The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

Man this movie will be peak fiction, I guarantee it.
 
I'm calling it, this is what will be in the movie:

Waluigi in a surprise cameo for the post-credits scene.
 
Long as it's thematically appropriate and not some pop culture drivel it won't bother me none.
 
Mcmadness said:
Long as it's thematically appropriate and not some pop culture drivel it won't bother me none.
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But its Illumination you really think they wont do the second option yeah especially when people might want to watch the movie more when they sense it has the Mario magic instead of boring pop culture references so saying "it'll help sales if we add pop culture brainlessness" might not be the case so much compared to what Illumination might think
 
I still don't think Toad's voice is good enough for a song though even though it's not extremely annoying like it could have been
 
It did say improvised song though, so it's possibly not something like a full blown musical number and probably closer to Dory's "Just Keep Swimming" song or Cruz's "Loosen Those Ancient Joints" song.
 
Well I know I'm very late here but I just want to finally write up on how the trailer of this movie has gotten me looking forward to this. The whole thing had been extremely difficult to process for me and I just cannot write up to my best the past week. Hell, I'm still really excited today and just looking at movie screenshots again makes me really giddy like a hyped kid again. I've been wanting something like this for practically all my life, but I was willing to also accept this will never happen. After all, the live action Super Mario Bros. was such a horrible movie and I resent its existence maybe the same way some Paper Mario fans hate Sticker Star. We had movie-related discussions on Marioboards for years and people seemed adamant that movie adaptations of video game IPs just cannot be good and will be disastrous. I was always more optimistic about it, like I think it's possible to make profitable enjoyable movies and there always has been a common theme of prior failed video game movies which can be rectified. It took a while for people to warm up to the idea, however, but we finally did get some watchable movies like Angry Birds, Detective Pikachu, and those Sonic movies.

This is actually second in a series of thread regarding just this movie. This is one of the earlier threads. People I guess just flocked to this one, but IMO it makes it more confusing to navigate the discussion.

Why I want this movie? Particularly a GOOD movie? Well I'm biased. First and foremost I just want to see Mario (and Luigi) in these amazing high-fidelity visuals that simply cannot be replicated, especially with Nintendo's games that always seem like they're generations behind in terms of graphical fidelity. Second, I've been interested in some narrative-focused Mario that involves dialogue especially from Mario, especially when the games don't show Mario talk. I just like to see Mario on other media that aren't video games. It's why I was excited to see Super Mario-kun get localized in English, excited to get some copies of Super Mario-kun itself, was excited for Super Mario Adventures being put into book format; I really loved the Mario Power Tennis and Mario Golf Super Rush animated sequences, my sister and I shared screenshots from Super Sluggers cutscenes fantasizing as if they were movie screenshots. I really enjoyed the animated bits of the cartoons even if they were low quality. I fantasized about seeing Mario in the previews in the movie theaters. I was disappointed that the Mario Archie pitch didn't go anywhere. I was crushed with disappointment that Wreck-it Ralph didn't have Mario cameo besides a little blurb (though that bartender kinda looked like him). I was crushed again that Mario couldn't appear in the sequel despite promises he would (though the sequel overall was a supreme disappointment because I could've settled for more Fix-it Felix screentime, and we didn't even get much of that) though I accepted it and was, like, "Well Mario's gonna have an entire movie for himself anyway". I was really jealous of the Sonic fanbase that had their character be in long-running comics, had TV shows, had a movie, had an anime, had guest appearances in what seemed like anything possible; they were all varying quality but that they were there, it just seemed that Mario was lacking.

It felt like a while ago that the movie was leaked and rumored and I always took it as decent news. Looking at the old thread, it was first talked about IN 2017. Hell, I was still back at my old place with my sister when the movie was announced, which felt like forever ago. I was always morbidly interested in it. There were tons of people who just want this movie to fail, fail horribly, and I suppose the sentiment came from the fact that Illumination outputted some mediocre movies but I was overall more optimistic, just cautious about it and a little concerned. There were people even concerned with the visuals of the movie, and, while they're not on par with Pixar, I do think the visuals were always one of the stronger points of these films, not the weaker ones. But I didn't want this movie to fail. I wanted it to succeed and be decent, something I can view again and again. Some of my primary fears include how Mario would look like, but I was immediately comforted by the fact the movie will be animated. I do not want Mario as live-action. It was the first and most visible fatal mistake the original movie.

I really was wanting information from this for years, though most people did I suppose. After all, from what we knew about Nintendo and its tight handling of its IPs especially regarding western media trying to adapt the Mario franchise into something else, it was difficult to process that such a movie was going to be made, even back then. I wanted to hear it from a direct, but we didn't get anything much from it until that one day the casting choices happened. The movie also got delayed which made me disappointed but I accepted the longer wait and cursed the ongoing pandemic.

I had some thoughts back then and, judging by first impressions, my prediction has been correct. So far. Emphasis. So far.
My prediction is that it's going to be fun, it's going to look nice, it's going to be something kids enjoy, and it's going to be an enjoyable popcorn flick. It'll be a success as well. I think video game movies as of late have improved a lot as we got the Sonic movie, the Detective Pikachu movie, and now the recent Mortal Kombat movie, all which fall into "a treat for fans, decent popcorn flick for general audience, not much more: I'll give it a 6.8/10". It'll still be a big improvement over that dreadful Super Mario Bros. film and I'm (still) looking most forward to be all smug over *that* achievement given how much I dislike that film.
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Oh and I remember that one "rumor" years ago posited that the movie would follow the plot of Super Mario Adventures, but that seems to be completely wrong and I'm glad that's wrong since I personally wanted an original story.

Then some information leaked. For instance, we found that Foreman Spike was going to be in the movie, and I thought that was super neat because I was expecting mostly just mainline Mario cast.

Then the casting choice happened and my spirits sank a little because Charles Martinet wasn't going to play Mario. I was comforted to know that Mario would definitely talk in the movie. In spite of my disappointment I did show optimism for the cast. It's such a wild cast. I laughed out loud at a lot of these choices, with Toad's casting choice being my absolute favorite (and probably the only one I could recognize off the bat). I first heard about the casting choices in a conversation with my sister and I just couldn't believe it. I don't even think it was during a day of a direct, my sister just broke it to me while I left work. It keeps getting talked about, up until this day, and I figure because of the sudden casting reveal, this movie is going to get talked about even after the movie is released. Also, the casting news gave me hope that the movie wasn't in production hell, unlike several movies, it was actually having the ball rolling. Oh, and I was also trying to draw attention to the fact that the movie will be dubbed in different languages, and that is something I'm also looking forward too. Hell, maybe the dubs can do great Mario voices too.

I'm not a Martinet purist. I was hopeful for the voice in the movie because it'll still be a perky voice, just not the same kind. That being said, I was disappointed too that Pratt wasn't even going to do a Mario impression and that Pratt isn't known for his range, but I just generally accepted that outcome, since I was certainly accustomed hearing other voices come out Mario's mouth. I really liked the video of Mario going "You don't have to be the bad guy" from YouTube, and I thought, YES that could work. I could get used to this.

Anyway soon enough the poster dropped just late last month, September 2022, just right after an exciting announcement that we'll get a first look at the movie, and I got suuuuper excited again. After all, it was a literal first look of a movie that we all barely knew about since 2017, which I repeat, was five years and before something like Smash Ultimate was released. It was the same year Mario + Rabbids was released and THAT was a wild ride of emotions. I loved the poster immediately, though. It was a step in the right direction to me. I just took in everything what this beautiful poster offered, and all these amazing references, grinning so much and just reveling in my pleasure, the satisfaction after having waited soooo long for something like this to drop. I really liked the Biddybuds too here, like they're acknowledging the modern stuff, so the movie isn't JUST nostalgia pandering. This wait. Really felt like forever. I told myself so many times "yeah this is already better than that awful film from the 90s" no matter how much Illumination botches Mario's face or they have a terrible script. No amount of pop culture cringe will change my opinion. Mario had all the right proportions, though I noted the small hands immediately as well as the smaller features on Mario's head, which gave me hope. I noticed that the Toads looked a bit different but generally faithful, which also gave me hope. No Luigi unfortunately. I was also little concerned we didn't get to see Mario's face, and I spent all night contemplating what his face would look. Clearly they're teasing the thing for people to talk about for the next day.

Well, I WOULD'VE spent more time contemplating how he'd look if an image of him wasn't leaked online right on that night from a McDonald's promotion. At first it was a bit of a concern to me. Mario wasn't 100% like his game self, though it was apparent from the poster already. Mario just looked weird. I held out, saying that the perspective was bad, the colors were off, trying to encourage people that the image was not an accurate representation of this iteration Mario. That being said, despite the initial shock, the image started to grow on me, very quickly. I thought it gave it its own identity. The perspective fix only made it better. It was soo exciting seeing the face for the movie leaked, though it was at night when it was leaked, so I think I lost some sleep just, again, trying to process how much information just overwhelmed my poor head. I really wanted to see a first look at the trailer the next day. I had to endure through doomposting which I thought was getting pretty obnoxious even though there was a grain of validity to the feelings by these people.

The trailer DID drop the next day but I was at work. The whole thing distracted my thoughts at work, and I couldn't reach out to my sister until work was done, but I was excited. I saw briefly a first screenshot from the trailer, being Koopa Troopas, looking like Koopas! And my sister talking about penguins for some reason, but I was like, NO WAY they put penguins in the movie? Like those blue penguins? Which I asked her, and she said yes! And she also excitedly talked about Toad, quoting him so enthusiastically. I asked about Mario with some nervous excitement, and she was, like, "yeah he sounds like a dude and not Mario" and I guess it was expected for me. I asked if Luigi was in the movie, and she said yeah just in the last part of the scene. Idk the rest is background noise to me, sorry Jack Black Bowser.

I had to boot up the computer and watch the trailer and OH BOY.

I loved the trailer so much! The beginning part looked nothing like from a Mario movie. Seemed Disney-esque fantasy. Thought it was Peach's Castle about to get attacked. But no we get a first look at Bowser and the Penguins, and it was amazing. The visuals were impressive, which was something I'd expect from an Illumination film. Bowser sounded really good, just like himself. The penguins were hilarious too. I liked the subversive gag of the snowballs and the music getting cut off a lot, despite it being childish. It just seems SO on par with Mario's brand of humor (and also it feels like a western kind of humor which is the stuff I think I can relate more). I was just waiting for Mario to appear and FINALLY he gets thrown out of a pipe. There is also the famous Mario tune just faintly playing in the background. The scene just flew by so fast, though. I saw Mario's face and my god he looks amazing. The voice was, I guess, expected. But then Toad popped up and I laughed a lot remembering his casting choice. But wow the scenery in Mushroom Kingdom was fantastic and I just remembered how the original Mario film wasn't even colorful at all! THIS was the Mushroom Kingdom I knew, but in a golden animation format and not like the limited stuff we saw in the video games. And it's also a reminder this is also the first time we're seeing animated Mario characters in an animated movie. And then the title card shows and there's that grand SMB 1-1 theme and like wow I was blown away. Luigi also looks great! It's unfortunate I'm not seeing Luigi on the main poster or even on the leaked promotional merchandise (he does get a toy alongside Mario, Peach, and Toad) and not even with Mario in the film, though just in a disjointed cutscene at the end. I'm hoping Mario and Luigi are going to have a lot of screentime together.

My sister and I spent so long chatting excitedly about the movie. We spent a while sharing screenshots to each other both trying to process the entire trailer. I loved all parts of the trailer. Seeing the Koopa Troop, seeing the man-voice penguins, seeing Bowser going WHO'S GONNA STOP ME!!!, seeing Mario slowly contemplate the world he's in (sort of like how I'm just processing this trailer), seeing Toad screaming at Mario, seeing Mario going "Mushroom Kingdom, here we come!" seeing Luigi for the first time. Seeing this trailer in other languages was really hilarious too, reminiscent of me seeing Spongebob having memorable moments in different languages. The French language was my favorite but it was really a thing to behold to see Mario talk in fluent Italian for once. Hell, Mario and friends almost never have different language variations until now (though that older movie was probably dubbed). It's a little unfortunate we don't see the other characters like Spike, Peach (her face was leaked however, and I like how she looks!), Donkey Kong, and Cranky Kong, but everything was just a strong enough distraction. Mario is so freaking adorable though. Just love everything about it the face. I can look past the small hands and the voice.

All these years of waiting finally culminated in this. I still can't believe it. I loved everything about the trailer and I gave it several watches. My favorite parts remained the penguins and Mario's reveal with Toad. I haven't been this hyped for something like this in a long time, probably not since when Brawl was dropped. Not even Smash Bros. Ultimate's reveal did THIS much hype, even though it did give me decent hype once the "Everyone's Here" tagline dropped. I was talking about this trailer nonstop to my boyfriend probably, and I kept just looking at Mario and analyzing him. I noticed some people on social media really disliked his voice, but the voice didn't bother me at all.

I think the most exciting part of this story arc, possibly a redemption arc for Mario in film(!) is that it's not over! General cautious optimism has held up for me. I'm optimistic about that still! I also hope the doomposting part is going to scale back, and I'm really happy they're proven wrong so far. Let's just hope we can continue the momentum! Especially for Mario's voice! I can't wait for the next trailer for sure! Which I don't know when that'll happen, but the release date is only getting closer and closer, and the majority of this wait seems to be already done!

Anyway if you read all of this, thanks very much. Now you can go back to looking at nice positive memeposts related to this movie, as I'm generally enjoying most of it. Even some of the "cringe" ones like the TikTok edit on Mario waking up I've seen.
 
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Borp said:
Charles Martinet said in an interview that playing Mario for an entire movie would've been too hard on his voice, so that's another factor.
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Sorry to bother you again, but can we get a source linking to this? I'm really curious if this is actually true and not just a rumor. Thankies :)
 
 
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A lot of these posters look really neat. I can't wait to see the trailer tomorrow!
 
Threw a terrible meme together in PowerPoint.
Screenshot 2022-11-29 111033.png
 
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