• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Mario's creator Shigeru Miyamoto thanks the critics for the bad reviews which helped the movie make money

Shigeru Miyamoto — a creator of the Super Mario Bros. franchise – has said he is grateful for the bad press that the recent Super Mario Bros. Movie has received, for “contributing to the movie’s notoriety and buzz.”

The Super Mario Bros. Movie hit the ground running with its release earlier this month, and had the biggest opening weekend ever for an animated film at the box office. Discussing the sucess in a new interview, Miyamoto admitted that the film exceeded all expectations he had, and received a response globally that could only be achieved through “luck”.


“I did have a level of expectations that this movie would also do well [like the Super Nintendo World theme park], but I was very surprised that it went beyond what I could have imagined when it finally came out,” Miyamoto said to the Japanese Press (via Rebit).


“You need some luck to achieve this level of success for a film,” he added.


Surprisingly, the creator also shared his gratitude for the many less favourable reviews from critics too, as he believes they contributed to the publicity raised for the film: “While many foreign critics have given the movie relatively low ratings, I think that also contributed to the movie’s notoriety and buzz.”


As well as explaining that there was a slightly different approach to the Japanese version of the film than the American version, Miyamoto continued to share his hopes that the film – which stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Pratt and Jack Black – will pave the way for more Nintendo-based films.

This comes after Elon Musk recently spoke out against critics of the movie, claiming that they were “disconnected from reality”.


Reviews have generally been negative, and the film currently holds “Rotten” critics’ score of 59 per cent on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. However, the audience score – which is voted for by non professional critics – currently sits at 96 per cent positive, making it “Fresh”.


In a two-star review, NME described the film as being “hobbled by a perfunctory plot” and falling victim to “some lazy creative choices”.


“Clearly, adapting the best-selling video game franchise of all-time into an equally ingenious movie is a tall order,” it read. “The one previous attempt, a 1993 live-action film starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo, was a box office flop that has since built a bit of a cult following. This one seems destined for the opposite fate: it’s faithful enough to tempt existing fans to the cinema, but too perfunctory to be pored over.”


In other news, last week (April 20), Jack Black‘s ballad ‘Peaches’ from The Super Mario Bros. Movie entered the Billboard Hot 100.


The track, which is sung to Princess Peach, debuted at Number 83 on the chart with 5.8million US streams and 6,000 downloads in its first week. The music video for the song has also clocked up over 18million views.

The Super Mario Bros Movie



https://www.nme.com/news/film/super...d-reviews-helped-the-movie-make-money-3436522
 
I'm going to say something absolutely controversial and that is I preferred the 1993 movie instead. This animated version was such a soulless husk it's incredible, nothing more than shiny dick with no substance. That's not to say the 1993 movie was good mind you, it's absolutely laughable, but it's laughable in that it's so bad it's good kind of way.

MV5BZmM3M2ZlNzktODhhMC00ZDFjLTg0ZjktYWY5MTgxZjc3ZTA1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODY2MzY0NDE@._V1_.jpg
576e7c46-dc05-4cd9-a44a-860968db4c51.png
 

Dirk Benedict

Gold Member
Shigeru Miyamoto — a creator of the Super Mario Bros. franchise – has said he is grateful for the bad press that the recent Super Mario Bros. Movie has received, for “contributing to the movie’s notoriety and buzz.”

The Super Mario Bros. Movie hit the ground running with its release earlier this month, and had the biggest opening weekend ever for an animated film at the box office. Discussing the sucess in a new interview, Miyamoto admitted that the film exceeded all expectations he had, and received a response globally that could only be achieved through “luck”.


“I did have a level of expectations that this movie would also do well [like the Super Nintendo World theme park], but I was very surprised that it went beyond what I could have imagined when it finally came out,” Miyamoto said to the Japanese Press (via Rebit).


“You need some luck to achieve this level of success for a film,” he added.


Surprisingly, the creator also shared his gratitude for the many less favourable reviews from critics too, as he believes they contributed to the publicity raised for the film: “While many foreign critics have given the movie relatively low ratings, I think that also contributed to the movie’s notoriety and buzz.”


As well as explaining that there was a slightly different approach to the Japanese version of the film than the American version, Miyamoto continued to share his hopes that the film – which stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Pratt and Jack Black – will pave the way for more Nintendo-based films.

This comes after Elon Musk recently spoke out against critics of the movie, claiming that they were “disconnected from reality”.


Reviews have generally been negative, and the film currently holds “Rotten” critics’ score of 59 per cent on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. However, the audience score – which is voted for by non professional critics – currently sits at 96 per cent positive, making it “Fresh”.


In a two-star review, NME described the film as being “hobbled by a perfunctory plot” and falling victim to “some lazy creative choices”.


“Clearly, adapting the best-selling video game franchise of all-time into an equally ingenious movie is a tall order,” it read. “The one previous attempt, a 1993 live-action film starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo, was a box office flop that has since built a bit of a cult following. This one seems destined for the opposite fate: it’s faithful enough to tempt existing fans to the cinema, but too perfunctory to be pored over.”


In other news, last week (April 20), Jack Black‘s ballad ‘Peaches’ from The Super Mario Bros. Movie entered the Billboard Hot 100.


The track, which is sung to Princess Peach, debuted at Number 83 on the chart with 5.8million US streams and 6,000 downloads in its first week. The music video for the song has also clocked up over 18million views.

The Super Mario Bros Movie



https://www.nme.com/news/film/super...d-reviews-helped-the-movie-make-money-3436522
He isn't wrong.
 

RSLAEV

Member
I'm going to say something absolutely controversial and that is I preferred the 1993 movie instead. This animated version was such a soulless husk it's incredible, nothing more than shiny dick with no substance. That's not to say the 1993 movie was good mind you, it's absolutely laughable, but it's laughable in that it's so bad it's good kind of way.
"Shiny dick with no substance" So like... All shaft and no balls or something? I'm confused.
 

MayauMiao

Member
I'm going to say something absolutely controversial and that is I preferred the 1993 movie instead. This animated version was such a soulless husk it's incredible, nothing more than shiny dick with no substance. That's not to say the 1993 movie was good mind you, it's absolutely laughable, but it's laughable in that it's so bad it's good kind of way.

MV5BZmM3M2ZlNzktODhhMC00ZDFjLTg0ZjktYWY5MTgxZjc3ZTA1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODY2MzY0NDE@._V1_.jpg
576e7c46-dc05-4cd9-a44a-860968db4c51.png

I am quite fond of this movie especially the alternate world, very Blade Runner dystopia.

smb2.jpg


Still as a Mario movie, it still sucks.
 

ahtlas7

Member
They tried to make a fun and respectful movie for the audience and in today’s entertainment world that’s a rare treat. While it was hit and miss for me it remained entertaining and I felt comfortable taking my youngling knowing they were not going to be presented questionable material handed out by questionable filmmakers.

Agenda pushing critiques can
bart simpson lets see GIF
 

Saber

Gold Member
Not only that but level of austism from those reviews are unreal.

Imagine reading a review, looking to know if the movie is enjoyable or have a good story and you read that "Bowser is an incel".


Like, the movie could be garbage but I would still watch it after reading this mentally ill commentary.
 
Last edited:
It was a perfectly serviceable adaptation of the plot from the original SMB manual made for kids and 100% delivered on that goal. It was really fun taking my 4 year old to it. Critics need to lighten up.
To be fair, and I've seen the following take on this very forum more than once, you can still be critical of something even if you find it serviceable or for kids.

It sucks that we've reached a point where we will just use the 'it's for kids' as some sort of shield for mediocre content. There are plenty of pixar and dreamworks properties that were way better than this movie, Wreck-It Ralph being one of them. I think it should be okay to want better for a revered I.P. like Super Mario.
 

Thaedolus

Gold Member
To be fair, and I've seen the following take on this very forum more than once, you can still be critical of something even if you find it serviceable or for kids.

It sucks that we've reached a point where we will just use the 'it's for kids' as some sort of shield for mediocre content. There are plenty of pixar and dreamworks properties that were way better than this movie, Wreck-It Ralph being one of them. I think it should be okay to want better for a revered I.P. like Super Mario.
I don’t disagree, some masterfully crafted Mario movie could be awesome, but also sometimes I’m just hungry and a McDonald’s double quarter pounder gets the job done and there’s nothing wrong with that
 
I don’t disagree, some masterfully crafted Mario movie could be awesome, but also sometimes I’m just hungry and a McDonald’s double quarter pounder gets the job done and there’s nothing wrong with that
I agree with this take and I would want this for a Minions movie and for Fast and Furious. Just not Mario 🤷‍♂️

This feels more like going to a restaurant that has been open for 50 years and is well known for good food, and the day you happen to go their cook isn't in for work and their kitchen isn't accessible. So they pretended otherwise, ordered some food from a local fast food restaurant to heat up in a microwave, but they just made the food look more presentable and look like 5 star quality. The minute you took a bite you realized something was off but at this point you're hungry so you just deal with it.
 

E-Cat

Member
No one said this. Try another rebuttal.
Well, what are you saying then? It should be obvious that Mario as such (good gameplay) cannot directly translate into a movie.

Knowing that Miyamoto despised the amount of story even in something like SMG1 and completely eliminated it from SMG2 should logically mean zero expectations for story from observing the franchise's history for the past ~30 years.

So what was "well known for good food" referring to that should translate from the games to the movie?
 
Well, what are you saying then? It should be obvious that Mario as such (good gameplay) cannot directly translate into a movie.

Knowing that Miyamoto despised the amount of story even in something like SMG1 and completely eliminated it from SMG2 should logically mean zero expectations for story from observing the franchise's history for the past ~30 years.

So what was "well known for good food" referring to that should translate from the games to the movie?
I'm saying that something like Wreck-It Ralph didn't blow minds with it's story either, yet I came away from that movie feeling something way more than this one. You're too stuck on Mario lore and story to realize how this movie was worse at core aspects that other movies in the same vein did better.
 

E-Cat

Member
I'm saying that something like Wreck-It Ralph didn't blow minds with it's story either, yet I came away from that movie feeling something way more than this one. You're too stuck on Mario lore and story to realize how this movie was worse at core aspects that other movies in the same vein did better.
No, I agree, the movie's story is crap. What you're saying though is that based on the history of the Mario franchise we had the right to expect something better because the games have been so good (the restaurant metaphor). But I'm not seeing how such an expectation was warranted because what makes a good platformer vs a good movie has little to zero overlap.
 
Last edited:
No, I agree, the movie's story is crap. What you're saying though is that based on the history of the Mario franchise we had the right to expect something better because the games have been so good (the restaurant metaphor). But I'm not seeing how such an expectation was warranted because what makes a good platformer vs a good movie has little to zero overlap.
Because Nintendo has kept all of their properties very guarded and close to heart, and the concept of a Mario movie was in talks for literally years before they finally chose a studio. That means that Nintendo and Miyamoto themselves hold reverence for the franchise. Everyone on earth knew this movie would sell tickets, so that's why the discussion has moved beyond that point to the larger fact that this was the best Illumination can do with their writers. We've seen great creatives make amazing works with very little to go on. I don't see how this should be any different, but for some reason it's forgiven for being mediocre.

I guess my(and others') point won't come across to some here until the sequel comes out or until Illumination screws up a Zelda adaptation years from now, since Nintendo is finally open to other movie projects for the future.
 

BadBurger

Is 'That Pure Potato'
Shigeru calmly arranged a table and two chairs while giving this interview, carefully assembling two sets of dominoes on it as if a match were to be played. As the interview concluded he calmly chopped the table in half and walked off.
 
The final arbiters of a film are the audience itself, always have and always been. They are the ones film studios make films for because they are the ones paying to see the film, they are the ones that determines if a film is suitable, they are the ones that will determine if a film will one day may become a classic. Not professional critics.

Professional critics have panned films only to turn around one day and declare it a classic when the audience loves a film.

The list of films are very long, spans various genres, and from various filmmakers. Some examples would be Kubrick and Kurosawa where some of their films were critically panned only to have a different reassessment years later when the audience loves their films and puts their films in high regards and not surprising the critics then declared the film where they once gave a bad review as a classic.

Not saying this Mario film will be regarded as a classic one day, but to put so much stock in the opinions of these critics is laughable. When the audience has a movie at 96% and the critics give a film an F grade, maybe its not the audience but the critics that are wrong.
 

Synless

Member
The final arbiters of a film are the audience itself, always have and always been. They are the ones film studios make films for because they are the ones paying to see the film, they are the ones that determines if a film is suitable, they are the ones that will determine if a film will one day may become a classic. Not professional critics.

Professional critics have panned films only to turn around one day and declare it a classic when the audience loves a film.

The list of films are very long, spans various genres, and from various filmmakers. Some examples would be Kubrick and Kurosawa where some of their films were critically panned only to have a different reassessment years later when the audience loves their films and puts their films in high regards and not surprising the critics then declared the film where they once gave a bad review as a classic.

Not saying this Mario film will be regarded as a classic one day, but to put so much stock in the opinions of these critics is laughable. When the audience has a movie at 96% and the critics give a film an F grade, maybe its not the audience but the critics that are wrong.
Actually, it’s the children that are wrong.
 

theclaw135

Banned
The final arbiters of a film are the audience itself, always have and always been. They are the ones film studios make films for because they are the ones paying to see the film, they are the ones that determines if a film is suitable, they are the ones that will determine if a film will one day may become a classic. Not professional critics.

Professional critics have panned films only to turn around one day and declare it a classic when the audience loves a film.

The list of films are very long, spans various genres, and from various filmmakers. Some examples would be Kubrick and Kurosawa where some of their films were critically panned only to have a different reassessment years later when the audience loves their films and puts their films in high regards and not surprising the critics then declared the film where they once gave a bad review as a classic.

Not saying this Mario film will be regarded as a classic one day, but to put so much stock in the opinions of these critics is laughable. When the audience has a movie at 96% and the critics give a film an F grade, maybe its not the audience but the critics that are wrong.

The customer is always right continues to ring true. The 1993 movie might be more ambitious, and will be regarded by historians as creatively stronger... but this new film better understands how to satisfy the widest range of viewers possible.
 
Top Bottom