Animation Illumination's Super Mario movie

[Iceman]

I'm still confused as to what critics thought this was going to be. The mainline mario games' narratives are paper thin.

They’ve absolutely mastered the visuals. Just feels a shame not to try and make something great on the story front too so we could see it get up there with the best of Pixar.

 

[Iceman]

For this property, absolutely.

Only paper thin plots are allowed when converting to film because ….Paper Mario?

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

They’ve absolutely mastered the visuals. Just feels a shame not to try and make something great on the story front too so we could see it get up there with the best of Pixar.

You expected them to do this with Mario? The narrative isn't there. I don't need to see "What if the Mushroom Kingdom had feelings." Something colorful for my kids while capturing the spirit of Mario's video game lineage is all I needed and that's what I got.

 

[Scarlet Spider]

Peach was probably my favorite character. Girls will love her. Everyone was great though. Mario, Luigi, Bowser, etc. Donkey Kong was hilarious.

 

[CaptainWagner]

I'm still confused as to what critics thought this was going to be. The mainline mario games' narratives are paper thin.

Yeah, so the burden of creating a compelling story is on the screenwriter. Mario games don't need a strong story, they aren't a story-based medium. But this is a MOVIE not a game. You can't hide behind the games as an excuse for not bothering to write a good script.

A bad script is a bad script. Doesn't matter what the source material is.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

Yeah, so the burden of creating a compelling story is on the screenwriter. Mario games don't need a strong story, they aren't a story-based medium. But this is a MOVIE not a game. You can't hide behind the games as an excuse for not bothering to write a good script.

A bad script is a bad script. Doesn't matter what the source material is.

Nonsense. This movie did exactly what they set out to do. Going this hard on a children's movie is pathetic. Go back and play the games and keep your nostalgia in check.

 

[CaptainWagner]

Nonsense. This movie did exactly what they set out to do. Going this hard on a children's movie is pathetic. Go back and play the games and keep your nostalgia in check.

How in the world are we still dealing with "It's for kid's, it doesn't need to be good" in a post-Pixar, post-Ghibli era? Kids deserve good stories just as much as adults do. In fact, it's developmentally vital for them to be given thoughtful narratives to engage with.

 

[Stringer]

For this property, absolutely. If you went into this expecting more that what this is, I honestly question how many mario games you've played in the last 40 years.

It's not a game, it's a movie. It's going to be criticized as a movie and you seem to be upset that it's being judged as such.

 

[Iceman]

You expected them to do this with Mario? The narrative isn't there. I don't need to see "What if the Mushroom Kingdom had feelings." Something colorful for my kids while capturing the spirit of Mario's video game lineage is all I needed and that's what I got.

A good writer can make a good story from any base - it's not only about converting material that's already narratively great like Lord of the Rings. Pixar do that from a base like a kid's toy box - make a story about it, go! And then that appeals to kids and adults and is with them for decades.

One of the reasons I’m still a geek in the home straight towards my 50s is that the best stuff for kids I consumed as a kid stayed equally appealing as an adult. So I never grew out of the properties that managed that while the rest became extremely dated. The best projects appealed even to adults who weren’t fans of the property. Paper thin stories and characters won't entertain or be memorable to adults without kids or nostalgia for Mario, and won't be held in the same regard by those kids as they get older. Seems like a missed opportunity to give them something special for life.

That right wing commentator above is saying that no adults apart from losers watch animation and even though she sounds like a total imbecile, it's not surprising that opinions like that exist if expectations for animation are this low beyond visuals.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

It's not a game, it's a movie. It's going to be criticized as a movie and you seem to be upset that it's being judged as such.

No I actually find it hilarious and frankly pathetic how hard reviewers went on this. We knew exactly what this was going to be the second it was announced. It's called setting the correct expectations.

How in the world are we still dealing with "It's for kid's, it doesn't need to be good" in a post-Pixar, post-Ghibli era? Kids deserve good stories just as much as adults do. In fact, it's developmentally vital for them to be given thoughtful narratives to engage with.

And they get those stories from Ghibli and Pixar. It's not necessary here or even warranted. They also deserve to be able to turn off their brains for 90 minutes and have dumb popcorn fun.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

A good writer can make a good story from any base - it's not only about converting material that's already narratively great like Lord of the Rings. Pixar do that from a base like a kid's toy box - make a story about it, go! And then that appeals to kids and adults and is with them for decades.

One of the reasons I’m still a geek in the home straight towards my 50s is that the stuff for kids I consumed as a kid stayed equally appealing as an adult. So I never grew out of the properties that managed that while the rest became extremely dated. The best projects appealed even to adults who weren’t fans of the property. Paper thin stories and characters won't entertain or be memorable to adults without kids or nostalgia for Mario, and won't be held in the same regard by those kids as they get older. Seems like a missed opportunity to give them something special for life.

That right wing commentator above is saying that no adults apart from losers watch animation and even though she sounds like a total imbecile, it's not surprising that opinions like that exist if expectations for animation are this low beyond visuals.

I honestly don't care if this thing has lasting appeal for non fan adults. My kids have been talking about this film non-stop since yesterday. It's going to stay with them. I'm probably going to take them again next week. Again, the second illumination was attached to this, you should have set your expectations there.

 

[Arachnerd]

Some of guys are claiming this stuff without even seeing the movie first. Maybe it's best to wait until you actually see it before agreeing that the movie's plot sucks? Otherwise it just comes across as a shamelessly biased notion.

I don't expect this movie to be complex, and that's okay. Simple stories can and have been done well. As long as the movie hit its the notes it needs and is an overall fun time, there shouldn't be an issue. The first Sonic movie was also paper thin in plot, but it was still decent imo. If it's on the same level as that, it's not a problem imo.

 

[KillerMcQueen]

I expect I'll end up enjoying this when I see it, but I still really would appreciate some depth to dig in to, give us a villain like Count Bleck, or a treasure hunt filled with twists and turns like Thousand Year Door, or explore the backstory of a character like Rosalina, contrary to the popular defenses being used the games do provide enough material to craft good stories from. Why aim for good when you can aim for great? A property like Mario certainly deserves the latter.

 

[Stringer]

Some of guys are claiming this stuff without even seeing the movie first. Maybe it's best to wait until you actually see it before agreeing that the movie's plot sucks? Otherwise it just comes across as a shamelessly biased notion.

I don't expect this movie to be complex, and that's okay. Simple stories can and have been done well. As long as the movie hit its the notes it needs and is an overall fun time, there shouldn't be an issue. The first Sonic movie was also paper thin in plot, but it was still decent imo. If it's on the same level as that, it's not a problem imo.

Buddy is going in on critics that have seen it and has basically agreed with them that the plot is weak which is a reasonable critique. I don't need to see it (I will soon) to disagree with what sounds like a rigid defense of the movie.

 

[OtherwiseKnownAs]

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

Buddy is going in on critics that have seen it and has basically agreed with them that the plot is weak which is a reasonable critique. I don't need to see it (I will soon) to disagree with what sounds like a rigid defense of the movie.

The plot isn't weak in the context of the IP that they're adapting. That's my point. Mario's busting Goombas, getting powerups and saving the day. Its exactly what it's supposed to be. I'm not trying to pick on anyone here but expecting a Pixar level film from two companies that historically do not do that is just setting yourself up for disappointment and they're not going to waste their time on characters from side games the general gaming audience didn't play.

 

[Arachnerd]

Buddy is going in on critics that have seen it and has basically agreed with them that the plot is weak which is a reasonable critique. I don't need to see it (I will soon) to disagree with what sounds like a rigid defense of the movie.

I would agree, if some of the reviews I've read hadn't had perplexing opinions on the matter. Like, whatever the hell Grace Randolph's review of it was and that one critic who said the 1993 movie was a better and more enjoyable Mario adaptation than this. Those kind of critiques are enough for me to roll my eyes and not take this kind of opinion seriously.

I'll go see it, and whatever my thoughts on it end up being, good or bad, will not be parroted by the opinions of others or a site that I swear people treat as absolute gospel nowadays with no original thoughts of their own as much as there are people who discredit it entirely.

 

[KillerMcQueen]

I would agree, if some of the reviews I've read hadn't had perplexing opinions on the matter. Like, whatever the hell Grace Randolph's review of it was and that one critic who said the 1993 movie was a better and more enjoyable Mario adaptation than this. Those kind of critiques are enough for me to roll my eyes and not take this kind of opinion seriously.

I'll go see it, and whatever my thoughts on it end up being, good or bad, will not be parroted by the opinions of others or a site that I swear people treat as absolute gospel nowadays with no original thoughts of their own as much as there are people who discredit it entirely.

Every movie is going to have its fair share of silly reviews, and idiots like Grace should just be ignored in general, but just because one of the negative reviews is from someone pathetic like her doesn't mean that all the negative reviews should be written off. There are going to be a lot of people with very valid reasons for not enjoying the movie, we can still use the details of these reviews (actually reading the reviews instead of just looking at a number comprised of random opinions matters, so I do agree that sites like RT have had a largely negative effect) to help keep our expectations in check before we go and see the movie and judge for ourselves.

 

[CaptainWagner]

And they get those stories from Ghibli and Pixar. It's not necessary here or even warranted. They also deserve to be able to turn off their brains for 90 minutes and have dumb popcorn fun.

I would argue it is, in fact necessary and warranted for any movie to put effort into its story if it wants to be respected. But that's beside the point.

No one is arguing kids can't have dumb fun with movies. My friends and I adore dumb fun flicks like 'Drive Angry' or, to default to the classic, 'The Room.' That doesn't change the fact that they're bad movies. We shouldn't hold - or expect critics to hold - different standards for movies that don't TRY to be good. It's fine to enjoy it, but that doesn't alter the critical paradigm, nor make it wrong to pressure studios to do better.

 

[CB Fan]

The movie is wack, the plot is weak, the script is weak. Heck Pratt too is weak.

I don’t care that the games plot is thin this ain’t a game it’s a movie. Mario games have gone on long enough to provide all the unique characters/worlds needed to develop a better story to entertain people of all ages not just one for those under the age of five.

 

[Still Wynning]

I don’t care that the games plot is thin this ain’t a game it’s a movie. Mario games have gone on long enough to provide all the unique characters/worlds needed to develop a better story to entertain people of all ages not just one for those under the age of five.

Now, I would say even that’s a bit reductive.

Something like Bluey is very much aimed at a preschool audience, but not once does it talk down to that audience. It very much gets to them on a level they can understand but also does it and deals with issues in a smart, mature way.

Any piece of media, regardless of any age, can still be handled with a deft hand.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

I would argue it is, in fact necessary and warranted for any movie to put effort into its story if it wants to be respected. But that's beside the point.

No one is arguing kids can't have dumb fun with movies. My friends and I adore dumb fun flicks like 'Drive Angry' or, to default to the classic, 'The Room.' That doesn't change the fact that they're bad movies. We shouldn't hold - or expect critics to hold - different standards for movies that don't TRY to be good. It's fine to enjoy it, but that doesn't alter the critical paradigm, nor make it wrong to pressure studios to do better.

Have you read some of these reviews? An ounce of self awareness would go a long way with critics. I'm not asking for the movie to be graded on a scale but at the very least understand the property and spare us all the hyperbole. Everything people love about mario is in this movie. It does what it's supposed to do and it's making **** ton of money so its not like the critical reception even matters here. Again, I'm not mad about it, I just think it's hilarious and pathetic that the cinema community is being so up their own ass about a Mario movie.

 

[Drizzle]

I got the post credits scene spoiled for me thanks to YouTube's algorithm.

Spoiler

It confirmed my disappointment that Yoshi isn't really in it except for a sequel tease in the credits.

 

[The Big G]

 

[Sithborg]

The movie is wack, the plot is weak, the script is weak. Heck Pratt too is weak.

I don’t care that the games plot is thin this ain’t a game it’s a movie. Mario games have gone on long enough to provide all the unique characters/worlds needed to develop a better story to entertain people of all ages not just one for those under the age of five.

That is a massive, massive overestimation of what the IP has done for decades. Mario games can get away with paper thin plots. Movies can't. But unfortunately, the movies will be contending with a man who does not view story as important to this character.