Gameplay in Mario is curiously underrated. These days, Mario is best known for his assorted partying, karting, or sporting spin-offs. But Mario doesn't need to be a doctor or professional tennis player to have some variety in his life - his platforming escapades are some of the most unique and ever-changing around. The platforming in Mario is perfect - it's bouncy and colourful, yet technically complex. It's challenging, but rewarding, and loaded with comedic visuals that let you know exactly what to do, where you went wrong, and what to perfect next time. That's why it's such a delight to see The Super Mario Movie nail this aspect of the hero’s universe.
Even in his mainline adventures, Mario is a 3D fellow these days. Still, despite Odyssey and Galaxy exploring all planes of reality, they still show loyalty to their 2D roots. Odyssey has several puzzles which harken back to ye olden days of 2D, while Galaxy has some Crash Bandicoot-style linear outings that use a 3D space to offer a 2D challenge. I'm glad the flame is being kept alive, because Mario's 2D platforming was miraculous. While I still feel Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped is the best platforꦯmer of all time, Super Mario World is hot on its tail. I just realised Crash doesn't have a tail, despite being a bandicoot. Weird.
In any case, Mario's platforming excellence is sometimes overlooked. He makes it look so easy that people forget he's a legend for a reason. The range Nintendo puts into Mario's level design while arming him with little more than the ability to jump is spectacular, and the movie's love for that is so endearing. It doesn't desperately try to justify why Mario needs to be a lil jump man, it just gives Princess Peach a Mario Maker machine and Donkey Kong a platforming-filled gladiatorial arena and lets him run hog wild. Or fluffy cat power-up wild, at least.
The first we see of this is with Peach. She offers Mario a challenge - complete the obstacle course, and she will allow him to travel with her in her attempt to unite the kingdoms against Bowser, rescuing Luigi along the way. First off, she completes it herself, and the animation in this section is spectacular. It isn't 100 percent true to the games (Peach runs on walls like something out of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Mirror's Edge), but it captures the fluid spirit of the platforming perfectly. I said in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:my review that while I don't believe this to be the greatest video game movie of all time, I do think this is the best translation of actual gameplay onto the big screen.
It's shot so sublimely, given reverence as an action sequence rather than played for laughs. Platforming is inherently a little silly, jumping on floating bricks and smashing through yellow question mark boxes to double in size before avoiding a plant with lip fillers and teeth, all so you can spin down a flagpole. It would have been easy to go down the Marvel names route and laugh at that. 'Doctor Strange? Oh, we're using our made up names' is an incredibly tired joke that, when told too often, just feel༒s like disdain for the source material. Illumination could have gotten some cheap laughs out of Mario's legacy, but instead it elevates it.
Though at first Mario fails Peach's course, as viewers we've already seen him complete a platforming gauntlet in Brooklyn as he raced through a construction site to get to a plumbing job. Watching Mario fall over and over, knowing he's capable of more, is just like playing the games and knowing a solution is possible, we just have to learn it and teach it to our thumbs. As Mario gets better, the animation continues to surprise, giving Mario a huge sense of power as he's finally able to cast aside all the blockades in front of him, emerging as the superstar he always has been.
Platforming seemed like it would be hard to weave into the world aside from a few passing references, but The Super Mario Bros. Movie folds it in perfectly and manages to surprise with its respect for the artform while still reinventing parts of it. Jumping and sliding is by far the best part of the movie, and I'm glad Mario's true legacy hasn't been overshadowed by all the spin-offs he has become better known for.