Ah, spring. My favorite season of the year! Spring is all about new beginnings and transformations–think of it as the time when the old rebirths into something new. Speaking of rebirth, one of the most anticipated game adaptions this year is coming out with a movie on April 5th–The Super Mario Bros. Movie! Nintendo is bringing back nostalgic memories by announcing that they will release a movie and partnering up with the American studio, Illumination, the studio that produced Despicable Me. In this era, where games are becoming movie adaptions such as Pikachu Detective and Sonic the Hedgehog movies, this one has had fans anticipating its release for years.
When I found out about the movie announcement, I remember those days laying in bed as a kid and spending every day after school on my Nintendo DS playing Super Mario Bros.–jumping on Goombas, shooting out fireballs, and trying to save Princess Peach from the infamous Bowser. Like me and many others, Super Mario Bros. was a gateway for 1990s kids to gaming and has brought millions around the world to know our beloved Italian plumber. Watching the trailer and witnessing how vivacious Illumination and Nintendo made the Mushroom Kingdom, I’m glad that the new world they are creating brings us to embrace it and the characters in a new light.
Princess Peach’s character change is evident as seen in the trailer, where she isn’t the helpless princess who needs saving anymore but is instead the influential, striking queen who is ready to defend her castle! In today’s world, I’m glad that they are empowering female characters and normalizing females as being capable of protecting themselves and those they love rather than waiting for males to save the day. Another notable character change is Chris Pratt, the voice of Mario. As someone who has grown up with Mario’s infamous “YAHOO!” catchphrase, I was devastated when I learned that we were not getting to hear the iconic voice of Charles Martinet, the voice actor of Mario in the games. With all these new ideas for the movie, I welcome them with an open mind. After seeing the marvelous, talented cast and the jaw-droppingly artistic world Nintendo and Illumination have created, I am buying pre-sale tickets with a steaming bucket of buttery popcorn!