Making a good video game movie is always easier said than done as countless mediocre or utterly dismal attempts have previously shown, and yet, many forget that all of the films that ended up disappointing fans came after Nintendo broke ground with its 1993 version of Super Mario Bros.
It seems fitting that the most recognizable figure in gaming was the one to get his own video game to cinema adaptation first, however, Super Mario Bros. left such a bitter taste in the mouths of Nintendo executives and Mario fans that it took 26 years for The Pokémon Company to allow Detective Pikachu to be made. So, how does Nintendo make sure the movie Mario is done justice?
Well, fortunately, the first part had already been handled by Nintendo when it took such a hands-on approach in the makings of what would appear to be the first entry in the Mario Cinematic Universe. Instead of simply licensing the film rights like so many gaming companies tend to do, Nintendo will oversee production alongside Illumination, the studio behind Despicable Me and Secret Life of Pets.
The much-needed partnership ensures that Mario is advised by people who already know what it takes to make a successful animated film, and in Matthew Fogel they already have someone with screenwriting experience of this kind. Fogel’s most prominent work up to date is The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, plus the upcoming Minions: The Rise of Gru, two animated movies that rely heavily on Mario’s best humoristic power-up: physical comedy.
Charles Martinet’s omission to voice Mario was both surprising and fully comprehensible, seeing as he hasn’t done any TV or film work since becoming Mario. Nevertheless, the man’s legacy is so big partly because ushered in the era of a new type of funny for Mario. Although Mario games up until the Nintendo 64 did include their fair share of funny bits in text dialog and so did promotional campaigns, the truth is Mario became way funnier once he was given a new polygonal life in Super Mario 64.
All of a sudden Mario could move through space in a way he never could before, revealing a character that fans sensed was already there somehow but who was tightly constrained in his sprite form. Super Mario 64 is a legendary game because it showed the world what a 3D platformer could be and part of that was down to the expressiveness that came with every single one of Mario’s animations accompanied by Martinet’s voice.
That transition should help outline the most important task for Nintendo and Illumination with a new Mario movie, making it a film that’s more about the animation and expresses itself almost sufficiently that way without relying on dialogue. If there’s such a thing as Mario humor, it’s certainly rooted in making the best out of each scene that puts these gorgeous characters together.
In fact, for all that has been said about the movie’s cast, especially the decision to have Chris Pratt play Mario, that discussion should really be far from the main concern for a Mario that will ultimately live or die according to how it looks more than anything else. After all, Mario characters barely speak and when they do the sounds they make are there only as an extra touch for scenes that really need no explanation.
In that sense, that Nintendo joined forces with the studio behind the Minions (arguably the biggest physical comedy powerhouses of the last decade) is really a blessing for Mario and friends. Much like Mario, the Minions restricted speech sees them limited to gibberish that’s only really translated thanks to the way they’re uniquely animated and through their actions.
This is not to say the upcoming Super Mario movie is exempt from delivering a coherent story but besides a fresh new variant of Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach, that's not the real reason that will drive people to see the movie. No one plays a Mario game for its story. Instead people play Mario because they know they’ll get some of the best and well-put-together platforming out there, with the added bonus of it being based on gaming's most recognizable face.
It’s precisely for that same reason that the bar for Mario might perhaps not be as high as it is for other video game franchises looking to make the jump, for example, the new Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City or the Uncharted movie that even has Tom Holland second-guessing himself. By staying fully animated instead of taking the Sonic route, Nintendo is already doing Mario a huge favor.
When asked about her role as Princess Peach, Anya Taylor-Joy jokingly said she loves being able to play video games and have that count as research work, and yet that perfectly exemplifies the reality of making a Mario movie. It's quite possible most of the expressions and mannerisms for each of the characters will be taken from games in the 3D era, because in a way the movie landscape represents what 3D gaming did for Mario in 1996, a new world opening up a different set of possibilities.