“The Super Mario Bros” is the absolute perfect example of what the moviegoing public wants these days, in terms of their content: nostalgia, IP-driven and harmless.
Universal Studios have given the masses what they want. I just honestly had no idea it was going to be a Nintendo adaptation. But it does make sense that ‘Super Mario’ would strike a chord with moviegoers. It is indeed indebted in ‘80s nostalgia, it’s most-certainly IP and it’s silly.
Bad reviews haven’t stopped the momentum either. ‘Super Mario’ is entertaining the masses, and there will be many sequels to come now. You can also expect spin-off upon spin-off. It’s going to be never-ending. You have been warned.
In some fashion, Nintendo might very well dethrone Marvel’s 10+ year reign as box-office king with these upcoming movies. The latest update has ‘Super Mario’ nearing the $1 billion worldwide mark — maybe by tonight.
Nostalgia sells. You have many people, from different generations, who grew up playing Super Mario games. I’d imagine a demographic of males, anywhere between 13-40 years old, are the ones flocking to see this movie. That’s the key demographic for U.S. moviegoing.
When you have people saying that moviegoing is dying, don’t listen to them. The pandemic might have shifted things a bit, but not for blockbusters. “Super Mario Bros Movie,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” are proof of that. As Scorsese described then, “roller coaster rides” are thriving.
What IS dying is old-school cinema. The arthouse. movies for people more affluent to film history — movies that get critically acclaimed and go on to be nominated for Oscars. Those types of movies are in a lot of trouble.