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lifeofjentry
Reviews
Wish (2023)
this is not the thanks we get.
I have personally never in my entire life groaned as many times as I did watching this movie. The plot is so mushy and undercooked, all the Disney references didn't feel magical, and the music actually sucks.
The movie doesn't care about actually making a story. It takes the formula of classic movies and then just places it in the movie just because. There's a ton of elements and parts of the movie that have little to no time to flesh it out. I legit didn't know who any of Asha's best friends were yet the movie wanted the betrayal scene to feel super massive. But it didn't feel like one, I just sat there and went "Huh? What? He had plot significance?" That was my reaction to a lot of the movie.
My second reaction was "UUUGH!" It feels like the people behind the scenes cared more about the audience going "oh hey it's (insert Disney movie)!" instead of going "Oh my gosh! What's gonna happen next in this movie?" Every time I saw a Disney reference or a "hidden" Mickey, I was cringing on the inside. It wasn't smart. It was annoying.
Speaking of annoying, I had a mild dislike for Asha. There's an excellent video online about the "adorkable" Disney princesses. Asha feels like how gen z kids picture millennials but cranked to 100. Every time she was rambling like "Oh I'm sorry. I'm so annoying and I care too much! Am I annoying? Probably" I wanted to stop watching the movie immediately cause I was just actually getting annoyed by it.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
This movie is just another Mario game but on the big screen (but it's good.)
I was quite nervous about this movie. I was scared it was gonna be terrible or lack in plot. But not really. This is a very good Mario adaptation that goes DEEP into its roots and where it came from.
If I'm not remembering incorrectly, most of the Mario games don't really have an overarching story like almost all animated movies today. It's a lot about Mario's adventures saving Princess Peach, saving Luigi, racing with your sworn enemy, play party games, etc. This movie definitely leans into that kind of vibe and plot. It's not plotless. There is a story here, but you shouldn't expect a big character changing story like Infinity War/Endgame. If you played the games, expect it to be like that but an origin story.
(There's definitely a few patches noticeable, but the next scene you watch would just make up for the previous one.)
As for the characters, I honestly forgot who was playing these characters. They all stayed true to their character or changed for the better. Mario and Luigi don't have their Italian accents, but Mario's sedulous and Luigi's little brother like personality are still there. I expected Princess Peach to be bad. Hollywood has written women horribly in the past 5 years. However Peach was incredible. Perfect balance of being strong/independent and feminine at the same time. Bowser was hilarious and intimidating at the same time. He's very comedic but he is still a threat to the characters.
So for all the people who want story. If you want a simple origin story that is just a little sweet snack to your brain, this movie is it.