The new Mario movie came out, and it's Just Okay.

Ultimately, it's very fanservicey and it's got less of an "emotional core" than you might expect if you compare it to Disney or Pixar 3D movies. I regret taking the risk of going to a theater to see it. I'd definitely wait to be able to pirate or stream this.

But if you grew up playing Mario, then I highly recommend watching this movie. The premise is obvious, the plot is unsurprising (except for the multiple on-screen deaths of named characters), but it's all executed very well. It was really fun to see how they integrated so many gameplay and plot elements and callbacks into a cohesive world. It's really an "origin story".

Part of the "fan-service" is the voice acting. Jack Black as Bowser was excellent in a thousand ways.

I think the ultimate problem is that the main character, Mario, is fucking boring. Mario is a character with very little room for character development, the relationship with his brother is solid and well established, and so the only interesting development that can happen through Mario is (1) learning how to live in the Mushroom Kingdom and (2) expanding and establishing his relationships with other characters.

This is true for Luigi of course, but he's basically ornamental for the entire movie. After this movie, it's hard to imagine a sequel that focuses on these characters. Even the characters in fucking Rolie Polie Olie have a character arc!

One other character I'd like to touch upon is Peach. She's great and Anna Taylor Joy is a joy. But her character gave off "corporate-approved girl power, we hope she can be profitable like Elsa Frozen," vibes. Like Mario and Luigi, it's really hard to imagine a movie with her, since she has so little room for development.

But... Bowser? Toad? They're both fucked up in a thousand different ways and they have room to grow AND to rot. Bowser's Inside Story, Toad's Treasure Tracker, and Luigi's Mansion provide great source material for these characters as leads.

TLDR: 3/5, the movie started with what I assumed was a fake-out Duck Hunt trailer but it turned out to be a real movie.