Star and take on Bowser and his armies; they wanted to play Van Halen's "Jump" over the action scene, but Tyler successfully pushed back against this to include his original score.

[@e1iteyoshi998]

So in other words it was cause of a status quo by Hollywood you gotta include licensed music in the movie?

[@daniboy4153]

@@e1iteyoshi998 Yep pretty much

[@Princess_-gp3ep]

@@e1iteyoshi998 yes.

[@scottchaison1001]

@@tom9841 Hey, the pop songs were great.

[@thehunterator520]

I think that the mario movie works well with just a simple story since the mario games don't really have the most deep story, but people don't go into the games expecting a huge story, they go in for fun platforming games. That is how I went into the movie and I feel like it is the best to go in not expecting a huge story.

[@hellothepixel1107]

A movie can have a simple story and still be emotionally engaging and satisfying, however. At least personally, what little was there wasn't enough, and the characters/script weren't entertaining enough to elevate it.

[@Rediscool9]

@@hellothepixel1107 Speak for yourself.

[@justinriley]

@@Rediscool9 They were speaking for themselves.

[@hellothepixel1107]

@@Rediscool9 I did yeah

[@swishfish8858]

​@@hellothepixel1107 That's where we get into the "if it didn't make me cry it wasn't a good movie" argument that's poisoning the critic space right now. There are more emotions than grief and vulnerability. Happiness counts, too!

[@HomosexuaCalderu]

When Peach and Kamek fought each other with katanas while Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood by Santa Esmeralda played in the background

[@WaterMeLoan64]

That...that should have been in the movie.

[@chaos4654]

​@@WaterMeLoan64 I think it'd be funny if Kamek got hit hard enough to accidentally magically change into the Peach costume and spent the rest of the fight like that. XD

[@hyperstarman6848]

I think "It's for kids" should mean "the film isn't supposed to be super deep, or have adult jokes or themes" or "it's supposed simple enough for kids to understand the plot" Not an excuse for a film to lack plot, pacing or structure

[@astoriastestkitchen]

Couldn't agree more. It is immensely frustrating to see people defending this movie being bad bc it was entertaining. It used to be the expectation was movies were both entertaining and good. Now it's like people are deliberately lowering their standards, making it easier for studios to make *even more* money off of us. Lego Movie was both entertaining and good. Nobody ever said it was too complicated or that you needed to think super hard to get it.

[@emblemblade9245]

It’s a good thing this movie didn’t lack any of those things you mentioned then. Oh here’s an idea, why don’t you try to specifically tell me what you wanted to see, or see changed? Frankly, the movie lasted even longer than I expected (I was pleasantly surprised to see the final battle take place on New York) and it never felt like any of the scenes didn’t belong.

[@hyperstarman6848]

@@emblemblade9245 Well, I was more generally speaking films for kids and that excuse rather than about this film specifically, not that I was picking on the movie or anything. I didn't have too many issues with it and thought it was a decent film. But since you asked, I might as well anyway: -More time in the brothers' hometown, we got to the Mushroom Kingdom a little too quickly IMO. I prefer them to actually build up to it first so it can pay off better. -While we're still in New York, foreshadow the Mushroom Kingdom before bringing us there. The opening scene with Bowser is really all that we get -more time with Luigi, he's barely in the movie. Cut back to him between the Peach/Mario training segments and Bowser segments. (Or better yet, pair him and Bowser up together so we don't have to choose between which one of them gets more screentime and that might actually be a funny conflict. Have him pressure Luigi for more info on Mario or something, have him play with his emotions, scare him, etc) -more time with Bowser -Have Toad not instantly trust Mario at first and learn to trust him over time instead of immediately telling him about their princess -Mario's family actually noticing the brothers being gone for a while and maybe even concerned about it. Would have made a nice emotional connection with the family and the brothers and made the film's climax a little more satisfying

[@FedoraKirb]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@hyperstarman6848 ​​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠ I enjoyed the movie, but it’s not without it’s flaws. On your specific critiques: -More time in the hometown, I agree, would be nice, but given the pacing and structure of the film as a whole, tho, I think too much time and things would have dragged. -I think the lack of foreshadowing gives us more perspective on how strange and sudden the change of worlds was for the Mario Bros. Isekai’s don’t really neeeed foreshadowing for their world but it could have been a neat detail. -Ten Billion Percent agree on more Luigi, that was an absolute shame. -I’m not sure what delaying Toad’s trust would do beyond slow the movie down. I guess if Mario had to earn that trust through something like the obstacle course, it could be an interesting character moment for Mario, but Mario’s arc was about him finding self worth and realization of being a hero; earning Toad’s trust might either resolve that arc a little too early or weaken their dynamic throughout the film. -I agree this might have made the movie better with the resolution of the arc, but again, might have messed with the pacing, and I still felt satisfied between Luigi saving Spike and the parents in the window seeing the Bros.; their dad is surprised, but their mom looked really proud. It was nice. …y’know, writing this out I realize pretty much every major and minor issue with the film’s story (particularly more developed character arcs and just a LITTLE more meat to the plot) could have been improved with maybe 10-20 minutes of extra time.

[@FedoraKirb]

⁠​⁠@@astoriastestkitchen Is it not entirely possible that people think this movie is good because… they got what they wanted out of this movie? People who defend the movie aren’t defending it like a guilty pleasure, they’re defending it because they genuinely, unironically enjoyed it. Because maybe it was good in their opinion? That was me, at the very least. I thought it was good because it did exactly what it set out to do (and that thing was good in my opinion)-a simple plot used as a vehicle for super fun (and funny) sequences and character moments. Don’t get me wrong, there are a number of improvements that could be made to the plot but… people are allowed to like things that aren’t perfect. Lego Movie was great, but any time I go back for a rewatch, it’s probably not for the plot. It’s how that plot serves as a vehicle for great comedy, visuals, and world, and for… really just Emmet’s character arc tbh. Not unlike how the Mario movie’s plot is a vehicle for Mario’s character arc, decent comedy, great visuals and sequences (I don’t think enough people are talking about the choreography in particular), and seeing how the Mushroom Kingdom was brought to life in a new medium.

[@chelmrtz]

I was stone sober and I had a ball with this movie. It was 90 minutes of dopamine straight to my brain. It understood the assignment and that’s all I asked for

[@usedtoenails4sale741]

Fr 😌 saw it in theaters twice and it was a blast, especially as a Mario fan

[@exotic_butters2897]

I know I’m really late to this but I really enjoyed the movie. I never grew up with Mario or any other Nintendo games, but I still found it pretty good. Yes, there are a few critiques about the movie (with the first half being very rushed, especially when Mario gets to the mushroom kingdom), but it doesn’t matter. I never expected a fucking Mario movie to be a masterpiece. I enjoyed Jack Black as Bowser, who was probably having a blast when he was doing the voice, and actually really liked Princess Peach. I get the girlboss trope has been used to death but I feel like Princess Peach is an exception because most girlboss characters nowadays are straight up assholes and are pretty selfish. But for Peach she’s very kind and caring, and also wants to make sure her kingdom doesn’t fall and even feels horrible when Mario and DK are knocked off Rainbow Road and into the water, but having no choice to leave them. So yeah those are my thoughts, idc if the movie came out in April I find it cool.

[@christheleavittman7080]

I saw this film opening day at a late night screening in a college town. So basically I watched this "kids movie" with a theater full of 20-30 year olds going crazy for all the references, easter eggs, and jokes like it was a Marvel movie. It was one of the best theater experiences I've had since pre-pandemic. I understand why several people (including my brother) weren't a fan of it, but I had a great time with the film. I do get the hesitation of Illumination doing a Zelda film though.

[@Jessica_Schweser]

Wish I could have seen it opening day

[@JayStack5]

Boy, I got news for you about Zelda…

[@ronjoe17]

As someone who literally met my best friend through Wander Over Yonder, I always appreciate when I see people remembering and referencing WoY ^v^ also I’m not a huge Mario fan either, but I love seeing siblings who are super close w/ each other so all the really sweet brotherly love scenes between the bros did a lot of the leg work towards me liking this movie as much as I do. Still hoping for a slightly stronger story in the sequel tho.

[@dr.happyfuntimes1214]

WANDER OVER YONDER WAS AMAZING AND I’LL DESTROY ANYONE WHO SAYS OTHERWISE

[@nas0518]

Yet, screaming over Wander over Yonder is one of the WORST mistakes Disney has ever made.

[@nas0518]

@@dr.happyfuntimes1214 It is amazing, and it sucks that Disney gave it such a poor treatment.

[@robertlauncher]

This is the first review I’ve seen that avoided attacking the positive or negative reviews. Thank you for that.

[@Rediscool9]

Leave YMS to attack the positive reviews in his Mario movie review video.

[@robertlauncher]

@@Rediscool9Yeah that was uncomfortable

[@Rediscool9]

@@robertlauncher YMS is just a toxic guy in general. I do agree with some of his takes, particularly his Lion King 2019 review, but man does his attitude really piss me off.

[@perenniallachrymosity276]

@@Rediscool9 I'm sorry, did we watch the same video????????? "If you went to the movie and all you want out of your experience is to go, 'Wow, dude, Bowser!' 'Wow, dude, Mario kart!' 'Wow, dude, that's Donkey Kong!' then do that and be happy with yourself!" "If you enjoy this film as a film and are comfortable with your own experience and don't need the rest of the world to cater to you and pretend to enjoy something that they didn't then power to you and _obviously_ I wasn't talking about you in this review!" Adum literally reiterates several times that he's talking about a specific group of people who attack those attempting to critique this movie with the same wafer-thin arguments of "It's a kids/Mario movie!" which aligns with Cell saying, "So none of this it's for kids so I'm not allowed to have standards." He never once tries to 'attack the positive reviews' and I don't understand where you got that from. Am I missing something here?????

[@perenniallachrymosity276]

@@Rediscool9 How is Adum toxic exactly? The only thing I know about Adum is that he gets really angry about things that he doesn't like and that's it. Otherwise, he's really passive in his videos. Can you name a video or a review that explains why you think he's 'toxic' and shows this 'attitude' you're talking about?

[@endernightblade1958]

honestly, my main problem with this movie is that it’s too short. not just because the pacing suffers, but because this world is cool and i’d like to spend more time here.

[@PaulW_ftPAULK]

I would not be surprised if the sequel is almost entirely more in this world.

[@TheMojaveLamp]

Agreed. Though I suppose it's better that it's too short than too long

[@anglure3617]

9:18 always glad to see recognition of the Chad Captain Underpants movie

[@prof.laytonfan764]

Pissed that a sequel hasn’t been announced

[@OverlyPositiveFanboy]

I love this film's approach to the Mario x Peach relationship. There's chemistry there, but nothing develops to the point of romance because that's not really the priority for either of them at that point.

[@matthewmatthew981]

What I see as the primary problem with this movie is the fact that Shigeru Miyamoto sacrificed the larger narrative in favour of gameplay and level design but forgot he was making a movie.

[@emblemblade9245]

The fear I had when the movie was announced was that they’d make a larger narrative movie and it wouldn’t feel like Mario. The very idea of Mario talking full sentences was absurd to me. So I’m glad they went the way they did

[@KirbyPhelpsPK]

​@@emblemblade9245 Have you played any of the Mario RPGs by chance?

[@shakezula3316]

@@emblemblade9245Mario still talks in full sentences in the movie, you did watch it right?

[@Zodia195]

Great and fair review CellSpex, but I wish you factored in Nintendo, it did have a direct effect on this movie. Nintendo nowadays is particularly protective of its properties nowadays. Heck the fiasco that was the 90s live action movie is one of the major reasons why they became so protective of their properties. So I personally believe the reason why the movie stayed faithful to the franchise was because Nintendo was directly involved. If more movies like this do come about, I do expect Nintendo to be along for the ride every step of the way. As for myself, I was was doing my best not to fangirl throughout the movie especially when they made a direct reference that only us OG fans would recognize.

[@alexanderklepp]

Regardless of what you might think of this film, I think the aspect that everyone can agree on is that the animation is gorgeous.

[@idaniluz652]

And Jack Black

[@LeoGaming55]

@@idaniluz652 Jack Black is gorgeous

[@squidgelatinous9724]

Not especially. It looks how any animated movie looks in 2023. Doesn’t stand out as remarkable or stylistically unique in any way

[@Jaceblue04]

@@squidgelatinous9724 1: That doesn't make the movie any less gorgeous. 2: What time travel device do you have that lets you see movies from a year hasn't happened yet?

[@samhbricks3353]

All I see is generic, really.

[@brycebitetti1402]

Hey, if you want the pop song needle drops to annoy you even more, the soundtrack release has original arrangements for every scene that they used pop music in.

[@rambler2701]

Apparently a lot of pop songs came straight from Miyamoto himself. In an interview, he and Koji Kondo explained that they were initially put in the movie as placeholders until they could put in the movie soundtracks, but as they were composing music they decided to leave some of them as they are, hence why you have "Take on me" during the DK scene.

[@ronjoe17]

I gotta say, I ended up enjoying Seth Rohan DK much more than I thought I would, him being so petty towards Mario and their frenemies dynamic was just so hilarious

[@RokkTheRock]

same, i think that was my favorite part, the bickerings of DK and Mario, loved the part were mario tried to relate to dk with daddy issues and that got ignored xD

[@ToriCake95]

Nah, he was just himself. Boring and bland, and they should have hired actual voice actors for Peach, Mario and DK.

[@jondoe7036]

Still wouldn't have needed either of them in this movie, Seth Rogan or Donkey Kong. I don't care for Rogan on the best of days and it's kinda tenuous to even call Donkey Kong a Mario character; I really don't get why'd they choose him as the plumber's sidekick over any number of other options that'd make more sense.

[@trufoosxd]

I think you enjoyed DK as a character, and not the voice because I certainly didn't.

[@MagillanicaLouM]

@@RokkTheRock genuinely top 3 favorite scenes for me lol

[@genericyoutubecommentchann7418]

As a Mario fan, I loved the movie. I was expecting it to be very child-pandering, so I was happy when I found myself enjoying a good bit of the humor and saw a lot of the nods to the games. As a movie person, I think the film is alright. If a 6 is decent and a 7 is good, then I’d give the movie a 6.5/10. The action is fun to look at, the voice cast feels like they’re having fun in the roles, the world is bright and interesting, and the humor, while not amazing, is pretty good for the most part. If they had just slowed down and taken a bit more time to give the characters some meaningful interactions, I’d probably give it a higher score. The story is basic, yes, but basic can still be fun if well-executed. My parents, who are not Mario fans, went with me to see the movie, and they enjoyed it, so I feel confident saying it’s not bad. I just hope the future Mario movies learn from what both sides are saying about this one and actually give some good narratives and character moments in the future. Video game movies seem to be improving recently, so I have hope.

[@obyn6751]

Yeah, I agree! As not a huge Mario fan, I enjoyed watching it. It wasn't the best movie ever by any means, but it was a fun way to spend an hour and a half with friends.

[@GuyWithNoNickName]

8:58 I see people saying that Peach took extra time out for a stranger, delaying her plans just for Mario. But I noticed on a 2nd watch of the movie, Peach told the council of Toads that she was gonna leave for the Kong Kingdom THE NEXT MORNING. She wasn’t planning on leaving right then and there. When she met Mario (a potentially concerned citizen) and heard that his brother was captured by Bowser, she didn’t “need” him to go with her, but Mario himself completely insisted on coming with. She also didn’t say yes right away, she literally told him that it wasn’t a “yes” yet. She said “IF you can pass this, you’re coming with me.” You have to remember that she admires bravery and determination. She saw his determination to want to save his brother himself and respected it. By the next morning, even though Mario (ultimately) didn’t pass the course, she let him tag along cause she liked his tenacity. I’m sure if he didn’t show any progress at all by the morning, she wouldn’t have let him come. They even acknowledge it when Peach basically says that he’s coming with her, but Mario responds “But I didn’t make it” Alluding to him believing that he wasn’t coming with her cause he didn’t reach the flag. Ultimately, she didn’t “waste time” training Mario, because as she said, she wasn’t planning on leaving till the morning anyway. She probably would’ve slept or something within that time until she left at daylight. She didn’t “delay” her plan. Waiting til morning WAS the plan. That line is easy to miss.

[@kingsleycy3450]

The cultural discourse makes it difficult to talk about The Mario Movie on its own individual merits and failings. Also, people need to get real and see that Illumination is about as “Big Hollywood” as Disney’s

[@BuizelCream]

I get replies from peoples such as downplaying any balanced story critique I have with the film to "it doesn't need a deep story, it just needs to be simple and I had fun, and that's all it matters". But at least there are conversations that acknowledges the merits and failings and wishes the movie to have been written better. It's a challenge to find insightful discourse, yeah.

[@drfoto2673]

@@BuizelCream I think the issue lies with the usage of specific words, as well as the heightened emotional tension around anything entertainment these days. Saying you wish the movie was written better will likely feel like an attack in the eyes of the people who genuinely enjoyed the movie. Especially if you consider the fact that the simplistic writing in this movie is a massive break from the current norm in big media entertainment. I'm not saying that reaction is perfectly justified, but that is how it will likely come across to people like that. Me personally, I'm sick to death of the "meta" when it comes to movies, everyone is trying to either hit you over the head with some played up political statement, be "clever" and "subversive" with narratives as if that alone is something good, and focus too much on emulating reality. Critics seem to focus way too much on a similar meta, where the criticism sounds like pointing out where the media deviates from one blueprint and where it adheres too much to another. Not breaking new ground is often used as a negative statement, where for me, it's a neutral one. I definitely think there's much room for discussing what more you would want out of this movie. Just because it's supposed to be silly fun doesn't mean you can't also want some more out of it. The pacing felt very rushed, it's possible this is intentional to mirror how you move from level to level in the games, but even if it was, it didn't make for a better experience in my mind. I liked the characters, but I really wish they had more room to breathe. The licensed music was hit or miss, with me mostly wanting more orchestral versions of the game music. I don't think the simplistic story is a failing of the movie, in all honesty, it's a selling point to me. The characters and their interaction are what ultimately makes any piece of media engaging for me. A bad plot can absolutely be salvaged by great characters and their interaction, but a great plot can be absolutely ruined by bad characters and poor interaction.

[@LuddyFish_]

@@drfoto2673 To add, it doesn't help that there is no tone when typing, making word specification more important. While you might be trying to type in a calm and open discussion voice, someone else might interpret it as a angry keyboard rage. You could pretty much read this comment as either and both would make sense. Social media platforms also don't support real time chat, discouraging people from getting to know the other person's perspective properly.

[@focusfireno.1099]

@Dr foto All of this. I'm a person who really likes the movie, but that doesn't mean I think it's perfect. Like you, the movie's simplicity was a selling point for me, but that doesn't mean it was phenomenal writing in simplicity. Like you can tell, this was a first time effort from directors and screenwriter on a high stakes project and they most likely said, "something has to give here," and made the movie we have now. As they most likely had too many ideas to fit in this origin story that focuses on Mario the character more than anything.

[@troin3925]

I think it’s just that people are sick of Disney always getting the top spot despite their terrible live action remakes, business practices, etc., to the point that now hearing the name Disney attached to something, especially if it’s successful makes it crap by proxy.

[@emanuelrojas2]

I also like to note that there's been this weird conversation how this movie is, "anti-woke". Granted, this movie is definitely not a physiological, philosophical, nor sociological discussion but it does have a crazed stalker in power after a girl who wants nothing to do with him and she has every right to say no. So there's that.

[@amethystimagination3332]

It’s somehow “anti woke” and “too woke” at the same time. People were furious that Peach wore a pantsuit that she wears in the game for one sequence. Because y’know, apparently we still live in 1903.

[@jondoe7036]

Do you mean people are complaining it's anti-woke, or are patting it on the back for being anti-woke, or both? And I mean... that's a fairly canon-accurate take on Bowser, is it not?

[@amethystimagination3332]

@@jondoe7036 before the movie came out sexist idiots were complaining about Peach acting like a leader (despite being a monarch.) But now that the movie is making money they want to claim it’s anti woke and that’s good, because it’s all a huge grift.

[@emanuelrojas2]

@@jondoe7036 the latter.

[@prof.laytonfan764]

Shrodingers Wokeness

[@connorburton1009]

There's evidence that Take On Me was added late in production. The official soundtrack has an unused song that was very clearly meant to be used for that scene.

[@playererror4044]

Honestly I was really worried Peach was gonna get screwed over in the third act the entire time I was watching, you have no idea how happy I was at the wedding scene when she pulled her plan out.

[@bryanmoberg8408]

god i wish nintendo would give us that version of zelda....botw is SO SO close....maybe tears of the kingdom will finally take that step, but I'm not betting on it.

[@beebs4283]

As much as like. I think they could have made her a tad more feminine, for the most part I also think they did great with her. A lot of people complained about her biker outfit but she really didn’t spend that long wearing it, for a majority of the film she’s kicking ass in a beautiful poofy pink dress. I also think she and Luigi have the best story potential for a sequel.

[@jskywalker58]

What are you talking about

[@YesmanForNamsey]

Right, it's really not hard to have both the woman and the man be able to kick ass.

[@ferntheinkling]

@@bryanmoberg8408 YES EXACTLY! SO TRUE

[@OverlyPositiveFanboy]

Give Illumination credit for not making this look like their usual house style (something noticeable in both of their Seuss adaptations). That dog in the beginning is the only exception.

[@Rediscool9]

I don’t see how they’re supposed to make the dog look any different.

[@certainlysomething5320]

@Victor Cancelas they could’ve made it chubbier, with maybe thicker legs so they looked like they belonged to that dog. and seeing the whites of its eyes while toad and even the baby boys just had little black dots weirded me out

[@OverlyPositiveFanboy]

@@Rediscool9 Basically, make the dog look like something that would exist in the Mario universe instead of The Secret Life of Pets.

[@Rediscool9]

@@OverlyPositiveFanboy I just don’t see the problem with the dog looking like a Secret Life of Pets dog.

[@Rediscool9]

@@certainlysomething5320 I mean……… a dog is not the same as Toad or a baby so I don’t know why you expected the dog to have black beady eyes as well.

[@wrenbeck3370]

Honestly, while this isn't really related to the video, I do want to say that the thing of videogame movies getting better recently gives me hope that we'll _finally_ get an unironically good Doom film-adaptation/spin-off (preferrably the latter).

[@tomboyangel78]

I saw the film with my nephew, and we both had a great time. Sure, I had nitpicks, but honestly I forgot about them as the movie made me laugh, get fired up, and... just have fun.

[@Duskool]

There's also the third option to "defend" the simpleness of this movie's story, which i've seen quite a few people use, and it's the "Well, Mario doesn't have a story, why would you expect anything?" which would be a valid argument...when the original Live Action movie came out, because the RPGs have proven that even with a simple story can be incredibly memorable and beloved with it's character moments and writing. And that's my expectation for the sequel, hopefully more moments with the characters and taking things a bit slower, this one gets a pass because it's an origin story and those aren't too complex anyway, but at least it's an origin story without the obligatory "real life" human companion

[@e1iteyoshi998]

Thing is though is that the RPG games are more underground and aren't promoted as much compared to the mainline Mario games.

[@tomokig2655]

I think the key to the movie's success is that they deliver what is expected for a Mario movie. When I want to go to see a Mario movie I do not want a over-complicated storyline with ups and downs in it. It is simply a good vs. bad story with a hero who is starting at the beginning of being a hero: no experience, no special talents yet. In the end the story follows a sinple hero's journey. On the technical side they went the secure way - it is a cartoon art-style which matches the theme of the video games - colorful and playful. The gags are well layered for the younger audience but also for some older - there may be slapstick but no poo jokes. The goal was to entertain families and I think it matched the bill. The voice cast could have been better but that is the downside of the american culture - there are not many good voice actors since most movies and series are produced in English. The very good ones are over-used and may be associated with other characters which may confuse some audience. In the end it fulfills what families and fans wanted of a Mario movie - and the revenue shows it. Critics wanted to have something different they wanted something for their own liking - drama, action with twists and turns - but they have forgotten the target audience. They are looking for something else than families and fans want. I also think that some wanted to show their superior by over-criticising the movie... thus the discrepancy between critics and audience score.

[@Duskool]

Oh, and also, about the music since you mentioned it, Take on Me and No Sleep till Brooklyn did actually have regular videogame song counterparts in the OST of the movie, that they didn't use, so it probably is something that has to do with contracts or something.

[@aghitsaplane4262]

what feels really strange about the ''it's just a kids movie'' defence that's always brought up whenever this movie in online discourse is how the internet as a majority had seemingly hard dropped the ''kids movie'' excuse very recently did the internet at large forget about that weird several month period of bashing EVERY animated kids films and proclaiming ''this is the new gold standard for kids movies'' it had after puss in boots 2 released once this movie came out? the jump from the extreme of ''animated kids movies no longer have an excuse to lack a thought provoking and commentative narrative'' back to the other extreme ''it's just a kids movie who cares if it's poorly written slop'' feels so weird with how fast it happened i don't agree with either of the two viewpoints but man is it crazy how fast and drastically the overall societal opinion on animated kids films can change over movies that get released in the same year

[@mesousagaby740]

Makes me wonder what happens if they give Aaron Horvarth and Michael Jelenic an original movie. A reminder that Jelenic has actually written for animated shows fro roughly 25 years, while Horvath started in the animation business by being in that MAD Cartoon Network show, they then get paired up for TTG and now made not one but two notable animated movies in their careers. Interesting reminder that they didn't write this movie, but I wonder if they did have some semblance of writing out some of the movie's jokes.

[@xxTC-96xx]

I think people have it more out for critics these days because of their baffling ratings on a lot of recent Disney reboots and other things, then again if people are so adamant about writing off those RT reviews because of that then why do they care about what they have to say about the Mario movie

[@e1iteyoshi998]

Also not to mention the infamous Cuties reviews too. That's another thing people bring up too.

[@francocolon6313]

To add on to the Licensed Music problem, there WAS a live orchestration piece for the place where the Take-On me scene however it got cut. The Licensed problem is SO BAD, the music that plays in the ending scene with the super star'd bros almost got replaced with Van Halens "Jump" and I believe the music director had to FIGHT to keep the original music in.

[@codyssmith73]

I just love how they used canon to create a nihilistic character that stole every scene they were in with the Luma.

[@carlotta4th]

Which is just an iteration of Lego movie's Duplo stars. So it's not even that original.

[@reasyrandom]

@@carlotta4th Okay, this is actual grasping at straws. They have nothing in common beyond basic character design, what the fuck are you talking about?

[@codyssmith73]

@@carlotta4th In regards to it being a kids voice talking about a dark concept, yes. But I feel the Luma works better for that kinda joke cause it's canon that some Lumas want to be fed star bits until they explode and become a galaxy.

[@zeemmy33]

I like the movie to some extent but imo the Luma was really annoying and took over the time that couldve been used to give luigi like any character development at all (at least leading up to the end where he all of a sudden is brave and knows how to do the same stuff mario does)

[@edorasmarauder5761]

I had to explain the Luma to my mom after the movie. It was great.

[@BugsyFoga]

Definitely felt like a big budget version of the super show, especially with the use of license music in the film, and in that aspect it was pretty enjoyable for me .

[@pokepress]

The “it’s for kids” argument can have a lot of different meanings depending on the context, particularly if the main characters are also children. Also, there are times where the perspective of a reviewer is so adult-focused that they miss things the movie does do well, cheating themselves out of something they could have liked. Happens to a lot of folks.

[@IAmAriqueAlt]

Luigi getting sidelined in this movie was disappointing, but considering that the live-action trainwreck from the 90s made him the main focus of that movie thanks to his relationship with Daisy… Maybe that was on purpose? I might be stretching on that theory, but it is a possibility.

[@troin3925]

Charlie Day said that he's up for voicing Luigi again for a possible Luigi's Mansion film. So maybe we'll get that.

[@mistermanthe4th]

I straddle the lines between video game lover and conscious critic, so half of me loved the "50 references per second" part while the other half hated the "50 wasted pages of script per second." As far as this movie went with worldbuilding, it didn't go nearly far enough. I see a field of fire-flowers and I think, "Are power-ups a limited resource?" I see a Banzai Bill (NOT a Bomber Bill as the scene calls it) explode inside a warp pipe and cause a massive vortex that pulls in the entirety of Bowser's Castle and I think, "What part of warp pipe physics caused that to happen?" The inevitable sequel and cinematic universe better explain these things somehow, or I will be even more disappointed than I was with this film.

[@SmashedTomatoes]

To me, it feels like the whole critics vs. audience discourse was just created because almost every single content creator focused their attention on it. It's an anomaly, but it got treated as a big, massive issue because the movie itself doesn't give too much to talk about for creators to make an entertaining video when they review it. So they naturally gravitated to this topic and made it seem more complex than what it actually is, it sorta came to a point where all reviews would say the same thing, with the same footage, and have very little of value to the people watching the video. So ready for this comment to get more impressions than the actual video I did on the issue...

[@Rediscool9]

Well I can tell that YOU sure as hell don’t like the movie.

[@SmashedTomatoes]

@@Rediscool9 If only I had a video with my opinion on the film, and about how polar youtube reviews have to be because opinions can't be more complex than like, dislike, and indifference in titles and thumbnails.

[@Rediscool9]

@@SmashedTomatoes I’m sorry I didn’t know you made a video discussing the topic. And yeah I saw the video and you said you thought the movie was good. My sincere apologies for my previous comment.

[@Rediscool9]

@@SmashedTomatoes No, I agree 100 percent. You’re ABSOLUTELY allowed to like something while acknowledging it’s flaws.

[@e1iteyoshi998]

Unfortunately Hollywood treats these critics as the ones with the loudest voices. Hollywood paints the narrative where it's only their voices that matter no one else's does. And to be fair these reviews I've seen from other critics on RT don't even make sense or just feel contradictive. Like how can you expect me to take a review of them seriously when they're saying the movie is bad cause Mario was trying to promote furries just cause he used the Cat suit power-up against DK or cause they worried Mario was gonna wear a wedding dress like that one costume in Super Mario Odyssey?

[@sarafontanini7051]

one aspect of the movie I like is mario.I love how he isnt sjut a happy go-lucky guy, he's a guy with a need to prove himself after beign surroudned by people bigger than him who look down on him, and thus he refuses to sut give up when things go wrong or put him down and tries his best to do what he can no matter how many times he falls or struggles. this actually reflects how a play may approach a difficult mario level: getting frustratd and angry but still trying their best to get up and do it again and again to beat it. I also love how Bowser is a good mix of comical and genuinely threatening (where a lot of the games focus on his comical side or jsut make him a basic bad guy) whose hatred of mario is given actual context beyond "he's thwarting my plans": sheer jealousy that peach MIGHT like him more because he's human. This is also easily the msot murderous bowser we've gotten, which adds a lot toe the movie's stakes and makes him a serious threat even while pining over Peach.

[@emblemblade9245]

Yeah, I liked Mario’s character arc and the way that his stubbornness that caused him trouble earlier was reframed in a good way that shapes his talents. I didn’t even expect them to put that much detail into his arc but they did. And I’m not the type to say “kids movies shouldn’t have to respect the audience” or any of that flippant nonsense. I love mature stories too, but I came here looking for a fun Mario adventure and got more than I wanted

[@robertlauncher]

Yeah this is exactly what I wanted out of a movie portrayal of Mario.

[@Salza02]

Yeah and to add on that, he wants to prove that he is worth something to his parents and others. Like how his family comments that Mario’s boldness to start a company wouldn’t work and he is bringing down his brother with him. Mario feels guilty after that and Luigi tries to reassure him. I think Luigi has minimum screen time because they’re trying to save him for a Luigi Mansion movie. But Luigi so far is like his typical game character. Always in danger and gets the worst experience compared to his brother. He is in constant fear. But Luigi has his moments in the games and helps his brother because he loves him. Like in the movie he joins Mario to help defeat bowser and covers for him at his weakest moment. Luigi is strong enough to endure the pain and torture caused by Bowser and his minions (not to mention he looks out for his brother when he is interrogated)

[@scottchaison1001]

@@Salza02 Luigi was great in this movie.

[@theAstarrr]

Same for Jim Carrey's Doctor Robotnik. Hilarious, but man when he gets a plan together, he is dangerous.

[@Gillder]

As a huge Mario fan, I adore this movie and hope for another in the future. But I 100% agree, the pacing was off. So many scenes started and ended in a strange way and felt super rushed. Hoping they fix that in the sequel. 🤞

[@slashingkatie7872]

This is the best Illumination movie since Despicable Me 1

[@escape209]

Not saying a whole lot tbh

[@WakerOfTheSky]

@@escape209shut up

[@locomotivetrainstation6053]

​@@escape209 it is. Most Illuminations are good. Despicable Me 1 & 2 are the best ones

[@VictoryRabbit]

See, this is is how you address the whole discourse surrounding the movie in good faith. Not by insulting those who enjoyed the film by claiming how it’s made for babies, along with saying that there was no effort by the filmmakers in trying to make something fun or entertaining, as the Sardonicast crew have. Rather, by instead recognizing that the movie has legitimate appeal outside of Nintendo fans while acknowledging that there’s elements to criticize it over, and not giving credence to the arguments from the terminally online made on either side of the topic.

[@troin3925]

Their comment sections don't help.

[@PaulW_ftPAULK]

I don't speak for all Sonic fans, but we didn't flip out when critics didn't like the Sonic movies, we just are happy that we enjoyed them. The people flipping out over this low critical score is really frustrating. Also use Letterboxd not RT.

[@Dragzilla66]

I only call the critics out for their bias and expectations, I enjoy a movie that I like regardless of the score.

[@gamana6179]

I personally had a lot of fun with this film. I am not a big Mario fan, but I am familiar with the creator, Shigeru Miyamoto. For some perspective on why Mario fans are so willing to overlook a bare bones story. Miyamoto is notorious for not wanting much if any story in any of his games. He thinks it gets in the way of the game play. That means that every Mario fan was dependent on Illumination to hold up the "story" side of the movie. The fact that it had a coherent plot with some follow through in character arches exceeds most Mario fan expectations. On the other hand, any movie or TV show of The Legend of Zelda will get no such grace. If Link speaks most of the fandom will write the project off. If there is contemporary music there will be riots in the streets. If the director even thinks of subverting audience expectations it will be the end of their career. If the story isn't strictly epic fantasy with dark elements, it isn't Zelda. Zelda Lore KZbinrs will tear the movie apart regardless to find clues to pet theories. And the Movie will have to go into the timeline somewhere, god speed to anyone saddled with choosing that placement.

[@XxYYLoverGirl1xX]

The reason why this movie works is that THEY PAID ATTENTION TO THE FANS. All of the callbacks, homages, easter eggs. I was smiling the entire time just eating up the animation.

[@WoahLookAtThatFreak]

They could have done all that stuff and still have made a better movie tho

[@XxYYLoverGirl1xX]

@@WoahLookAtThatFreak I slightly disagree, the games have always had a simple storyline to them. This movie was servicable in the nods and homages to the fans that love the Mario franchise, the bright world and characters they introduce us to. I'm not sure what kind of Mario movie you were looking for, but for me I was happy to see the adventures of two plumbers in the Mushroom Kingdom. I think we can agree that this movie was such a BREATH of fresh air when it comes to video game adaptations.

[@WoahLookAtThatFreak]

@@XxYYLoverGirl1xX I'm not saying the storyline didn't need to be simple, nor did I say the simple storyline was the issue. I think it could be simple and still be better at the same time. Better voice acting, better humor, better uses of music for example. It's absolutely baffling to me that the movie embraced 80s pop hits over Nintendo's own library of iconic music that would have been better in the scenes where the aforementioned pop music was used. As far as what kind of Mario movie was looking for? Well, just something that captured a lot more of the fun and excitement of the games and didn't just feel like a typical Illumination movie with Mario skin

[@noobmasterruben5167]

Both thr Mario movie and One Piece LA are examples of good adaptations that respect the fans instead of just using an IP and blaming the fans if they dont like it (i.e. Cowboy bebop, The witcher s3 & Lightyear)

[@jasperhin3s]

I just wish Avatar had gotten this same grace. People drag that movie for its “generic plot” and relying on “pretty visuals” but they applaud this movie for both of those very reasons. I don’t understand 😭

[@GreenKnight07]

one word: Mario

[@LooseAsADEUCE]

The Mario factor plays a huge part, but also no one is going to seriously frame this movie as the greatest film ever unlike what people do with the blue people Avatar.

[@toonaurz2620]

Wander Over Yonder recognition makes me happy.

[@beachballssideaccount]

7:09 WOW that Wander over Yonder clip sent me back 8 years. loved that show.

[@Teag_Brohman15]

fair reminder that before The Mario Movie released, a lot of the people who are now praising it didn't really have anything nice to say about Illumination

[@ayior]

Im in this comment and I'm fine with that

[@jclkaytwo]

can confirm, I was one of those people

[@ButterFlyGardenBlossom]

One of those people here. I love that it’s probably the first Illumination movie since the first Despicable Me not to be a snoozefest.

[@shakezula3316]

Maybe Illumination paid them to keep their mouths shut for once

[@troin3925]

@@shakezula3316 Or maybe people can change their opinions after seeing it for themselves? Unless there’s legitimate, concrete proof of this for the product they’re talking about, I hate it when people immediately go for conspiracy theories because they can’t accept the fact that opinions different from them exist.

[@TCBlueFire]

I respect this review, most reviewer only look at one certain aspect of a movie. "The critics opinion" and "fans opinion" not so much the movie itself like i seen 3 reviews complain using "it a kids flim" the entire video and just say the movie is bad or just good but don"t really go in depth into why. And this is exactly on how i feel about the movie. It litterally ninteno first movie they're coming back into after what happened from the live action movie. So playing it safe it the best option then to make a story that will fall flat, they could just do that with a squeal and there's nothing wrong with just having fun with the movie.

[@sumthinorother9615]

7:33 I don’t think third act breakups, misunderstandings and liar revealed-s can be considered separate from the “twist and subversion kick.” The versions that get annoying are barely a speed bump added for easy drama. We don’t get to explore dynamics; we get told that the plot is doing something else now. Sentimental is almost the opposite of those tropes, which wind up overly angry instead of _tender._

[@magica3526]

Critics are more representative of the population as a a whole than audience reviews. Audiences review movies that they watch; they go to movies they think they'll like, and they're usually right. Critics don't self select based on movies they like. When most of the value of the mario movie is in fan-servicey references, it doesn't stand on it's own. It'll make it more enjoyable to it's target audience, but for people who don't already care about mario, it's a mediocre movie, which the reviews reflect This pattern will continue until video game movies trust themselves to be more than vessels for easter eggs

[@firecrakerj3312]

This movie seems satisfactory. It’s okay enough to be enjoyable but at the same time there’s better movies. Also, thank you for FINALLY pointing out how the movie only reached a billion dollars because we are to the point where you can just slap Mario’s face on anything and it will sell!

[@9somethingorother837]

The only ad I saw for the film was the bowuigi one (thx editors) so I was expecting ALOT more luigi scenes, I was immeasurably disappointed

[@Mr_bukowski4435]

As someone who loved the movie, it desperately needed more character interactions like the flirting scene on rainbow road was my favorite part of the movie because it reminded me of situations me and some friends have been in and it made me happy that these iconic characters were characterized in that way. Also besides Bowser and Luigi, and toad Peach was my other favorite voice performance in the movie. Anya Taylor Joy struck a good balance of her bubbly nature in the games and her serious urgent tone, I loved it

[@connormclernon26]

I do think they needed another 10 to 15 minutes of screentime in order to let the action breathe and to set things up.

[@scottchaison1001]

Nah, the pacing was fine, I don't know what are you talking about.

[@waddlelad1718]

I think a big problem with movie opinions these days is that some people don't seem to be able to separate their enjoyment and the actual quality of a movie.

[@The_Jovian]

Now that this movie is successful, all I want is a PG-13 Metroid movie. Preferably live action but I'm fine with animation too

[@aimeeistired]

I grew up with Mario, I got a DS with Super Mario for Christmas as a kid and have played games here and there since. As a Mario fan, it's a very aesthetically pleasing movie, I adored the small references, the music motifs, and the fact it feels like it was made by people who have played the games. As an adult watching an animated family movie, it, leaves something to be desired for sure. Me and my brother saw this together and as he's the perfect age demographic, 10, and a Mario kid, he left the cinema with a huge smile saying it was the best movie ever made lmao. It's fine, it's serviceable, and I'd probably watch it again if I absolutely had too, but PLEASE leave the movie as is and don't make a sequel. A solid 6.5/10.

[@rocbenaa1963]

And why not a sequel? There's more Mario universe to explore and they didn't even added half of it in this movie.

[@aimeeistired]

@@rocbenaa1963 Just that Illumination doesn't have a great track record with sequels, even their 'best' movie, Despicable Me, doesn't have a good sequel. Like unless they magically pull a Shrek 2 or Puss in Boots, which is super unlikely, I just don't see it being very good, thus not wanting a sequel.

[@rocbenaa1963]

@@aimeeistired Well, yeah, you're kinda right, but if this movie could be that good, I'm gonna trust them. If the sequel happens to be bad, then yeah, no more Mario movies.

[@Helios2737]

​@@rocbenaa1963 The main deciding factor of if the sequel would be good or not is if Nintendo has as much of a stranglehold on it as before Let's be honest, the only reason this wasn't a trainwreck is because Nintendo had a metaphorical gun to the heads of the Illumination higher ups and watched over them like a hawk

[@orangeslash1667]

@@rocbenaa1963 The film is good by Illumination standers, but compared to the Super Mario Adventure Comics it could have been so much more.

[@wratched]

For me, casting Anya Taylor Joy as Peach was a masterstroke. She always brings an undertone of fierceness to her characters, and that was needed after decades of squeaky cutsey anime Peach.

[@bryanmoberg8408]

seeing peach like...do stuff, was nice, same reason people adore botw zelda.

[@jakeystarsuper]

what's wrong with peach being cute?

[@jakeystarsuper]

@@bryanmoberg8408 peach was playable so she did things

[@jwroot]

She sounded pretty generic. Like if I wasn't told She was voiced by Anya I NEVER would've noticed. But she was fine.

[@th_Wall_Boi]

Hey now, listening to take on me in any place for me is a gift. Also, they used Thunderstruck, and the last time I heard that song in a movie was Iron Man 2

[@jesscoombes9150]

when listening to the 'take on me' bit, I had initially thought it was a parody because I kept hearing it as 'donkey kong'? like it actually maps well, but no its just the normal song

[@blabbermouth1843]

As much as I liked this movie, the fact that DK got more screen time than Luigi (and Bowser) will never not be frustrating to me.

[@goldenyoshistar1]

imagine if they re-released this film again with the actual in-game music replacing the 80's pop music. The Super Mario Bros Movie would grow tons of sales and gain even more revenue. Actually, I hope they release the non-80s music version with the special edition release.

[@00naruhina]

Me simple. Me see CellSpex, me click.

[@spencerboyce6227]

Imagine licking this many boots

[@doomarang3208]

Good review as usual CellSpex but, were you not paying attention to the movie in some parts? At 8:58 in the scene before she met Mario. Peach said to her Toads citizens that she'll head to The Jungle Kingdom first thing tomorrow morning so meaning they had the rest of day to train Mario. At 9:03 Mario didn't even say "one line" He said "We Ain't Leaving Here Without Your Army" and then Cranky told Mario if he wants his army so bad then defeat his son in the arena, Peach tried to talk him out of it and then Mario accept Cranky's offer "You Sir, Have a Deal! I'll Fight Your Son & Win!" egging him on. Because we all obviously know he's doing it for his brother, not like he has a choice. 9:08 It was established that DK hate Mario's guts and is taking ever opportunity to crap on him. And they still have this back & forth hate rivalry with each other throughout the rest of the film. DK just didn't give a crap that Peach was right there when he was teasing Mario's flirty pick-up lines.

[@silashurd3597]

Well, I think we should all agree when I say this: I don’t care what the critics gotta say. I enjoyed the movie and that’s all that’s important Also, I’m proud of Illumination and Nintendo for managing to make this movie and for it to be a MASSIVE SUCCESS!!🤩 They did good👍😌

[@pedanticat9479]

Yeah, this was a fun movie and is easily Illumination best work

[@FormalFilmsProductions]

same

[@killadrill]

You shouldn't be proud of two of the most horrid companies in media creating the most insultingly lazy, generic, corporate movie possible

[@reasyrandom]

@@pedanticat9479 Nah, Despicable Me is still better.

[@subifyouhatetiktokandreddit234]

​@@killadrill Eh, Dont care weeb. As long as they beat Disney

[@JoseMat2953]

Honestly, fuck the critics. Even I know that not every movie had to have all those big blockbuster qualities. Even simple stories can make me smile, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a great, if not perfect example of it. It's simple, and it still brings a smile to my face, just like the games. I loved the story along the characters, the world-building, the voice acting, the references and easter eggs, and literally everything else. Forget the critics who want complex storylines, or big action every 5 minutes. Simple stories can be exciting and entertaining, too!

[@AndrewChumKaser]

I'm of the opinion that turning your brain off and gawking at pretty colors while going "haha I remember that!" shouldn't be a requirement for enjoying a film. I guess I might be in the minority on that.

[@alyssaagnew4147]

Hey, I was just looking for a good popcorn film and it delivered in that regard.

[@chaoticneutral7976]

Amazing how some people went from preaching "Animation is cinema" to getting so worked up over critics being mixed in the film, declaring some were being too hard on it because "it's a movie for kids". I myself enjoyed the movie but I admit it's probably not gonna be one of my favorites of 2023 anytime soon.

[@Captain.Mystic]

"Its doubly embarrassing for hollywood to take this long to do something this basic" yeah uh... thats kinda the point. at least in my view. Of course the response to critics is pretty typical. I still remember the sort of "discourse" around the fact that jim sterling reviewed Breath of the Wild an 8 out of 10. Its just the typical hypocrisy for them because if the movie actually did get a 10/10(without changing the movie itself) they would have celebrated that fact and used review scores as a source to hold over sonic movie fans(yes this actually happens). Pro reviewers absolutely get shit wrong sometimes, i don't deny that, but they usually only get something wrong when they are "over" praising something rather than the imo reasonable response here. I have no doubt that the movie is good for illumination, because as soon as it was said that nintendo had an iron grip over the project, my expectation went to wanting a "decent" nintendo story like the RPG games and not a "good" illumination movie.

[@potatoefanner2098]

If they make a Legend of Zelda movie, they can’t let Link talk.

[@FaisLittleWhiteRaven]

*Has traumatised memories of "Well EXcuuuuuuuse me Princess!" play several dozen times over in my head.*

[@emblemblade9245]

I’m so hungry, I could eat an OCTOROK

[@joegreen3802]

He talked in the manga adaptations

[@APinchofBazel]

I just love how a lot of people went from ragging on the Oscars for not taking animation seriously to desperately defending the honor of a giant mediocre cashgrab that is part of precisely _why_ animated movies aren’t taken seriously in the first place. Never change, “animation fans.” Never change.

[@selenopheria]

"Take on Me" was a pop song almost forty years ago. It was released in 1985, the same year the Mario series was released. That might just be why it was chosen.

[@APinchofBazel]

Also it’s funny you brought up the needle drops, because you know what _really_ bites about them? The actual score album has cues for every scene, literally every single scene, that they later stuck the songs over. From the Kill Bill sample to Mr. Blue Sky. They already had music. They just didn’t use them.

[@borikidor]

The worst part about the popsongs is that there were renditions of classic Nintendo tracks made for the scenes. We were robed of a Donkey Kong country track during the "Take on me" scene. Why, Illumination?

[@e1iteyoshi998]

Forced to put in the last minute because of Hollywood.

[@RoyalKingOliver]

The Mario Movie is a 7/10 Basically your typical “I wanna have a fun time” kind of movie. Nothing was too offensive, nothing was too good. It was a movie that definitely played it safe, but did put enough effort to warrant the payoff it deserved.

[@maninanikittycat4238]

I watched it with my parents and it was fun. Even though I had to get my mom to shut up because I hate it when people talk when I’m trying to hear the dialogue And I’ve got to admit Visuals looked amazing in some areas like that field of fire flowers and the rainbow road

[@swamplinglvr]

"I had...ingested things." Pfff 😂

[@manassinghbhati6]

About the 'pop-song insert' part in the video, the soundtrack album actually had tracks that fit the pop-song scenes like a glove. The switch to pop-songs was probably a very late decision, making it even more infuriating. :/ Great video!

[@arkanamaster4961]

I guess I could understand why critics wouldn’t understand the simple story the movie has or not understanding what a power up is (one of them in asked when could Mario turn it to a cat) but what I will not understand is how anyone would think the Mario Movie is illumination’s only bad movie that’s just wrong

[@EmptyheadStudio45]

Just as a correction, Peach did not delay her trip for Mario. She states at the meeting with the toad council that she would leave the next morning. It’s still dumb that she is waiting a literal day to take care of a kingdom ending threat though. The problem is still there, just a slightly different one. 9:02

[@ThePonderer]

As a Mario fan, I’m fine with a movie being “simple”. My problem with the Mario movie isn’t just simple, it’s vapid. It barely feels like a movie at all.

[@JacksonLane02]

I get why they played it safe considering this was Mario's first time in theaters since like the 1980s and they didn't wanna cram alot of stuff in the film of fear of repeating the not success of the live action Mario film. Plus Mario games stories are pretty simple to understand and not like something like Kingdom Hearts where most of the time you feel like your brain is having the equivalent of a heart attack and so confused on why Donald Duck and Goofy are helping this boy who never seems to age with a keyblade. Only main problem I have with the film is kinda wosh the story could have maybe 2 more minutes of Luigi but still I loved it both experience and watching wise

[@e1iteyoshi998]

Well not only that but Nintendo handing off their IPS to be handled by other companies was also a result of how the Phillips CDI failed too.

[@troin3925]

It was the 90s, not 80s.

[@royalcass]

My biggest issue with the Mario movie is the script. Peach goes from literally throwing Mario to the ground to trusting him enough to give him a shot in like 3 lines, it feels like there was supposed to be an extra scene we didn't have time for. Donkey Kong literally shouts to Mario "We're even now!!" After he saves their butts but it doesn't really feel earned, it just feels like they're even now because the final battle is coming up and they have to get going to that final battle, lest we bore the audience. Idk man, it ain't a bad film but I just wanted a little bit more from it

[@mariokarter13]

It's a standard children's movie released at a time when audiences are starved for standard children's movies. The movie isn't a masterpiece, the bar has just gotten so low that Mario easily jumped over it.

[@scottchaison1001]

It doesn't need to be a masterpiece to be a good movie, and this movie is pretty good, and clearly doesn't deserve the hate.

[@TheSecondOpinion11]

I never minded movie review aggregators myself. Reviews are a subjective medium, but the broad effect on an experienced sampling can at least be objective, and more importantly, they lessen the fallibility of one-off newspaper/video randos. (I still remember our paper recommending Wild Hogs and Jack and Jill, but not Winnie the Pooh 2011 or a dozen other better comedies XP) Even mixed reviews like Mario's have been helpful, by taking the time to seek out the ones more on my wavelength. What I do mind is the internet's massive validation complex, without which we probably could've come to a lot of Cellspex's conclusions, without needing a giant round of loud, angry chest-beating.

[@e1iteyoshi998]

Rotten Tomatoes's method of aggregating reviews is flawed though.

[@TheSecondOpinion11]

@@e1iteyoshi998 Such as?

[@e1iteyoshi998]

@@TheSecondOpinion11 Well for one it eliminates any nuance when it comes to individual reviews. It's like someone giving the Last Jedi a 10/10 while another critic being aggregated gives the film a 6/10. It reduces the both reviews down to just "they both liked it," which isn't true for both hypothetical reviews.

[@TheSecondOpinion11]

@@e1iteyoshi998 That's just pointing out how aggregates in general can't pinpoint exact nuance (unless you're saying critics don't get to tell the site which score is their cutoff, which is false.) There are arguments to be made for both a score average and a positivity percentage, but the "flaws" of the latter are somewhat balanced by the peel-away effect and by our own ability to read the reviews and judge the difference between "lukewarm" mixed and "polarizing" mixed. The score average unquestionably gives disproportionate power to extremists and agenda seekers, something sites like IMDB have resorted to a vague "weighted average" to try to counter.

[@e1iteyoshi998]

@@TheSecondOpinion11 Well i don;'t rely on IMDB either to be honest.

[@angelofmusic1992]

I agree that people are being too harsh on this movie and that a video game movie being "okay" is still a pretty good accomplishment. I feel like if more people did animated adaptations of video games like this instead of live action ones, we can get some good stuff. And we can have animated adaptations of gritty video games too. Castlevania absolutely nailed that.

[@josersandoval]

I grew up with Nintendo, the GameCube and Wii, and this movie was a love letter to Nintendo. 10/10, would recommend. Also... not every movie needs to be The "Godfather", or "Up" for animation.

[@AutumnReel4444]

Mario is simple. This movie stuck to that and is awesome. Gorgeous, well executed, the only thing is that the story next time will need to do more.

[@Eidlones]

I don't get the overwhelming praise that Bowser's song gets. I love Jack Black, but it sounds like something he wrote 10 min before recording.

[@hellothepixel1107]

I have played a lot of Mario games, and I got a lot of the references and finding them was really fun... But there was nothing else for me to chew on. I wasn't able to finish the movie on my first viewing so I had to see the movie twice, and watching the first part again was unbearable. It was a slog. And I feel that's a very bad sign. Ideally, a movie from a franchise I really like would be as enjoyable to watch and rewatch as it's games, wouldn't it? I don't feel it's much to ask. The Lego movie is the best example for me. It was a movie based on a franchise with little story, and gave it a strong emotional core and hilarious script. I feel Mario could've done the same. At least the Sonic movies got it's characters perfectly sound, and that puts them above the Mario movie to me.

[@FlyingFocs]

Honestly, my biggest takeaway from this movie is that when they get to Legend of Zelda movie... they need to try so much harder, and let some other studio do it.

[@zenebean]

I agree with your thoughts on this, but even more on the Wander Over Yonder rep