More than forty years later, Mario has established himself as the most iconic hero in video game history and hits theaters Wednesday with Super Mario Bros the Movie.
“I don’t think anyone thought Mario was that important, including me. »
— A quote from Shigeru Miyamoto
The legendary video game designer who co-produced this animated film can’t believe how far his character has come.
It’s like seeing a 2D illustration come to life as a 3D puppet, and then that puppet comes to life and becomes a human, he says, hoping the film will make fans feel like Mario really exists.
Do better than its predecessor
It won’t be difficult to top the plumber’s debut appearance on the big screen.
The 1993 Super Mario Bros. spin-off film is the archetype of the shady movie inspired by a video game.
Photo: Hollywood Pictures
Released in 1993, the first film adaptation of the universe was a failed dystopia in which Mario was immersed in an apocalyptic dimension populated by dinosaurs. Nintendo had simply sold its hero’s name to Hollywood without getting involved in the production.
The Japanese video game giant has learned its lesson and hired Mario’s father, Shigeru Miyamoto, to produce the new film alongside Illumination founder Chris Meledandri, the Parisian animation studio author of the hits Moi, Moche et Méchant (Despicable Me). and The Minions (The Minions).
We wanted to develop the film ourselves rather than license it, Miyamoto points out. I was sure we had to get involved, otherwise it couldn’t happen.
For nostalgics, but not only
The result of this collaboration is a colorful action film with a frenetic pace geared towards children, but with plenty of nods imposed on generations of nostalgic gamers.
The poster for the movie “Super Mario Bros.” in theaters on April 5, 2023.
Photo: Universal Pictures
The feature film outlines the origins of Mario and Luigi. In New York, the two jumpsuit brothers are struggling to get their fledgling plumbing business up and running when they are suddenly sucked into a green pipe.
Mario then finds himself in the Mushroom Kingdom, where he must rescue Luigi, who has fallen into the clutches of the horrible Bowser, the saga’s evil half-dragon, half-turtle.
A strategic change
The idea for a film came from a strategic change in the Japanese company. According to Miyamoto, about a decade ago, Nintendo wanted to make its games more character-centric.
“We wanted non-gamers to recognize our characters. »
— A quote from Shigeru Miyamoto
This notably led to the production of the film, but also to the creation of Mario-themed amusement parks in Osaka and Los Angeles.
Previously, in addition to the eternal Wahoo! and Little Plumber’s Let’s-a-go, the developers didn’t add anything extra or unnecessary to the character in order to be able to adapt it to all kinds of games.
A video game legend
At 70, Miyamoto-san, also creator of the legendary Zelda series, is often referred to as the Steven Spielberg of video games. Still, the work for the big screen required an adjustment from the master.
i like movies I’m not a cinema expert, he admits and is pleased to be able to experience the entire process of making a film thanks to his close collaboration with Chris Meledandri over the past six years.
The film features a luxury cast on the dubbing side, including Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) who brings Mario to life in the original English version.
But his very American take on the bouncing plumber, a far cry from the Italian accent of video games, caused controversy among fans when trailers for the film were unveiled.
The actor claimed to have made the decision to move away from the character’s traditional high intonation, which could have proved disruptive throughout a 90-minute film. The plot also offers a humorous explanation to justify this different idiom.
It remains to be seen whether Miyamoto-san and Nintendo took pleasure in being at the helm of a film. After Super Mario Bros., is the giant considering a sequel or adaptation of the Zelda universe for the big screen?
There are always options, answers the video game master.