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The Super Mario Bros. Movie is now the third biggest animated movie ever, behind only Frozen and Frozen 2.

supernova8

Banned
I thought this movie has next to no plot and that's why the critics thought it was nothing special?

Having watched it, while I can agree with the argument that it was pretty meh as a standalone movie and 100% carried by the fact that it's Mario, we should also compare to it all the garbage video game movie adaptations.

In that context, I'd say the Mario movie was everything a Mario movie should've been. Also I was apprehensive about Jack Black voicing Bowser but on balance I think he nailed it in terms of striking a balance between the husky voice and keeping it comical (because the Mario franchise has never taken itself seriously).

Movie critics were just itching to call it shit but they can fuck off.

For comparison, the most recent Resident Evil movie is an example of a film that could've been good but they fucked it up.
The Far Cry movie is an example of just...ugh puke in movie format.
the Warcraft movie wasn't bad per se, but you can tell it tried to be LoTR without having the budget/scale to really do that.
 
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MMaRsu

Member
Calling things soulless with no explanation is soulless.

This take is soulless.

It was super generic and the voices are annoying. I don't need to hear Seth Rogen's laugh as Donkey Kong. Completely took me out of the experience.

I have nothing against SR, I love him as an actor but in this.. nah.

Chris Pratt was boring. No fun personality given to Mario through his voice.

The commercial pop songs were annoying and threw me out of the movie, I understand it can't be all Mario tunes, but Take on Me from A-Ha? Fuck off.

The story was meh, nothing special. The Mario family was stupid. We don't need to see Mario's mom and pop. They added nothing to the story either.

I could go on. Jack Black and the blue guy from Galaxy were the only saving grace.
 

Robb

Gold Member
Instead of let it go, Letsa Go
Letsa goooo!
Letsa goooooo!
It’s-a-me Mariooooo!
hthvIP1.jpg
 

DareDaniel

Banned
The commercial pop songs were annoying and threw me out of the movie, I understand it can't be all Mario tunes, but Take on Me from A-Ha? Fuck off.
Maybe they wanted to use a song that was released in the same year of Super Mario Bros on NES for nostalgia?
Anyway, nothing you said ("annoying", "boring", "meh") provides any explanation on why the movie is "soulless".
 
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Fbh

Gold Member
Zelda or Metroid next? I would say Zelda.

Donkey Kong would make the most sense as he and other DK characters were already in the Mario Movie and you can easily make another similar child friendly movie with the IP (you can even have Mario show up).
I honestly don't see them making a Metroid Movie. It doesn't have the same mass appeal and it'd be hard to make it child friendly without ruining the style/atmosphere. Maybe an animated TV show with Netflix/Amazon.
 

Tams

Gold Member
A lot of bad movies in that top 10 list. Holyshit, this is why the West believes animation is just for children.

I mean, if you're going with the whole 'the East sees animation as for anyone', well... the quality of the stories of a lot anime leaves an awful lot to be desired, and many are just escapes back to childhood stories.

I'd even say that the absolute dumpster fire that probably should be forgotten of The Rings of Power has a better story (even after the butchering of Tolkien's work) than many anime.
 

Pelao

Member
I had to translate this for a streaming service prior to the digital release and, even though I had to watch it for work and the quality I watched it in wasn't the best, I found it quite enjoyable. I don't think it's the best movie on that list, but I do think it's the most competent thing they could have done with the IP. I understand why it is so successful.
 

MMaRsu

Member
Maybe they wanted to use a song that was released in the same year of Super Mario Bros on NES for nostalgia?
Anyway, nothing you said ("annoying", "boring", "meh") provides any explanation on why the movie is "soulless".
Ok fine bro, like I give a fuck.
 
I mean, if you're going with the whole 'the East sees animation as for anyone', well... the quality of the stories of a lot anime leaves an awful lot to be desired, and many are just escapes back to childhood stories.

I'd even say that the absolute dumpster fire that probably should be forgotten of The Rings of Power has a better story (even after the butchering of Tolkien's work) than many anime.
Post the list of anime you've seen. Do not say Demon Slayer or you're going on a block list.
 

SmokedMeat

Gamer™
It was super generic and the voices are annoying. I don't need to hear Seth Rogen's laugh as Donkey Kong. Completely took me out of the experience.

I have nothing against SR, I love him as an actor but in this.. nah.

Chris Pratt was boring. No fun personality given to Mario through his voice.

The commercial pop songs were annoying and threw me out of the movie, I understand it can't be all Mario tunes, but Take on Me from A-Ha? Fuck off.

The story was meh, nothing special. The Mario family was stupid. We don't need to see Mario's mom and pop. They added nothing to the story either.

I could go on. Jack Black and the blue guy from Galaxy were the only saving grace.

It’s a kids movie, and one with more funny spots than I anticipated.

Complaining about the story in a Mario movie is peak goofiness. Like the games had complex stories 😂
 

Little Mac

Member
Puss In Boots 2 is one of the very, very best animated movies to come out in like 10 years.

Laugh out loud funny for kids and adults, great characters, an amazing redemption story - seriously brilliant.

For me it was how haunting and badass the antagonist was and his reasoning behind pursuing Puss. Also Puss' enlightenment during the climax.

 

Tams

Gold Member
Post the list of anime you've seen. Do not say Demon Slayer or you're going on a block list.
Well, of the ones you're less likely to use in a misguidef argument against me:
  • Black Lagoon
  • Psycho-Pass
  • Steins Gate
  • Evangelion
  • The Flowers of Evil
  • Silver Spoon
  • Bakuman
  • Log Horizon
  • Magi
  • White Album
  • Space Dandy
  • Space Brothers
  • Saint Young Men
And a fuck-load more. Some rather 'childish' or very much based around school life.

Look, I love anime as much as computer games. But you can't deny that many aren't the most 'mature'.
 
I mean, if you're going with the whole 'the East sees animation as for anyone', well... the quality of the stories of a lot anime leaves an awful lot to be desired, and many are just escapes back to childhood stories.

I'd even say that the absolute dumpster fire that probably should be forgotten of The Rings of Power has a better story (even after the butchering of Tolkien's work) than many anime.
Your argument make no sense : East see animation as a medium for everyone, exactly as live action. This doesn't mean that a serie or a film could and very often is been made with a specific target in mind, both in age and/ or sex, but they can easily choose a mature target and still be commercially viable.
 

DeathGuise

Member
Like clockwork in every Mario thread. Does the "woke" propaganda know it's living rent free in your minds?

Anyway, it was a fantastic film that truly had me smiling like a little school boy seeing all the nods to my early childhood. Fiance and I loved it, even if the story was somewhat rushed it still had heart. Apparently that's hard to critique appropriately for many reviewers.
2f7.jpg
 

Tams

Gold Member
Your argument make no sense : East see animation as a medium for everyone, exactly as live action. This doesn't mean that a serie or a film could and very often is been made with a specific target in mind, both in age and/ or sex, but they can easily choose a mature target and still be commercially viable.
I never said that there aren't 'mature' Asian animations.

But compared to the number of the (good) Western live action films and shows, they are miniscule.

Tell me, where is their equivalent to Rome, The Wire, The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Spooks, The Thick of It, Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon?

Mostly it's down to tastes (and perceived tastes by broadcasters). But for outside audiences that does leave a lot to be desired (and that goes both ways).
 

Portugeezer

Member
Gawt dayum! That's actually insane. Remember all the kids singing "let it go" seemingly forever?

Now we have nostalgic parents instilling some Mario culture into their kids.
 

Cyberpunkd

Gold Member
Deserved.

Perfect movie for kids, just a fun ride for the family, something Disney and Hollywood don’t care about anymore cuz woke propaganda is more important.
This. It's really a perfect movie, full of positivity and the action is brisk. Damn, even Bowser is likable. No drama, no philosophical monologues, just pure fun.
 

RAIDEN1

Member
I've started watching it....about 45 minutes in....what I don't get is the origins of Princess Daisy, its like she just ended up walking through the pipe and lands in mushroom land, but how did she find it, what about her parents? This movie is what should have been released in 1994...instead of the late Bob Hoskins as Mario...there was no need for a live-action adaption, that being said I guess the CGI wasn't quite there yet in 1993/94 to have it on a Toy-Story like level of presentation....
 

calistan

Member
One thing I notice about that top 10 list is that the movies are all extraordinarily high quality. Every single one of them is an absolute banger that I'd watch (have watched) multiple times - a perk of having an 8-year-old daughter.

I was never all that convinced by CGI animation in the Toy Story 1 / Antz era, and I always preferred the look of classic hand-drawn Disney and Ghibli, but the stuff that Disney and Pixar have been putting out in the last 10-15 years is amazing, on both a technical and a storytelling level. Illumination is a tier below that, for me, but still very good, and then there's a sea of Euro-jank that only helps the top players stand out even more. Did anyone see Ghibli's plasticky debut CGI effort? Almost heartbreakingly ugly.

M1sxDGB.jpg

By the way, compare the top 10 grossing animated movies to the top 10 overall. Personal taste, but to me this is mostly a list of complete shit that I would never watch again, and the animated top 10 far outstrips every movie here. Goddamn Marvel films are a cancer. Not sure why the Lion King remake wasn't listed at #1 in the OP, but I prefer the original anyway. Frozen 2 comes in at #13 in the overall list.

1Avatar $2,923,706,0262009
2Avengers: Endgame $2,799,439,1002019
3Avatar: The Way of Water $2,320,247,7382022
4Titanic $2,264,743,3051997
5Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens$2,071,310,2182015
6Avengers: Infinity War $2,052,415,0392018
7Spider-Man: No Way Home $1,921,847,1112021
8Jurassic World $1,671,537,4442015
9The Lion King $1,663,075,4012019
10The Avengers$1,518,815,515 2012
 

Lupin3

Targeting terrorists with a D-Pad
Great movie, and well deserved. The entire family loved it. Am already waiting for the second one.
 
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