The Honest Trailer for the Super Mario Bros. Movie playfully parodies Zack Snyder’s frequent utilization of slow motion in his films. Adapted from the renowned Nintendo video game franchise, the animated rendition follows the journey of Mario (Chris Pratt), who teams up with Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), and Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) to rescue his brother Luigi (Charlie Day) from the clutches of Bowser (Jack Black) before the antagonist takes over the Mushroom Kingdom. The Super Mario Bros. Movie has garnered positive reception from audiences, amassing a staggering global box office revenue of over $1.2 billion, thus establishing itself as the highest-grossing video game film to date and currently holding the title of the highest-grossing movie of 2023.
Screen Junkies, renowned for their Honest Trailers, now presents their latest installment that humorously critiques the Super Mario Bros. Movie for its excessive employment of slow motion.
The video amusingly envisions Snyder directing a hypothetical adaptation of Max Payne, a video game renowned for its prominent utilization of slow motion as a core gameplay mechanic. Snyder is a fitting subject for comparison, given that his notable works, such as 300, Sucker Punch, and Justice League, prominently showcase the extensive use of slow-motion techniques. Screen Junkies also humorously comments on Luigi’s limited screen presence, the obligatory casting of Rogen and Key, and Bowser being portrayed as an animated version of Black.
How The Super Mario Bros. Movie Exceeded Expectations
For many years, film studios have endeavored to translate the immense popularity of video games to the silver screen. Early attempts, such as Street Fighter, Double Dragon, and the original Super Mario Bros. movie, were poorly received and almost discouraged studios from exploring the potential of the video game industry. Throughout the subsequent two decades, Hollywood cautiously ventured into video game adaptations with minimal success. However, recent advancements in visual effects technology, coupled with the box office successes of Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Uncharted, have demonstrated that video game franchises can successfully transition to the big screen.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie emerged as a testament to this newfound success by delivering a faithful adaptation of the beloved video game franchise. It skillfully avoided the backlash faced by other adaptations by staying true to the source material and capturing the essence of iconic characters. Despite the initial controversy surrounding the casting of Pratt, audiences were pleased with the overall design of the characters, effectively avoiding the pitfalls experienced by Sonic the Hedgehog. By setting the film within the Mushroom Kingdom and incorporating environmental elements from various Mario games, the movie evoked a strong sense of nostalgia among older viewers while delighting younger generations of fans.
Although no official sequel has been announced, the resounding financial triumph of The Super Mario Bros. Movie is likely to prompt Nintendo and Illumination to embark on building a cinematic franchise. Given Luigi’s limited presence in the film, a potential sequel could offer him more prominence and allow the character to shine. Black, in a recent interview with Screen Rant, expressed interest in exploring a Bowser’s revenge storyline following the events of the first film. With The Super Mario Bros. Movie poised to claim the title of the year’s highest-grossing movie, Hollywood has taken notice, and a plethora of video game adaptations are already in development.