With The Super Mario Bros. Movie about a week away from its release in theaters, Chris Pratt, who plays the lead as the titular character Mario, has given fans a new reason to be hyped about the film adaptation of the most iconic video game franchise - the final product made him cry tears of nostalgic joy.
Pratt admitted that The Super Mario Bros. Movie made him tear up due to multiple factors, including the amount of heart put into it. Instead of it being another nostalgic cash grab, it utilizes the nostalgia behind it to make the movie enjoyable for all audiences who are not only fans of Mario but also grew up with the game, given its lengthy legacy.
In an interview with iHollywoodTV, Pratt explained why he got emotional when he watched The Super Mario Bros. Movie. "I loved it. I cried, actually. I literally cried seeing this movie. I was so proud of it. It's fantastic. It's funny. It's got a lot of heart. It touches on all of the nostalgia. It's beautifully lit, shot, and animated. It's just a masterpiece. I'm very, very excited about it." Pratt also talked about how the nostalgia element will make audiences enjoy it. "Everyone's got that nostalgic moment in their childhood that they hold onto. Mario is that nostalgic moment for a lot of people across many generations because there have been so many iterations of the game."
Though there previously was a Super Mario Bros. movie from 30 years ago, the times have changed quite a bit since then. There's a lot of new material for writers to use from the games that have come out since 1993. Better yet, having it animated gives them more freedom to give it a feel like the original games that they grew up with. Part of the reason why the live-action film was not received well was that it didn't feel like it was based on a Mario story. It felt more like a Mario cosplay that took quite a few liberties in its execution. Its bad reputation among fans all these years played a part in why it took Nintendo as long as it did to greenlight another Mario movie.
Not only was there quite a bit of passion put into The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but it feels as though they knew what they were doing this go-round. Choosing to have the film be animated was the right choice because it now feels like a Super Mario story. Better yet, including material that fans are most likely to be familiar with should put them at ease since it appears they won't take any liberties. Although having Mario rescue Luigi instead of Princess Peach in the games instead is a little different, it's not to the point where it's off-putting. It's a welcome change of pace.
However, the only way to know if The Super Mario Bros. Movie will be good is when it comes out in theaters. Though movies and television shows based on video games have been getting much better reception of late, that doesn't automatically guarantee that every new one will be good. For every The Last of Us, there's still Uncharted. All indications are that The Super Mario Bros. Movie won't be another lazy cash grab, but they must be more than just that to continue breaking the cycle of bad video game movies.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie will premiere in theaters on April 5, 2022.
Source: iHollywoodTV/YouTube