Why Do Audiences and Critics Have Different Opinions on The Super Mario Bros. Movie?

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is one of the most successful films at the box office this year, earning $1.36 billion worldwide. It is currently the second highest-grossing film of the year and the highest-earning video game adaptation ever. The film has a rating of 8.5 on Peliplat, with generally positive reviews from audiences. However, professional film critics have mostly given negative evaluations. Shigeru Miyamoto, the film's producer, Mario creator and Nintendo's game director, believes that even the negative reviews that gave The Super Mario Bros. Movie low ratings have contributed to its box office success by generating buzz. After learning about some of the criticisms the film has received, I understand why Miyamoto holds this viewpoint. I also start to consider the expectations audiences may have for movies based on games, especially beloved ones like Super Mario Bros., and what elements of this film have resonated with viewers.

Among some of the critical viewpoints of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, one mentions that the film lacks originality because it references the original game too much and has a very simple storyline. The film is also criticized for its flat character development and lack of complexity. Some critics even directly criticize the film as "a blandly efficient piece of brand management" and view it as "a feature-length advertisement for Nintendo as a brand". Clearly, professional film critics believe that while the film brings the classic game Super Mario to the big screen, it doesn't offer much new content. As a player and audience member who has been a fan of Super Mario and Nintendo games since childhood, however, I do feel satisfied with the references to various settings and elements from games including the Super Mario Bros., and I'm even more excited for Nintendo to release more games featuring Mario or Luigi as the main characters. I believe many other viewers share similar thoughts. Hence, it's no wonder that The Super Mario Bros. Movie is successful at the box office and has subsequent commercial value.

In fact, the decision to create The Super Mario Bros. Movie came from a business collaboration. Nintendo worked with Universal Parks & Resorts to create Super Nintendo World, which led to a meeting between Miyamoto and Illumination CEO Christopher Meledandri. Since 2016, the idea of a Mario movie gradually became a reality and finally premiered worldwide this year. It can be said that it’s a natural choice for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, born out of a business collaboration, to focus more on commercial success rather than artistic innovation. For a widely recognized intellectual property like Mario, which has even appeared in the Summer Olympics, staying true to Mario's story from the game on the screen is a safer approach compared to pushing boundaries. Compared to another film, The Lego Movie, which received more acclaim for its innovation, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is based on an intellectual property with well-established visuals and settings that are more familiar to audiences. Considering the immense popularity of Super Mario, sticking to what works is more likely to make commercial success than taking risks. In this context, it is understandable why professional critics have given negative reviews. However, to analyze the reasons behind the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, we must delve into the audience's expectations.

In my opinion, when professional critics criticize The Super Mario Bros. Movie for its lack of originality, they might have overlooked another important fact: regular viewers actually expect and appreciate the high level of reproduction that is faithful to the game's content with improved visuals. While critics describe the film as "bland, witless, and shamelessly pandering", the viewers who read these reviews have long been eagerly anticipating such a film. It is worth mentioning that the game Super Mario Bros., originally released in 1985, has sold over 40 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling video game of all time according to the Guinness World Records. The game's characters, including Mario, Mario's brother Luigi, Toad, Princess Peach, and the antagonist Bowser, have already become cultural icons, extending their influence beyond just the gaming community. It is widely known by fans and non-fans that a story featuring Mario as the protagonist is bound to be a fantastic and thrilling adventure. As the first CGI Mario movie, it is only natural for The Super Mario Bros. Movie to take the audience on Mario's unique adventure of entering Mushroom Kingdom for the first time through a pipe.

There are some surprises that exceed the audience’s expectations. Mario’s first adventure in the film captures the excitement of every Super Mario game player when they first start playing. The movie invites the audience to step into Mario's shoes and experience the adventure from his perspective. Mario serves as both the main character and guide, taking the audience on a nostalgic journey through the unique settings they encountered while playing Super Mario for the first time. Throughout the film, Mario faces continuous challenges but never gives up, tirelessly running from day to night and night to day to conquer each level of the game. This mirrors the experiences of countless players who have encountered difficulties in Mario games. The visual effects in the movie makes up for the original pixelated visuals by providing a more detailed portrayal of the game world. I believe that it is the combination of the audience's gaming background and the cinematic experience that enables them to truly appreciate The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

There is no need to rehash how Mario wins the game in the Mushroom Kingdom, gains teammates, and teams up with Luigi to defeat Bowser, etc. Instead, I would like to highlight two new aspects in the story and characters of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Firstly, the film introduces Mario and Luigi's family, with Mario's father's doubt serving as his motivation to prove himself and embark on the adventure. This adds depth to Mario's character. Secondly, Princess Peach, previously depicted as a helpless damsel in the games, is portrayed as a clever go getter, rebeller and leader in the film. This deviation from the game's original representation aligns with the modern audience's appreciation and acceptance of strong female characters. These two changes demonstrate that The Super Mario Bros. Movie aims to not only evoke emotions and nostalgia, but also establish connections between Mario's story and today's audience.

Lastly, it is important to note that The Super Mario Bros. Movie remains faithful to the original game by accurately recreating its content with enhanced visuals, capturing the exciting adventure of the beloved character Mario through animation. This is exactly what the audience, including game fans, expect. Significantly, Mario's first adventure in the film brings back the wonderful experience that many viewers had when they first entered the world of the game. The unique combination of the audience's gaming experience and the cinematic experience allows them to enjoy and relax while watching The Super Mario Bros. Movie, an experience similar to playing the game itself. Undoubtedly, the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie breaks the game adaptation curse. More importantly, it imparts valuable lessons to studios and filmmakers from its accomplishments. As a viewer, I am optimistic that this marks a fresh start.