The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s Second Trailer Looks Stunning and Promising

Edited by D'Avion Middleton

A new trailer was released on November 29th about The Super Mario Bros. Movie during a live Nintendo Direct. During the trailer, more information was given to us about the film. We learned from Shigeru Miyamoto that film production is still ongoing but is nearly complete. Also, Mr. Miyamoto played a role in picking Anya Taylor-Joy for the part of Princess Peach. We also learned that Seth Rogan is a fan of the series and always wanted to voice Donkey Kong if a movie was created.

The trailer gave us an overview of what kind of story the film will tell. From what we can gather, Mario might need to venture off to the Mushroom Kingdom to save his brother Luigi from Bowser. Bowser might have tried to capture the Mario bros. in an attempt to stop them from thwarting his plans, only to have successfully gotten Luigi, which might explain why Mario is in the kingdom and needs to team up with Princess Peach.

The audience is here for an intriguing and fresh story with many homages to the Mario franchise. However, the most prominent aspect of the new trailer was the introduction of Anya Taylor-Joy’s Princess Peach. From what was shown, she will play an active role in saving her kingdom and training Mario so they can stop Bowser. We were also introduced to Seth Rogen’s Donkey Kong. According to Mr. Miyamoto, his design is supposed to be reminiscent of the original character in the 1981 Donkey Kong arcade game. Not much is known about his role, but since Cranky Kong was also briefly seen in the trailer, we can assume that they will also help Mario and Princess Peach in their quest, as at the end of the trailer, we saw a lot of Kongs. Aside from those introductions, many lovely easter eggs paid tribute to the Mario franchise, such as Tanooki Mario, Fire Flowers, and everyone’s favorite Mario Kart course, Rainbow Road. If we receive more content like this, longtime fans will certainly run to theaters for the film.

Overall, many were happy with the second trailer and praised the visuals and the attention to detail that is being put into the film. Reception has also been positive for Taylor-Joy’s performance, and though there was very little of Donkey Kong, Rogen’s performance has also been well received. The one aspect of the trailer that many are still criticizing is Chris Pratt’s Mario. This time, we heard more of his voice, and he said some of Mario’s iconic lines, such as “Wahoo” and “Let’s a go.” Many are still not convinced by Pratts’s voice for Mario and have again taken to social media to express their displeasure. However, we will still need to hear more of his voice; it’s not necessarily promising that many people are not enthusiastic about his performance this early. It is mainly a problem as Mario is the film's star, and if his voice does not convince the audience, it can negatively affect the film. Whether Pratt is being fairly judged or not, he, Nintendo, and Illumination need to figure out how to convince fans that Pratt was the best choice for this iconic role.

I enjoyed the second trailer. The visuals and the many easter eggs that were seen show that the team behind the film is dedicated to respecting the Mario universe. However, I still have reservations and concerns about the film. Like many, I am not elated that Pratt is voicing Mario and the second trailer did nothing to persuade me that he was the best choice. However, there is still time; perhaps by the time we get to the movie, Pratt’s performance will not be as bad as we think. We’ll find out one way or another.

I also take issue with the design of Princess Peach. I look at her, and she looks like Princess Peach, but at the same time… something is bothering me about her face. I cannot explain, but I didn’t like how they designed her face. It’s the same issue that I have with Mario. It looks like Mario, but something about his design bothers me at the same time. Some online who also have an issue with Mario’s design have tried to redesign him. Yet, this could be because I am so used to seeing them in video games, and I know you cannot make a replica when transitioning to a movie.

Regardless, I am excited about the role Peach is teased to play in the film. It’s time for her to have a role that is not a damsel in distress and show the world her personality that we have seen in games such as the sports games and Super Smash Bros. series. We see this as she dons her bike suit in the Mario Kart series and holds a halberd when facing off against Bowser.

Though the second trailer was better, I am eager for more information about the film. I am still somewhat cautious about the movie but still feeling pretty excited. However, it’s hard to deny that what we know and have seen so far about the film is promising and will undoubtedly be one of the biggest hits in 2023. Since we got the second trailer a month after the first one, we may receive another trailer or more information about the film soon.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is set to hit theaters on April 7th, 2023, and April 28th, 2023, in North America and Japan, respectively.