The Mario Saga

This review contains minor spoilers.

Look over there! Isn't that Toad? Hey, he's knocking on Mario's door! The door is opening and...oh. Some thin, smiley geezer has just opened it, someone called "Joe Mario". Now I love the Mario games, and I deeply treasure my copies of Yoshi's Island and Super Mario 64, but as much as this was entertaining and well animated, I could not stop my mind picking up flaws, and there were quite a few. There were many parts in the movie which did not feel anything like 'Mario' at all, and this was Mario Saga's biggest flaw, that it was not anything like it should be.

I mean, come on. Joe Mario. You just don't get the same feel as the legendary Mario by using a 3DMM character holding a gun, do you? You don't have the same satisfaction with Gustave blasting Bowser with weaponry, and it shows how much the character Mario is needed in this movie. Five minutes is also hardly enough time to keep Mario fans happy, and the epic "save the princess" storyline is ruined as a consequence. The poor narrative structure does not do the movie any favours whatsoever; all we get is a brief introduction, then BAM, he's outside Bowser's lair. Put simply, these flaws cost Mario Saga a lot, and I am sure that there are other Mario fans disappointed in this movie.

However, there were some great, entertaining moments which brought a smile to my face. I loved all the subtle references to the Mario games, such as the jumping sound, the 2D platformer side view, the green warp pipes, and of course, the mushroom! The music was great too, using tunes from Golden Sun to Fire Emblem, maintaining that Nintendo feel. Helped with the 3DMM's cartoony graphics, most of the scenery was well-made and this was one of Mario Saga's strong points. The scenery contributes in trying to keep the Mario feel, and it is a shame that the narrative structure wasn't as good. And how can I not mention the hand made characters? Bowser was nicely animated, and although the hand made Mario was a bit weak, this is easily forgivable with the hard work that has been put into Bowser. It is just a shame that he had a very ordinary sounding voice.

Mario Saga is enjoyable to watch, and I really look forward to Mario Saga 2. But big guns, Gustave, and low-pitched voices unfortunately do not suit the movie well. No, I'm not asking for the director to somehow get Charles Martinet to voice Mario, but I downloaded Mario Saga expecting more from the Mario world. I want the characters developed to what they should be like! I want a longer story with a longer runtime! I want to see more Mario references! I want to see classic enemies such as goombas and shy guys! I want to see more of Mario and less of Gustave! I know I sound demanding, but all I really want is to see Mario Saga 2 completed with a more Mario-like experience. I'm sure you won't let me down Dylan.

Score: 68/100