Disastrous Mario Reviews Only Helped It Achieve The World Record

When the first reviews of The Super Mario Bros. Movie came out, it seemed like yet another mediocre videogame adaptation that was doomed to fail.

The movie was described as thinly plotted, lazy, and just plain unfunny.

However, with the first audience reactions, the situation turned around 180 degrees, because, surprise, surprise, the adaptation of the adventures of an Italian plumber who jumps on turtles and eats mushrooms didn't need a complex story at all.

Fans praised the performances of the cast, especially Jack Black as the villain Bowser, as well as the film's colorful visuals and attention to its video game legacy.

It became a box office success, setting the record for the biggest opening weekend for an animated film in history and grossing more than $1 billion worldwide at this point.

Shigeru Miyamoto, chief designer at Nintendo, the company that owns the characters, recently admitted that The Super Mario Bros. Movie ended up exceeding even his own bold expectations.

Miyamoto said that he was surprised that it went beyond what he could have imagined and thinks that they were lucky to achieve such great success.

He also pointed out that the negative reviews from Western critics only added to the publicity and buzz surrounding the film.

Fans are rejoicing that The Super Mario Bros. Movie has managed to overcome the so-called "curse of videogame adaptations" and join the ranks of recent successes such as the Sonic the Hedgehog movies and The Last of Us TV series.

Although the sequel has not yet been announced, it seems almost inevitable with such stunning results.

Fans are also hoping that it might even spark an entire Nintendo Cinematic Universe, as the company's products provide plenty of inspiration.

Who knows, maybe beloved series like The Legend of Zelda and Metroid are next in line, along with the most obvious Mario sequels.

Source: Video Games Chronicle