The news of Illumination making a new Super Mario movie, and that it's meant to come out in 2022, is one that's excited a lot of Mario fans. People also have been skeptical, however, about how well they'll be able to pull it off. The 1993 Super Mario Bros. film is universally thought of as bad, and no other big Mario movie has been attempted since. People also have doubts about the Illumination studio as a whole because of their past works. With the success of 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog, there will no doubt be comparisons made between the two and it'll be very evident if the Mario movie doesn't live up to the fun found in Sonic's movie. It's a difficult undertaking, however if done correctly Mario can be just as good if not better and it already has some advantages it can use in its favor.
Though Illumination may have some blunders in its filmography, it's a studio that knows how to do family-friendly and knows how to do fun. Their first film, Despicable Me, is a genuinely good movie with a lot of laughs and a lot of fun. It also spawned an entire franchise, with the silly Minions as their mascot. Over 10 years since their introduction, the Minions characters are still incredibly popular and they have another Minions film set to release in 2022. Though some people are now kind of annoyed by the creatures, their longevity shows that Illumination knows how to manage a franchise. Their films, though some might lack in quality just a bit, are undeniably fun and really appeal to their target audiences very well.
This film will be fully animated while Sonic was live-action, and this works very well in Mario's favor. The world of Mario is fully fleshed out with a lot of diversity and distinct parts. Not only is it super recognizable, but in high-quality animation, it can add a ton of fun and whimsy to a movie as well as looking beautiful. Sonic the Hedgehog was able to achieve an incredibly fun film in a very ordinary setting. If the Mario film uses its built-in massively fun setting to its advantage, a lot of the work is already done. With the project being set in Mario's world, things like the extra human characters that detracted from the fun in the Sonic film won't be a factor. It also has to use references and Easter eggs that fans can easily point out and recognize, which is something that Sonic the Hedgehog did very well, and it'll add to the viewing experience of a lot of Mario lovers.
Sonic the Hedgehog used only two Sonic franchise characters in the whole movie, despite there being many at their disposal. It didn't seem to hurt the film much at all, as it really seemed to set up more characters being introduced in sequels, but a Mario movie should take advantage of the many fun characters throughout the franchise if it wants to be compelling and entertaining. A movie only about the Mario character could get old really fast, especially if he is mostly silent as he is in the games. Having the other characters, all the super well-known ones like Luigi and Peach and Bowser, be a part of the story could really help the film succeed. Not only will more fans get to see their favorite character in a movie, but it allows for more room for jokes and storylines.
It's incredibly important to note that Nintendo is directly involved in this project, which plays as a huge advantage to the Mario film. It's a collaboration with Illumination as opposed to Illumination having full control of the film, and that should really ease the minds of Mario fans to a certain degree. With Mario's creator and the company who handles him involved, there's a lot more of a chance that not only will the character be respected but that the project will be done carefully as it will directly have an effect on Nintendo's name as a company. They want this to be a success as much as the fans do. Because of this, it's unlikely that viewers will see the blunders like what was done with Sonic's design in his movie, or the random extra characters that take away from the fun.
People were kind of surprised when Sonic the Hedgehog was actually good, and now the pressure is kind of on Illumination and Nintendo when it comes to the new Mario movie. There are definitely aspects that make it a difficult feat, and fans are torn on what to expect. Some are anticipating an epic fail, and some are so excited thinking that it'll be really amazing. The potential for something fun that Mario fans will love is certainly there, and hopefully, Illumination can pull through and make something great.