Impressions from the cartoon “Super Mario Bros. Movies”. A classic Nintendo game on the big screen

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is another attempt to bring the adventures of famous plumbers to the big screen. This time Nintendo decided to play it safe with live actors (the 1993 film is still a nightmare for many) and make a cartoon. Responsible work was entrusted to connoisseurs of box office success – the Illumination studio. Trailers promised a nice picture and faithfulness to the original source. However, critics did not appreciate the project and drowned it in low ratings. The audience across the street really liked it. What went wrong, and is it really, in the language of the game, “the princess in another castle”? In the article, we analyzed in detail the reasons for the dissatisfaction of critics and prepared for you several arguments why the new version of Mario should still be given a chance.

The main contention of critics was the idea that the cartoon is an empty and unscrupulous blockbuster forgotten five minutes after viewing. To some extent this is indeed true. The plot is simple, the characters are typical and the moral is for children.

Illumination is known for its humor and relevant references to our reality. Irony, and sometimes explicit sarcasm, formed the basis of the entire Despicable Me series and so something similar was expected from the new creation. Reimagined graphics of Mario, Princess Peach, and Bowser would surely grab everyone’s attention. Yes, and a clear knowledge of the universe of plumbers would not hurt. Could the studio have done all this? No doubt. The ancestors of the followers have enough talent and imagination to completely deconstruct the world of the moustachioed merry fellow.

However, in the end, the most ordinary children’s cartoon came out, which, however, gives the audience exactly what it promised. We think that this result is not at all the fault of Illumination. Nintendo is extremely careful about any experiments and does not like to take risks. No one hid full control over all stages of the creation of the cartoon, which is why the final look of the project is not the laziness of Illumination, but the conscious choice of the rights holders.

Mario and Luigi are portrayed as complete failures, unsuccessfully trying to start their own business in Brooklyn. The plot seems more than realistic, but then the heroes are waiting for a whole series of events that will happen “just like that”.

The brothers accidentally find a magic pipe to another world, Mario immediately finds himself in the mushroom kingdom and is immediately well received there. Princess Peach simply decides to give an unknown man a one-day course for a young fighter and tell him about the secret of improving mushrooms. The whole cartoon literally consists of such favorable conditions.

The characters don’t excel in versatility either. Mario, Luigi and Peach are good. Bowser is bad. Donkey Kong is stubborn, yet positive. That’s really all. The arcs the main characters go through are predictable: Mario begins to believe in himself, Kong is no longer a laughing stock, and Peach becomes completely independent. A number of characters are generally just necessary for the plot for show.

However, here the situation is exactly the same as in the recent movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. A simple story can also work if you give it competent content. And here comes the plus points of Super Mario Brothers in the Movies, which have already brought the cartoon an astronomical box office and more than doubled its cost.

You need to evaluate the novelty from the position of a childhood photo or a “feed for fans”.

Speaking of the pluses of the picture, I want to start right away with the visual. Mario’s adventures look great. Lighting deviated from his usual style and presented the world and characters with photographic accuracy. It looks like you’re looking at screensavers from the next-gen version of the game. The occasional change of perspective in 2D as the characters run over obstacles from side to side only adds to the feel.

The absence of visual innovations only benefits the project – the images are unmistakably recognized. The bright color palette immediately creates the atmosphere of a cheerful holiday, and even in serious moments this feeling does not let go of the audience.

In game versions, the reasons for the conflict between the huge turtle and the little princess changed frequently. Only Mario remained the same. The makers chose the most original reason for the collision. Bowser is head over heels in love with Peach. How it happened, we are not shown, but it is a pity. The villain has a very clear motivation, although he still fails to elicit sympathy. In the original, the antagonist is voiced by the magnificent Jack Black, so the turtle is equally cool and swears and sings to the piano. Russian dubbing tries to match – it works out pretty well.

Unfortunately, the creators decided to simplify the “love theme” as much as possible. Neither Mario nor Peach himself talk about their preferences at all, there isn’t even a spark between them. In addition, we are not given any information about age, which creates a funny dissonance. The heroes behave like teenagers, for whom feelings simply don’t play a role yet, but the villain is slightly different.

Mario seems older than everyone else, but over the course of the story, it’s Bowser who feels the most “adult”. His performances are almost the cartoon’s most emotional moments, albeit on the level of puberty. Before dr. Robotnik performed by Jim Carrey (Jim Carrey) from “Sonic in the movie” (Sonic the Hedgehog) is far away, but still unusual and interesting.

The main thing that the cartoon literally consists of is references, Easter eggs and fan service. Experienced players will smile more than once because of how organically these or other details of the original universe fit into the plot. For example, upgrades not only give Mario temporary strength and stamina, but also different outfits with special abilities – just like in Super Mario Odyssey. And a trip on assembled cars one on one of Mario Kart.

For true aesthetes, there were also more subtle things in store. The meeting with Donkey Kong literally repeats the first appearance of Mario with another name – Jump Man. Even if it seems that you have noticed absolutely all the references, you can be sure that soon many hours of videos will appear on YouTube, where it will turn out to be many times more.

All these cute details show the love the creators put into the project. You are literally transported back to your childhood. In a sense, Super Mario Bros. Movie on a deeper level with the adult audience, through the inner child. we respect.

The music is divided into various adaptations of the classic tune from the games and modern hits.

The latter are picked up at such good moments that you involuntarily burst into a smile.

Super Mario Bros. Movie is the perfect attraction that brings out the best in the game series. After watching, you’ll want to get started on one of the many Mario projects right away. What if it’s not a success?

However, if you don’t know anything about the plumber in the red hat, the cartoon may not catch on. The project has a very clearly defined target group. However, as the fees show, this does not stand in the way of success.