They Dun Made a Mario Movie (Spoiler-Free Review)

[@CamerasThings]

One detail I noticed in the film was how Mario didn’t get physically injured a single time in the arcade world (the mushroom kingdom, and during his fight with DK) yet the SECOND he went back in the real world suddenly the punches bowser was throwing at him left him bruised. Nice detail I noticed.

[@corruptedteka]

That's a good catch !

[@otakumarcus]

It was so surreal seeing Mario get beaten up by scary ass bowser

[@nickthepick8043]

You see, I always figured why Mario was necessary for being in the Mushroom Kingdom was his high durability. Like, Gravity could be softer on Humans there and other physics could be laxed. That could've been the justification for him being there. Another detail I noticed was the Blue Mushroom size differences between Bowser and Mario were consistent.

[@JoePCool14]

It was great to see Iwata in the credits. I hope other people noticed that.

[@agamersinsanity]

He did a lot for Nintendo and he even lowered his own salary for several months just to keep the developers.

[@jellycore1316]

WHAT Oh my god, that is so cool, that they put him in there ;v; Thank you for pointing that out!

[@hadideedee]

I just got back from seeing it and seeing his name there made my heart swell 💖

[@SuperSatanSon]

yeeeah! it was a wonderful detail!!!

[@retro3188]

@@SuperSatanSon Not that I mean to dampen the mood, but a very important composer wasn’t credited. (Grant Kirkhope)

[@the_godbodor7026]

People called me crazy for hoping my man, King Bob-Omb, would appear in this movie at all. We enter the wedding scene and there he is, right in the front row, the king of gunpowder himself! No joke, seeing him on the big screen period made this whole movie worth it to me.

[@----x-----]

It was very hype, I wasn't expecting him to show up at all and seeing such a classic 64 character was great.

[@rayr6278]

What about king Thwomp?

[@IAmNotASandwich453]

King Boo was there too 🥳

[@sargentgullible2794]

Don't forget him actually EXPLODING.

[@therealduz-t6762]

Isn’t his name Big Bob-omb?

[@zachvii6476]

They actually credit Koji Kondo at the end for the “original music” which made me smile

[@p.e.miranda2038]

I mean, yeah, but why wouldn't they? He essentially wrote the entirely of the soundtrack

[@mrrowwmeoww]

they still didnt credit grant kirkhope in the credits sadly it just says "dk rap from donkey kong 64"

[@fangsabre]

I hope that this movie gets a music award, and they find a way to present it to Kondo. No shame on the guy who arranged everything for the movie, but it would do something special for my heart to have Kondo in the same conversation as John Williams or Hanz Zimmer

[@TheJadeFist]

@@mrrowwmeoww It feels as if Nintendo has a serious attitude problem with snubbing 3rd parties they work with.

[@Andrew-qu7lq]

@@mrrowwmeoww I'm pretty sure Kondo consulted with the composers a fair amount regarding the medleys and compilations. I don't think that's the case with the other composers of tracks used like DK Rap and I think something from 3d world/Bowser's Fury? I actually wonder if that's because the actual rights holder is not the artist himself unlike composers like Beastie Boys or AC/DC, the rights to the music are owned by the game and company... This can even get into a weird territory or union and credit requirements since there are a ton of weird stipulations on how people are credited (or not credited) for their work in a movie.

[@RoseyJohn1]

My 2.5 year old son watched every minute of the whole movie without losing interest once. This was one of his earliest movie going experiences. He did this while staying up 3 hours past his bedtime to do it. He LOVED every minute of it. Core memories locked in. Nintendo accomplished EXACTLY what they set out to do with this movie, and I’d consider it a massive success for them as a company.

[@tenacious645]

You created such a good memory for him. He's going to rewatch this one so many times growing up. Then when he's old like us he'll look back fondly on one of his "childhood" movies.

[@ihavepissinmybrain]

@Logan McGlynn Let’s hope you don’t have children with that attitude.

[@vicinitrix927]

@Logan McGlynn the sonic movie is quite the low bar you’ve got.

[@tenacious645]

@@loganmcglynn9950 Man I couldn't disagree more with you. As a huge Mario fan, I really enjoyed it. I never cared much for Legos or Sonic. The Sonic movie was fun though, and I haven't seen the Lego movie (but I've heard nothing but good things)

[@PacDork]

Same here, I took my 3 year old daughter…she already loves all the characters, especially the princesses (she’s always playing with my amiibos). She wore her Peach shirt & brought her plush Peach. This will definitely be a core memory! I was pretty emotional the whole time!

[@zacharymccoy7091]

The fact the Goombas look like Goombas and not seven foot tall dinosaur people is an accomplishment in of itself.

[@otakumarcus]

Compared to all the other accomplishments

[@bugonboris6681]

Seven-foot-tall Dinosaur?

[@jaredhebert942]

The 1993 film still has some ideas, but I hope this raises the bar for game adaptations & other things for the entertainment industries in general

[@Toschez]

Honestly that’s a super low bar.

[@wolfsonic]

They should have put a bunch of goombas in a suit/trenchcoat in the finale as a fakeout

[@Groovebot3k]

I honestly think the thing I'm most surprised about is how good all the battle and platforming scenes were... to use the "it was like watching someone play a video game" sentiment, it was like watching someone performing a practiced speed run and giving me those bursts of "woah that's cool!" adrenaline. Ultimately, they made a movie that would have made child me lose his mind and adult me wanted more of.

[@----x-----]

Seriously, I never would have expected them to pull off proper platforming on the movie so well. The very first opening scene with them has them do platforming in Brooklyn and we get more platforming when Mario is practicing and then another platforming bit at the final act when Mario and DK are rushing in to stop bowser. We also see a racing scene and 2 boss fight scenes if you consider the Banzai Bill chase a sort of boss and the fight vs Bowser at the end.

[@RaFaPilgrim]

That Miyamoto madlad actually did it. He made a movie without story.

[@mirotrevino9662]

Lol, this is exactly what I thought when the movie was over. I still enjoyed it for the spectacle it was, though.

[@xavierarial24]

@@mirotrevino9662 Illumination’s main plots are often middling at best. What they’re really good at is keeping budget low while still looking pretty and having a lot of inane gags that often work between age groups. If they could write a decent script once in a while, they’d be on top. They’re still raking profits cause their budget are lower than the competition though, so they’re probably not too bummed out about it.

[@sebastiantafoya3609]

@Xavier Arial what bothers me about illumination is that they CAN make a good movie, despicable me 1 is in my list of favorite animated films, they just refuse to spend any money on good writers.

[@RuuyG]

Yes! Exactly what I thought: this movie really shows how truly, deeply Miyamoto dislikes stories 😂 Like, he hasn't written it himself, but as a main producer, if he was a good storyteller he would say "come on guys, put more than two seconds of thought into this". It's not a bad story, it's just the most basic and clichee plot you could do, it feels like it was written over a weekend.

[@CrowTRobot]

@@RuuyG hahahah holy shit. First he came for Galaxy 2, then the Paper Mario series, now the movie.

[@Mr.C723]

Fun fact: This movie actually had a higher budget than most Illumination movies. Illumination movies usually have around a $65 to $75 million budget but for this Mario movie the budget has come up to $100 million.

[@otakumarcus]

Higher than Sing 2?

[@Mr.C723]

@@otakumarcus Yep, the budget of Sing 2 was $85 million

[@sahaprocks7751]

Damn it shows this movie is gorgeous and well animated

[@avinashtyagi2]

So that extra 25 mil made a big difference

[@seanriordan6726]

Does that include marketing? I feel like a decent amount went to voice talent.

[@Hyperencrpted12345]

Mario and Luigi living with their parents hit me harder than it should have.

[@LeChikapaw]

Thei’re italianas from the 80s, their family dynamics are sure to be different from any regular north American. Like in Encanto, some families do stay together to support each other. Even more so if you consider Mario grandpa was probably an Immigrant from Italy, who brought his kids to the new world to find a better life, Mario and Luigi are probably the first gen born on the US. Those family dinners are surely an everyday thing, and wouldn’t be surprised they all lived in the same apartment building. So they living with their parents being a thing of shame is mostly an American thing. Other cultures are the oposite

[@princesidon]

@@LeChikapawConsidering that Luigi had a cell phone, I don’t think they’re from the 80s.

[@LeChikapaw]

@@princesidon lol right, all the retro games and references really got me :p

[@OrdinaryDonut13]

Biggest disappointment about the movie was seeing the council of toads and not seeing Toadsworth there. I don’t think we are going to see him again if we didn’t see him in a movie made specifically for the fans.

[@Baine53]

Seriously! Actually, I wonder if some tried to put him in but got vetoed. I mean, give the deep voiced one a mustache and he'd be Toadsworth. Nothing else would need to change.

[@Mac14329]

Let's not jump to conclusions.

[@LordVerdo]

Saw it last night and commented on that too. No love for Toadsworth.

[@floatingf8783]

I mean, Toadsworth is supposed to be Peach's butler, why WOULD he be in a national defense meeting?

[@Mac14329]

@@LordVerdo Oh my God...

[@trainlover6099]

The best spoiler-free thing I can say is that there is so much the trailers didn't show, and there's a lot to be surprised and delighted by

[@gabeg.5329]

i definitely agree, especially with all the original songs that brian tyler made for the movie

[@thespeedyyoshi]

For sure ^^

[@thesosoartist4458]

I was surprised and HAPPY they left everything past the 2nd Third out of thd trailer, made it more surprising and better

[@ChrisGagner]

I couldn't help but chuckle at the Luma. The contrast of its joyful tone but depressing words was too funny to me.

[@animalbancho1726]

I thought the Luma was kind of weird and out of place. I adore dark humor but it felt so forced and just… off… here.

[@MochaRitz]

It's an overdone cliche though, it's not novel at all.

[@jonathanvelasco7332]

Yeah, I cringed a bit in those scenes. As someone replied, it's a cliché character and it felt off imo. I watched it in spanish, maybe that didn't help much.

[@codyssmith73]

It fits the Luma too cause I’d bet he wants nothing more than to be fed star bits & become a galaxy. 😂

[@RoseyJohn1]

Yeah it cracked me up. I just kept laughing through saying “oh no!”😂😭😂

[@gruffyddjones8597]

Best part of the movie hands down was the music. The score made such diverse use of the mario themes and in such an amazing and creative way. From the Captain toad theme all the way to the DK rap it’s obvious they loved the source material and they simply improved upon what was already there instead of trying to re invent the wheel

[@olimpicus]

Music was so epic!! The credits one blew my mind

[@gruffyddjones8597]

@@olimpicus Same. Hearing Gusty Garden was amazing

[@kj_H65f]

I wasn't a fan of the typical illumination use of familiar pop/rock songs instead of using arrangements of existing mario music but it was by no means a huge flaw, just something I would have rather had Koji Kondo score completely. I loved this movie, it was emotionally really fulfilling for me as someone who grew up with the original mario games on nes. Felt like a love letter to mario and the fans and I just loved it.

[@gotgodcomplex1874]

They didn't credit the DK Rap creator Grant Kirkhope, which sucks. They sampled the DK Rap directly.

[@sirspencerarnold]

I just really wish they didn't shoe horn in the licensed pop music. Leave it to illumination to put popular music into every single movie they've ever made

[@megasean3000]

My personal highlights: - Jack Black nails it as Bowser. There were times when I had to physically remind myself this was Jack Black playing him and not one of Bowser’s many voice actors. - They referenced Kid Icarus! As a Kid Icarus fan waiting desperately for a new game after Uprising, it feels good that they remember it exists! - I love how they kept Peach’s origin story open-ended for a potential sequel while you got the idea of how she became a princess. Where did she come from? Where did her pipe lead to? If they do a sequel, I think this will be where Daisy comes into the fold. - Lumalee, the captured Luma, was the most hilarious character in the entire movie by times I laughed. The childlike voice saying pretty morbid things while everyone’s mood was brought down too just made me laugh. - DK RAP!!! This is officially the best video game movie ever!!! - Mario and Luigi’s relationship is a lot more wholesome. Loved their baby forms, a subtle reference to Yoshi’s Island. Wonder if their origin ties into Yoshi, too? - The entire Mario Kart segment was chalk full of references, that I was genuinely surprised. Between Rainbow Road, the carts being anti-gravity like in Mario Kart 8 and the appearance of the dreaded blue shell. Mario Kart fans will get a kick for sure. - Just the overall attention to the lore of the Mushroom Kingdom without straying too far off was what we wanted all along. No twists, no “deviating from the source material”, no shake-ups. Just Mario, Peach, Bowser and Luigi at their most basic. Simplicity is always best, especially when video game movies are concerned. The direction they went with for this movie was perfect and they got the landing. - Major kudos to the environmental designers, they knocked it out of the park with all the different environments, from the Mushroom Kingdom, particularly Peach’s castle, the Kong’s Jungle, and Bowser’s fortress. Even five minute environments like the penguins and their Ice Kingdom are beautiful and gorgeous. Overall, it’s a strong 9/10 for me. Couple of things they could have refined, such as song choice in some areas and given Luigi more screentime, but the movie we got was still bloody excellent. This is, without hyperbole, the best video game movie ever. An extremely low bar that Sonic the Hedgehog raised, but now this movie raised it even higher. I just hope future video game movies seek to meet that challenge or deliberately fail knowing it will never be as good.

[@LoomDoom]

Well said. I agree with all your points, my biggest complaint though is that the pacing was too fast. Otherwise a great and fun film. Now give us the Luigi’s Mansion movie!

[@elishatea]

I lost my mind at the Kid Icarus reference too. They need to give us a new game like tomorrow 😭

[@NintendoSegaandHasbroFan]

I do agree mostly with everything you said I do think the movie was a little too simple but honestly that’s a nitpick to be hoenst as simple is usually best and while I disagree about the sonic movies setting a low bar I do agree the Mario movie raised the bar higher than it was before as to me honestly I think all future animated video game movies should try to follow the standard this movie did. My full hoenst opinion there

[@nylonyt228]

my friends are mario fans but they don't play the games as much as I do, there were so many references i had to explain to my friends and i was laughing 15 seconds before everyone else did when i saw the blue mushroom to make Mario small

[@Markm8]

Agreed

[@ChrisTrenary]

The Mario Bros. being plumbers from Brooklyn was the canon I grew up with, I was personally super happy to see that aspect of their origin return after being largely ignored for so many years!

[@MrCharly780]

Mario is an isekai, let that sink in.

[@ElizondoAbelardo]

They also respected Wrecking Crew and the original Donkey Kong, it was awesome

[@matthewstarliper4074]

I thought the Brooklyn part was really cool.

[@RappingNinja]

Yeah, they officially tossed that out with the release of Yoshi’s Island on the SNES. That was the game that said “Mario and Luigi were born in the Mushroom Kingdom; they’ve always lived there,” completely upending our previous understanding of them hailing from Brooklyn. But Brooklyn’s back, baby!

[@SuperSatanSon]

@@RappingNinja My headcanon is that they were taken from Mushroom Kingdom to Brooklyn as babies (after all, in Yoshi's island we see they're not safe there :P), and then they return without remembering.

[@steelbeans]

Craziest easter egg for me was DK blowing out a flower. Thats so specific that it could have been accidental

[@DonkeyBoyVids]

Same, I felt like I had to make sure thats what happened, it was so small but I immediately got the Donkey Kong Country Returns vibes

[@otakumarcus]

Oh I forgot about that!

[@olimpicus]

C'mon guys nintendo was on the whole process, nothing accidental

[@WatchDoggyDog]

an easter egg I forgot was an easter egg!! good eye 🌬🌼

[@Josuh]

funniest shit how country returns made blowing flowers a staple for the character

[@earthbloodelf5289]

I'm completely an animation nerd, and the main thing that stood out to me from the very first trailer that we got is that this movie is absolutely gorgeous in its visuals, and I like how that wasn't the only thing it had going for it, the story was simple, but good, and it's very obvious to me that this movie was made with love and care and I really appreciate that

[@ianbravogaming]

I have to say, I had a blast seeing this! I think Charlie Day killed it as Luigi, I just wish we had more of him! Give me a Luigis Mansion movie franchise, I would eat that up

[@vampbat]

For real! Hearing him yell and support Mario made me so happy. He felt like an awesome fit, esp considering who Mario was. Didn't feel so out of left field :)

[@cyburai13]

It’s an 8/10 for me, lots of love put into it Story could’ve been better but at least it made sense and was enjoyable for what it was The fan service and references are insane, they even did a call back to a Mario piano medley the KZbinr “Video Game Pianist” did on here many years ago and that absolutely surprised me and made me happy

[@MrEvan1932]

I’d say 8/10 for fans of Mario/Nintendo, but a 4/10 for people who don’t care for video games and are watching it as a movie on its own

[@AnonymOus-ss9jj]

Seriously they referenced non-{Nintendo or Rare} content? I kind of felt like I recognized Mario's mother before somewhere, but I knew it could only be from a source outside Nintendo, so I shrugged it off.

[@ZorotheGallade]

Frankly I'm happy they held back on the complex story to add tons of references and known (and less known) characters. It feels more like a romp through the Mario world than a movie with Mario (which was one of the things I wasn't completely sold on with the Sonic movie)

[@overdrive7349]

The Super Mario Bros franchise has always been a simple and fun experience. This movie accomplished bringing us that feeling.

[@francisguyman3819]

The Mario Movie just made me realize I need a Kirby movie

[@Alpha_Digamma]

Oh, YES please!

[@cypher838]

Kirby:voiced by don cheadle

[@FedoraKirb]

I mean, the finale of the anime was technically a movie…

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

Metroid Movie.

[@ElvenRaptor]

@@cypher838 I can actually hear his voice coming out of King Dedede.

[@michaeljs04]

As a lifelong mario fan- this movie was perfect for me. I understand that those who don’t play mario might not love it. In terms of story, I don’t play mario for story (i play zelda for story), i play it for a fun time, and that’s what it was. A really fun time.

[@overdrive7349]

Exactly. The Super Mario Bros franchise has always been a simple and fun experience. This movie accomplished bringing us that feeling.

[@Asterious_JP]

This just goes to show,t we don't NEED a "perfect" video game movie or a movie that appeals to "non gamer" movie audiences, we just need a movie that respects it's fans and loves it's source material.

[@RyanBrown2K5]

The normies shouldn't be catered to. They like what they like and dislike what they don't. Companies need to accept that.

[@henrymoonrabbit]

amen i thought it was really great to get for once especially with something so near and dear to peoples’ hearts a movie for the fans i was grinning the whole time

[@Asterious_JP]

The movie is doing big numbers too. Maybe now they'll get the hint.

[@bobpotato1231]

@@Asterious_JP To be fair, when you're talking about making a movie mainly for the fans, that's a lot easier with a series that has like 100 million fans, something nothing else has. I don't even think Pokemon has as many fans as Mario, just more dedicated fans. Mario was huge with Gen X, huge with Millennials and huge with gen Z. Almost everyone has played a Mario game at some point in their life, except 80 year old baby boomers who wont be around much longer.

[@Matanumi]

To be far Mario is the most video game movie type of all time

[@doctormario3609]

It might be a good idea to treat the movie(s) as their own continuity, considering how different they are from the games already.

[@robbiewalker2831]

Yeah, for example, Mario and Donkey Kong’s relationship; the movie said Mario met Donkey Kong in a colloseum, whereas the games state Mario met Donkey Kong (the Modern DK) on a wild goose chase in the 1994 Game Boy game of the same name as the Arcade game.

[@DJTS1991]

Arlo's reaction to the voice actors during that initial direct will go down as one of the funniest moments in KZbin history. It was what we all felt at the time.

[@NuiYabuko]

How about you speak for yourself?

[@jameslawrenson1208]

It was indeed one of the moments of all time.

[@dalepirofsky3851]

@@NuiYabukoit’s a meme batman

[@tdotran]

Freaking loved the movie. Took the family and my toddler stood up and sat on the edge of the seat multiple times because she was so excited. The movie brought a smile to my face throughout the whole movie and I was just in complete awe. In the end, everyone applauded at the theater. Yes, the pace was fast and the last hour is just go go go but I loved every moment of it.

[@DamnZtar]

the sonic movies are better

[@gamerletter1986]

That sounds adorable, glad to hear you and your family loved it!

[@kiwisaremelons7047]

​@@DamnZtar sonic fans try not to bring up sonic challenge (impossible)

[@DamnZtar]

@@kiwisaremelons7047 youtubers not making opinions sound like 9/11 (impossible)

[@AppleJackSix]

This is a kid-leaning family movie. How good it is is determined by: do kids like it, how many times will they want you to watch it with them, and how many times before you try to steer them to something else. For this movie it’s: yes, a bunch, a lot more than usual. It’s a good movie.

[@DanGamingFan2406]

I saw this movie in IMAX, and it was awesome. What it lacks in deep story and character arcs, it makes up for with awesome references, colorful action and great, non cringy humor. It's definitely the best movie Illumination has put out yet.

[@jonathanwilson7949]

agreed!! i saw it in imax with a bunch of friends and it was a blast.

[@ultimatebreak827]

yea fr, no cringy fart jokes at all, never thought Id see the day

[@Trumpetguy1.0]

It missed wario and waluigi 😂

[@joshlatham7232]

Do you put this comment on every KZbin review?

[@petebagwell6666]

I really want my marionwith deep story and character arks, none of that jumping stuff not for me, I want marioception

[@ToxikDnB544]

Arlo: “I am very critical of movies, we have learned in the past.” Me: **flashbacks to war**

[@yoseisovereign6728]

Some trivia that might interest you: The licensed songs are not on the soundtrack release. Take On Me was used last minute and replaced an original composition based on the arcade Donkey Kong theme. The change is unfortunate.

[@0ceanking]

This is very interesting to me! Where did you discover this and is the unused track available on the soundtrack release?

[@corruptedteka]

My question is why was it changed ?

[@yoseisovereign6728]

@@0ceanking It's on the soundtrack release, which I fully recommend! Sorry I didn't notice this

[@TheMeGuy1]

I agree with your sentiments at the end about how the movie might feel if one had no connection to Mario. Certain things would just feel oddly contrived. Like the whole Kong Kingdom. We're all like "Ah cool, yeah Donkey Kong and the other Kongs! Oh awesome! Mario Kart!!" but someone else would probably be like "Why is there suddenly this random Kingdom of Gorilla People? Why do they drive Go-Karts?"

[@coryclark9668]

Honestly the 80s music was one of the most outta place things in the movie, like all the Mario movie renditions were great and then thunderstruck starts playing and I thought someone’s phone was going off in the theater lol 😂

[@Churrolova]

Same 🤣

[@mr.exposition]

Worst part about the movie honestly was the generic cliche licensed music, movie didn't need that

[@tylerdell1878]

I liked Mr Blue Sky to end the movie but all the other music I agree. No Sleep Till Brooklyn was fine too.

[@bugonboris6681]

One thing I did enjoy about the soundtrack is when they played the "Holding out for a Hero" song to make up for the fact that the Detective Pikachu Movie never played it! I also really liked the Bowser song!

[@pundertalefan4391]

I thought it was funny. XD

[@VaguelyRowlet]

The Peach from the movie definitely didn't feel like the Peach we know from the games, but she did really remind me of Princess Toadstool from the OG cartoons

[@bugonboris6681]

Yep! And that's because they had the same voice acter! : D

[@HenshinFanatic]

@@bugonboris6681 LOL no, Super Show Princess Toadstool was played by Jeannie Elias, not Anna Taylor-Joy.

[@bugonboris6681]

@@HenshinFanatic Huh, well I thought the acter for Toadstool had SOMETHING to do with this movie...

[@orcinusoafish153]

@@bugonboris6681 Allegedly based on fan observations, the actor for Toadstool played the woman that thanked the Mario Bros in the in-universe commercial that played the Super Show rap. There is no proof of this though, so take this with a grain of salt

[@ButterflyBlossom6415]

I was thinking the same thing

[@thepredman9lol266]

I felt the same thing when the credits rolled. I was like '...aww, I could've watched more of that!' It was just super enjoyable. I know I'll be rewatching this for many years to come!

[@micahcaraballo5917]

I went to see the movie opening night with my friend and we both dressed up as Mario and Luigi with our real mustaches 😅 We had a lot of families at the theater asking if they can take pictures of us and we are like “Yeah!” It was a really fun time, just all of us Mario fans watching our favorite characters on the big screen! 😊

[@benironside1264]

Must have been the only cinema in the world where 2 guys didn’t go as mario and lugi thinking they were being original… and finding everyone else was dressed as it when they got there 😂

[@micahcaraballo5917]

@@benironside1264 actually when my buddy and I went, we were the only ones dressed up that night! Other people were wearing Mario shirts 😅

[@matthew-dq8vk]

You need help, man child.

[@pretzelman945]

The thought of arlo eating popcorn in the theater is really funny for some reason

[@HeisenbergFam]

Critics giving the movie questionable reviews and audience loving it is a timeless classic

[@Ashkihyena]

Hence why the movie “critics” are useless. Always have been.

[@sukamadik5983]

Access media's opinions are worthless.

[@sukamadik5983]

​@@Ashkihyena Amen brother

[@king_big_pp]

@@Ashkihyena Except for when they say something I like is good. Then critics are totally cool.

[@Ashkihyena]

@@king_big_pp Not really, usually when that happens that thing they’re reviewing is usually bad.

[@diabeticman2194]

It's a pretty enjoyable movie as a Mario fan, so many references that made me smile. The Mario Kart section was so cool, the blue shell scene genuinely shocked me as I thought they'd come up with a explanation to prevent him from dying, but nope they committed to him exploding and dying! Bowser, Luigi and the depressed luma were my favourite characters overall

[@tanzolo4487]

Depressed? The luma seemed very happy to me 🙃

[@BrendanJSmith]

Disney is impossible to work with, Dreamworks has had a really hard time keeping a distributor, and Sony is a competitor in the video game market, so Illumination was kind of their only choice. I truly believe that if Disney hadn't bought 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky hadn't been shut down, then they would've been chosen as the studio to make the Mario Movie. Especially when you consider how elegantly they handled The Peanuts Movie.

[@HoshizakiYoshimasa]

Exactly Nintendo was not going to tolerate Disney dictating what Mario should be

[@sega-megadeth1276]

Dreamworks and Illumination are both owned by Universal, but I still get your point.

[@exterminebrio6955]

​@@sega-megadeth1276 yes but Dreamworks aré kind of a cinema industry now a days they only stay with universal because the distribution of their films.

[@PikaPhantomVG]

They were originally in talks with Sony for a Mario adaptation, but the 2014 Sony hack caused it to be canned

[@themeparksheep]

They went with Universal (Illumination) when they teamed up to do Super Nintendo World.

[@alishajones1001]

I've played video games for my nieces and nephew since they were babies and I took them to see Mario and it was just such a delight how excited they were for something that I've loved since I was a kid and something that we've enjoyed together. The second the movie ended all they could talk about was the next Mario movie that was gonna come out and how they couldn't wait and they want a Luigi's Mansion movie soooo bad! I'm just so happy Nintendo decided to take another chance at making a Mario movie and we just had a great time throughout the whole thing!

[@thefvguy5648]

My favorite part of the movie is seeing Mario’s family. It’s the one thing I would love to see in canon games. It was cute and wholesome, I just love seeing expansion to a characters family tree.

[@TJOEL20]

And his dad was voiced by Charles Martinet, which was a nice touch

[@ewormXD]

"Earn our love, you pathetic zero" - cute and wholesome indeed.

[@johnnytaninthehouse]

I remember watching your old Mario movie video in 2018 it’s crazy how such a simple concept took so long

[@isleling5191]

They actually where talking about this movie since 2014

[@Grimeaper]

It is simple on paper, but trying to blend it together is one big issue. A lot like making a game really, you have a bunch of fleshed out mini ideas, an overall big-picture idea, but now you got to make it work, plus you got Miyamoto's pedantic ways. I feel though Chris Pratt is one of those obligatory if you use this studio he has to be the main star things and there is a name for it I forget. Contractional something something.

[@Greenducks-zt5sx]

It finally happened. It's amazing

[@jcg7609]

I'm getting my only critique out of the way the pacing is way too fast. They show something cool, but then they quickly move on to the next without much time to breathe. But besides that, I loved everything about it. From beginning to end, my smile never faded So many references to so many Mario Games and (and non mario games as well)and its outstanding, I love how well the characters were represented and the voice acting was really good despite my initial concerns. The ending was awesome and had a very touching moment(stay after the credits). The plot is what I expected from a Mario movie, so i was not disappointed. however, they did expand the lore a little in some aspects, not much, but I found it really cool. It was also surprisingly funny and not cringey. Lastly, every action focus scene was great. If you can not tell me, I loved it

[@soaringbullet]

It was somehow too fast but also slow and boring it was weird

[@algepaca]

Yes, I noticed that too! The fast pacing was weird, but it honestly made it easier for me to get through, because I'm usually not really into movies or passive forms of entertainment in general. The plot seemed like they had a very broad outline and just somehow forgot that it wasn't quite finished yet 😅 Still enjoyable with all those nice visuals and references.😊

[@Wendy_O._Koopa]

From the moment they revealed the karts, I knew this was coming. They're trying to do too much at once. What they need to do is introduce concepts and actually develop and/or explore them, this felt like a campaign someone was being railroaded through. Also, then you could do the "Go karting with Bowser" trope in the sequel if Tatanga, Wario, Wart, Cackletta, the Shroobs, or whoever is the main villain; or still start out karting and have Bowser double cross everyone revealing his extended family... namely, yours truly and my seven brothers. But, y'know, whatever... at least the movie wasn't as badly written as *_The Way of Water._*

[@stanley8006]

All for an extended cut with toadsworth in a deleted scene or smth

[@OPGardevoir]

Exactly this, everything was great but the pacing was a little fast. I wish the movie was closer to 1:45

[@BraxtonKovary]

Can you believe they actually made a Mario movie? It's still kinda surreal that we live in a world with a VERY SOLID Mario Movie 👀👏

[@saml302]

90s mario movie is great. like, its terrible, but its amazing

[@blackasthesky]

kinda blows my mind. I thought a decent video game movie of a specific franchise could not be done.

[@Yorkshire42069]

Is it that surprising? We live in a giant capitalism dystopia. Of course intellectual properties will have movies

[@shadowed366]

I had the same feeling when the Nintendo logo appeared I was like “oh damn, I’m watching a Nintendo movie”.

[@MrHomelessHobos]

@@Yorkshire42069 dystopia is when video games get made into a movie

[@dirtclanproductions4099]

I was initially concerned about Illumination, but I think they did FANTASTIC with the actions scenes. They’re so full of energy and dynamic camera movements

[@benperry4336]

My main issue with the movie is pacing. It just felt like there was never time for things to really sink in, like the movie was rushing itself. Other than that I was impressed with the variety of the world.

[@UltimaKeyMaster]

I didn't mind the utter lack of pacing, but I do see it as a 100% understandable criticism.

[@benperry4336]

@@UltimaKeyMaster Don't get me wrong, I absolutely still enjoyed the experience. I just would've liked them to focus on the characters a bit more since I think they did a fairly good job bringing them to the big screen in general.

[@solidsolo9258]

DK didn’t fart in the movie like you predicted so that means it’s a 11/10😂

[@franck4727]

😂😂😂 This made me laugh way more than it should have

[@TheKingRiku]

It was one of those movies where I greatly enjoyed it regardless of the bad story structure. All the actors aside from Seth Rogan did a good job.

[@myy1008]

Nah

[@spraghoot3598]

bro Cranky Kong’s terrible lines and delivery were right there and you chose Seth Rogan

[@kbrownevan]

Seth Rogan was great, if you were to say Chris Pratt then yea I would agree lmao🥹

[@ray_1111]

Only terrible acting was Cranky Kong

[@OperaLKP]

@@kbrownevan you probably have only seen the trailers bud

[@sukamadik5983]

I wonder if Arlo would literally explode if they ever make a Pikmin movie or show?

[@dragonninja3655]

There are the Pikmin shorts.

[@theo1862]

It's never gonna happen Pikmin is way too obscure

[@NatureBoy818channel]

Special limited 3 episodes

[@nlald]

Pikmin by Studio Ghibli

[@----x-----]

First they need to make Mario movie 2, then DK movie, then Zelda movie, then Mario & DK, then Kirby, then Zelda 2 and Mario 3, then finally the Mario DK Zelda Kirby crossover to end Phase 1. After that we get Phase 2 introducing Metroid, then Star Fox, then F-Zero and finally Pikmin. Expect it out by 2035

[@MattTelevisionYT]

I was hoping Arlo would address that DK didn’t actually end up having a fart joke.

[@brickman409]

The only character that I felt was perfectly cast was Kamek. I just looked up the voice actor and he appears to be a proper voice actor and not just a celebrity, which I think really says something.

[@Tatolus]

The amount of non-distracting easter eggs was real nice to see.

[@mitwhitgaming7722]

While it wasn't perfect, it did surpass my expectations. I felt like the simple story work, it just needed a little more time to hit those emotional beats.

[@HenshinFanatic]

They definitely better have an extended cut on the physical release.

[@matthewstarliper4074]

I think people have to keep in mind that this is truly a kid's movie. Going longer than the 90 minute run time would lose a lot of the kids they want to watch it.

[@Yorkshire42069]

@@matthewstarliper4074good, screw em. Who cares

[@LineOfThy]

@@Yorkshire42069 the target audience _are_ kids.

[@MochaRitz]

@@LineOfThy same with The Incredibles. Terrible excuse.

[@LimeDida]

I've literally watched this movie 3 times, 3 days in a row. I love it.

[@eileensmiller8041]

As a lore, history and Easter Egg lover there was just too much about this movie to name everything, but the fact that they did everything they could to make the dry bones scary for their introduction almost made me jump out of my seat. So congrats to the entire team, you made me relive my memories of SM Bros. 3

[@WackyJack322]

I was really blown away by how good the art direction was in this movie. Really hoping they visit Isle Delfino or Rosalina's Observatory in the sequel cause I feel the visuals would be spectacular if they bring the same effort they did here.

[@georgerobertson1054]

I will say to the humour aspect, I went to a matinee showing (early in the day for kids) as I had other things to do, and most importantly all the kids loved it. It was actually so nice to hear them laughing and pointing out things they liked. I think this movie will really matter to a lot of children and that’s a wonderful thing.

[@AlexanderPR2]

Yes. This movie was made FOR CHILDREN. And not old guys. That is the real point here.

[@Buglin_Burger7878]

@@AlexanderPR2 Except a lot of stuff made for children in the past was enjoyable for all ages and stuck with adults and children if it is really good.

[@finnvaneekelen7740]

​@@Buglin_Burger7878 yeah but this movie still has jokes that teenagers and adults can enjoy just as much as kids

[@BlaizeTheDragon]

@@Buglin_Burger7878 Ultimately it's down to your taste in humour. I find rick and morty an unfunny mess but a lot of people would beat me into the ground for thinking that.

[@LineOfThy]

@@Buglin_Burger7878 Not everything has to be really good to be good

[@stephenquinn3447]

Random fact: Chris Latta, the man who played Starscream in the original Transformers show and G.I Joe's Cobra Commander actually once played Bowser, in the show King Koopa's cool cartoons

[@schmidtcjoseph]

This movie was an absolute blast, loved all the Easter eggs and music, overall just a fun time in the cinema!!! Really happy you liked it as well Arlo!

[@Stibly]

The amount of sequel potential this movie hints at is huge, I can't wait to see what happens next

[@marcomcgann2522]

I think my problem with a lot of the critics seem to be holding this to a higher standard then I think the studio was shooting for. I'm not saying we should have low standards as an audience, but at the end of the day for what they were going for with this movie I think they did a great job. I'm very happy this didn't feel like an illumination movie too, I think they did a great job and I'm happy they got to make this.

[@StardustWhip]

I mean, a lot of these critics gave positive reviews to other Illumination movies. A lot of these critics were the reason that Paddington 2 had a 100% critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes for the longest time. I think all critics expected at the end of the day was a movie that had at least _some_ value to offer for non-fans.

[@matthewaddai5336]

​​​@@StardustWhip And their expectations are exactly the problem. This was a movie made for kids and adults fans as the focus, and this was blatant through something as simple as the fact that it was first announced via a Nintendo Direct, something for Nintendo fans.

[@Panimal98]

​@@matthewaddai5336 That... Doesn't make sense. If we reviewed every film "made for kids" by lowering critique, then animation would only be seen as a children's medium. Critics were praising Pinocchio and Puss in Boots just last year, because they weren't just "fun fan service," but elevated their medium.

[@matthewaddai5336]

@@Panimal98 it has nothing to do with "lowering critique". Its about awareness regarding who the film was made for, who it isnt made for, and what its based off. This isnt hard to fathom. Interesting how you deliberately ignored the fact i mentioned adult fans

[@StardustWhip]

@@matthewaddai5336 It's not a critic's job to review something based on whether or not it would probably appeal to some hypothetical fan of the source material. And they were already lowering their expectations; they were just expecting a kid-friendly movie that was as decent as Illumination's other output. An expectation which 42% of critics felt like it didn't meet.

[@thevioletbee5879]

It was just way too fast for me. No matter how much childlike glee it gave me, having even an extra 10-20 minutes of breathing room in between action setpieces would have gone a long way. Strengthening the bond between the brothers, giving more substance to the journey to the Kong Kingdom, having a climax that doesn’t rely on commercial ex machina, etc.

[@nicholasdiaz1925]

20 minutes is sooooo much time for a movie. I take your point, but honestly even adding 5 minutes to the movie would make a world of difference for the pacing. I really liked the movie, but as an eye blasting animated kids movie I started to feel myself slightly fading towards the end. So just a few more minutes would have done it for me personally

[@thevioletbee5879]

@@nicholasdiaz1925 I meant in total. So 2 minutes here, 3 minutes there, etc.

[@timhellmann]

@@nicholasdiaz1925 Puss in Boots 2 runs exactly those 10 minutes longer (102 vs 92 minutes) that the Mario movie desperately needed to also be a great, memorable movie beyond its fan service and kid-friendly approach.

[@sparks-of-magic]

Went with a whole crew of my college friends, and it was great! I loved it! The music was so well mixed between the pop stuff and old osts, best part by far!

[@YunUroko]

I honestly had a wonderful time watching the movie. I was smiling from begining to end, and felt like a child at Christmas every time I saw or heard a reference. Plus, I'm lucky enough to have seen the French version, and it completely delivered! Now I need to watch the English version to have the best of both worlds (and pick some dialogue refs that might have been lost in translation, like the iconic "let's a-go")

[@Chugalg]

I guarantee that if you didn't know it was Chris Pratt you wouldn't have any qualms with Mario's voice. He did a great job and I never once thought he was anyone by Mario.

[@dillonfisher7615]

On the Chris Pratt subject, he apparently had a very different voice for Mario, but the studio didn't like it and asked him to do "his own voice".

[@ftrwrwbg]

I was grinning ear to ear from start to finish. I don’t know how any real fan could watch it and not have a fun time.

[@KingRidley]

Dude don't do the "real fan" thing with the Mario movie. Keep your perspective man, it's just consumption of media.

[@IAmNotASandwich453]

​@@KingRidley He's right though. If you are a fan of this franchise, you will like this movie. If not, you will start critisizing the movie for things it never set out to do (Like not "deep enough plot") but most fans just wanted to see one of the most influential franchises of the world on the big screen and it totally delivered on that.

[@gingerfrog9546]

History has been made, I guess. Wonder how people will look back on this movie years later. Feels surreal seeing how many video game adaptations are actually turning out decent these days.

[@jadedfateofdestiny]

I think it's cause more gamers are in the industry, compared to before when gaming used to be looked down upon and super-niche

[@dreamsdeep1076]

@@jadedfateofdestiny only losers look down upon other people for liking something that don’t tailor their interests

[@cryguy0000]

​@@dreamsdeep1076 guess a majority of the world are losers

[@NoneofYourBusiness667]

@@jadedfateofdestiny Exactly this. It took the generations who were raised on video games growing up, to, well, grow up. The people making video game movies in the 90’s weren’t actually gamers. The only reason the original Mortal Kombat movie turned out as well as it did was because the actual creators of the series, Ed Boone and John Tobias were directly involved.

[@OPGardevoir]

​@@cryguy0000 yeah they really are

[@sir_ridley388]

For me a 30 year old man the story went as well as I could've hoped for. For my kids and all the other kids in the audience it was exciting to the end. I am jealous of that wonder they must have felt

[@sebisonic]

I didn't have any problems with the characters lol. Only till now I'm realizing "oh yeah that was Chris Pratt" because the whole movie I think all the characters really did work well with their voice actors And although I respect your opinion, I think Jack Black did a fantastic job as Bowser. I think if he were too serious it would've been boring and worked better in Galaxy, so they went for a more fun approach kinda like a ramped-up version of Odyssey's Bowser, and helped keep the movie light hearted and fun.

[@miimiiandco]

It isn't quite a Mario movie - it's a non-stop showcase of Mario concepts and references. And I'm all here for it.

[@Nelsathis]

This review felt SO much better than what we first expected after first seeing there is a mario movie and who will be doing the voices. Also i understand the disappointment about ducks. Its not geese after all.

[@jaylenc6513]

Anyone else catch the diner from the beginning of the movie having a Punch Out theme? it had framed photos of all the characters and the champion newspaper. That was SUPER distracting I loved it

[@ytBonkard]

We live in the timeline where Donkey Kong did not fart.

[@rocketprime]

I liked it and as long as it does well enough to convince Nintendo to greenlight a Legend of Zelda movie, I will be satisfied. Though I think they should get a different animation studio for Zelda. Like Toei or Kadokawa.

[@lavaburritos3767]

Or studio ghibli

[@olimpicus]

Madhouse

[@PikaPhantomVG]

As far as Western studios go, DreamWorks seems like a likely candidate

[@RichKnight36]

That was so funny when Illumination built up a movie about ducks. 😅 I had the same reaction. Like, HUH?!

[@tinkywinky9087]

I still can’t believe this movie was in development for five years.

[@MochaRitz]

Welcome to the movie industry! These things take time. Pretty sure The Angry Birds took a similar length of time.

[@codyssmith73]

C O V I D Animators having to work remotely probably slowed things down drastically.

[@BrandonBlume]

I think Pratt was kinda perfect honestly. I never had a problem with his approach after seeing the trailer though. I think he does the Brooklyn thing pretty well and I stopped hearing Chris Pratt and just heard Mario. However, every time Bowser talked, yelled, spoke, screamed, sang, or did anything all I could see was Jack Black. Don't know why everyone loves him in that role. Also, we did not see that Ducks teaser in our theater. Interesting.

[@MochaRitz]

Jack Black is a treasure, that's the difference. People adore that man, but nobody really loves Chris Pratt anymore.

[@BrandonBlume]

@@MochaRitz I love Jack Black. I still think he's just playing Jack Black and it's not interesting.

[@HalloBruce]

11:30 - I see what ya did there, Kane 👀

[@speedude0164]

I don't mind Mario and Luigi being from Brooklyn. We never really see where they come from in the games aside from just a pipe so it's totally plausible. In fact I found it quite hilarious, cause they present it in a way where it's totally believable that Brooklyn is on the other side of that pipe in Mario 64.

[@amysteriousviewer3772]

I loved it. It was just pure fun. Not every movie needs the deepest story. I think it‘s a wonderful introduction to the world of Mario for fans and newcomers alike and I‘m very excited for any future movies they make.

[@JoiskiMe]

Arlo.... for us overseas audiences we had the chance to get new casting in our own languages, and I'll just say: The Norwegian voice cast was a much better fit! None of that uncannyness. They were a lot closer to the game versions too, so I was very satisfied with the voice work actually!

[@Lordodragonss]

Polish dubbing also seems very solid!

[@pencilgoblin655]

You're very much right about that voice actor and animation disconnect. There are ways of overcoming that challenge and the fact they didn't nail it for some scenes is a little sus. I guarantee though the animators wouldn't of felt the need to push the acting if the voice acting wasn't lackluster.

[@antiday]

The Kongs in particular didnt have any chemistry with the main characters. A lot of times, the Kongs' remarks were meant to appear sarcastic but actually belie warmer intentions - which you can tell because the animators had to make the Kongs smile after saying their lines in order to get that message across, cus the voice actors DEFINITELY weren't nailing that nuance at all.

[@thekiss2083]

I loved that Mario and Luigi actually acted like brothers and had a close, supportive relationship. Nintendo has never felt the need to do that for some reason, and seeing it done so well in this movie made me really happy

[@SethTurnerPrinting]

Making Luigi the one needing saving really made it good. Mario cares way more about his brother and best friend than a princess he just met. He will move mountains and suffer anything to save his brother.

[@matthewaddai5336]

Someone didnt play the Luigi's mansion games, or Mario and Luigi RPG's 👀

[@thekiss2083]

@@matthewaddai5336 Mario has no dialogue in any of the RPGs, and Luigi doesn't speak in half of them either. I'm talking about relationship-building that goes beyond the occasional nonverbal high-five

[@matthewaddai5336]

@@thekiss2083 they didn’t need dialogue in those games to convey their relationship. And there’s plenty more you’re missing out including pivotal plot points (ie when Luigi goes out his way to get the medicine for Mario after he eats the poisoned mushroom in Superstar Saga, Luigi’s tears of laughter and relief upon getting Mario back to normal in Luigi’s Mansion 1)) among the general interactions during cutscenes in those games.

[@chaoslord8918]

I just watched this movie and Sonic 2 for the first time on the same day, and I'm thinking, "I don't think I need to watch Sonic 2 again," and also, "Man, I really want to watch the Mario movie again." I feel pretty much the same about these movies as Arlo does, even down to the voice acting and licensed music. I mean, Mario in general and Mario Kart in particular have such great music libraries. Why are you playing Take on Me? The only licensed music they should've used is Tenacious D.

[@misreal2401]

I'm so relieved to see that you didn't feel disappointed

[@joshuadenaux3620]

I'm really surprised the bully in Luigi's flashback wasn't baby Wario or baby Waluigi. It would have been the perfect place to give them some kind of cameo.

[@gizmoe187]

I enjoyed the movie so much. Bowsers song is hilarious and catchy! Jack black killed it.

[@dodiswatchbobobo]

That you assumed “Mario and Luigi come from Brooklyn” must be synonymous with “all real-world scenes must be live action” tells me that you did not watch enough of the shows to get why it worked so well as a concept.

[@meisterwu8922]

Arlo: "Digging into Marios history made me feel seen." Me: "The Luma made me feel seen."

[@NintegaDario]

When my Dad saw a glimpse of Ducks he just said "Duck Hunt." That killed me. 😂

[@nicolemonrue]

I literally smiled the whole time I watched it lol The rainbow road scene was great

[@BugsyFoga]

Definitely felt a big budget version of the super show, especially with the use of license music in the film .

[@maddinzf7967]

I gotta say I shed a tear at the end of this. Not because it had a great or emotinal story but the realization just hit me right in the gut. I saw a mario movie. Somehow a game series that accompanied me my whole life was made into a movie and I was alive to see that day.

[@kj_H65f]

Me too! I know its silly, the idea of a 44 year old bearded man crying at a kids movie, but this meant a lot to me having been a fan of Mario for nearly four decades. And with the history of the original Mario movie, this really felt like childhood me finally got what he asked for all those years ago. I loved it.

[@SkoomaBoi.]

I cant help but laugh as Arlo always references the backlash from the Sonic movie review

[@Doommaster677]

I went in with zero expectations and ended up having a great time, so I consider that a win

[@Ronnie06spartan]

I always loved Mario having a real world connection, specifically him being from NY. But I guess some people prefer him being straight from the Mushroom Kingdom, which never really made sense to me how he still somehow happened to have an Italian accent if he was from there lol

[@AnonymOus-ss9jj]

In the latest mainline game, there's a version of New York called New Donk City, with Pauline as the mayor, thus implying that this was the "New York" Mario was from, not a different world.

[@NickyvMLP]

The most obscure thing I saw was during the final fight scene, there was a sign for Nintendo Hanafuda cards.

[@MegaInferGoku19617]

Fun fact: movie Peach is the Peach from the comic strip in the 90s

[@kwesadilla8121]

A field of glowing fire flowers is imagery I can't believe I didn't think of before

[@psychokinrazalon]

17:44 No way in hell was Nintendo ever gonna go to Disney/Pixar for this.

[@draxon2006]

I agree

[@MikeTheGamerGuy]

He didnt say that though? He said it should have that level of quality, not that they should make the movie.