The Super Mario Bros Movie has taken the world by storm… or in other words, it’s made over $1 Billion… Mamma Mia! These are exciting times for Mario fans, Nintendo fans, and fans of any video game alike, but why? Why has this one movie instilled so much excitement? Well don’t tell Wario, but this movie is an onion… it has layers… it’s an overused analogy but what can you do? Let’s peel back those layers of excitement!

The Super Mario Bros Movie… Itself

Before diving into the future, let’s focus on the present. The Super Mario Bros Movie is a great movie, especially for fans of the series. This is because it may be one of the most faithful adaptations ever, and I have no doubt Nintendo’s involvement plays a big part in that.

What this movie lacks in emotional depth, it makes up for with visual spectacle and childlike wonder. Whilst the pacing isn’t to everyone’s liking, the result is a film jam packed with so much creativity and fun, capturing the essence of the games perfectly.

Admittedly, this movie is not great for newcomers… but I don’t care because I’m a Mario fan! It is a sacrifice worthwhile for a movie that was undeniably made for the fans of this series. Whether that be new fans who have only discovered Mario thanks to the Nintendo Switch, or old fans who have been waiting over 30 years for a good Mario movie, after this disappointment that was the 1983 live action adaptation. Well, the wait was worth it, the Super Mario Bros Movie is great, and that is exciting in its own right.

Nintendo Pictures

Even for those Nintendo fans who felt the Super Mario Bros Movie left a lot to be desired, the success of this movie is a very good thing because it acts as a gateway to many more movies based on Nintendo IPs.

Nintendo are VERY protective of their IPs… also the sky is blue and the moon is round, this is not exactly groundbreaking stuff here. Still, this is perhaps the biggest reason why it has taken so long for them to adapt their IPs for the big screen, after the aforementioned live action disaster of 1993. Now that Nintendo can see the great critical reception this movie has received from fans, and more importantly, the impressive box office performance, it is no surprise that Nintendo has set up a studio to aid in their plans to adapt more of their IPs into feature length films.

The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Splatoon, Star Fox, Kirby, F-Zero, there is no shortage of Nintendo properties that would make for perfect films. Whilst some of these movies are more likely to happen than others, all are technically possible, and that is a beautiful thing for any Nintendo fan. It is very exciting to see what the future holds for Nintendo Pictures!

The Redemption of Video Game Movies

For a long time, Hollywood has struggled with video game adaptations. Whilst this may have begun with Super Mario Bros, it continued for many decades afterwards. In recent years however, things have been improving. Detective Pikachu and the 2 Sonic movies, whilst not perfect, were far better than most video game adaptations. Now, with the Super Mario Bros Movie, we not only have what might be the most fun and faithful video game adaptation of all time, but the most financially successful.

It is no secret that superhero movies, which once were the epitome of financial success in Hollywood, are now on the decline. This means it is time for something else to take their place, and I have no doubt Hollywood is currently eyeing up the video game genre as a likely candidate. Now, I am not suggesting that video game movies will be as big as Westerns or Comic Book movies were in their heyday, but there is no denying that this can only be a good thing for the genre. Only time will tell, but it seems this is only the beginning, both for Nintendo, and for many more video game adaptations to follow. If that isn’t an exciting onion, I don’t know what is!

What video game adaptation would you most like to see on the big screen? Let us know below!