‘Super Mario Bros. ’ falls short of super

Lauren Rayner Managing Editor

Ilumination’s newest animated flick has finally hit theaters, scoring big box-office wise and among families with the highly anticipated “Super Mario Bros. Movie”, an exciting comedyadventure based on the 40-year-old video game franchise. A difficult task to manage, the movie was forced to fight to appeal to children, their parents and Mario’s intense fan base looking to see their treasured video game in a new medium. It had seemed to only be a matter of time before these beloved characters hit the big screen, but whether it was done right, however, is still conflicting.

With the stacked cast being dramatically revealed online years prior to the release, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” had become highly anticipated, as there were a few unusual and funny picks to voice the Nintendo characters. Some highlights of the absurdity include Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, who was great, and controversially, Chris Pratt as the star of the show, Mario. Many were rightfully skeptical of Pratt’s ability, including me, but his voice-acting performance ended up surpassing “terrible” and ended up “just fine.” Pratt most likely wouldn’t be anyone’s first pick for the part. His attempt at Mario frankly took a bit to get used to, but it eventually becomes easy to get past and enjoy the rest of the movie. It was popular to argue that Charles Martinet, the voice actor for Mario in the games, should have fulfilled the role, but in all honesty, it would have been hard to stay entertained hearing the actual voice of Mario for an entire film-length runtime. Game-Mario speaks in exclamations and noises practically, not full-on monologues that would carry the movie forward. Pratt was passable, and it genuinely could have been worse. There was no Italian accent provided by him or Charlie Day’s Luigi. Instead, it was generally really fun to see the interpretations of each character by each respected voice actor, Seth Rogen’s laugh exiting Donkey Kong’s mouth included.

Story-wise, it is a cookie-cutter adventure where Mario and his brother transport into a new magical world after a risky plumbing job, woefully ending up separated later down the road. Mario’s job then becomes to brawl against the notorious super villain, Bowser, to stop him from conquering the world, while also trying to find his captured brother. Throughout the film, the viewer is basically taken down memory lane, as Mario enters familiar games, meets familiar characters, and absorbs typical Mario-franchise tools and objects. It is undoubtedly simple, but probably the right path for this kind of movie. To make a complicated plot for a movie targeting young kids would not make sense, especially with a game known for its accessibility and plain fun.

Seeing the iconic characters in a cinematic form was undeniably magical. There were plenty of action sequences, and although the run time was quick, it was truly never that boring. The animation style was pretty standard, but was at least a step up for Illumination and was nicely colorful and pleasing to the eye. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” provided an entertaining time altogether. It maybe doesn’t have broad appeal to teenagers and adults like a Pixar movie would, but for the children it is targeting, it is fun and full of energy, and probably something they would want to watch over and over again. It’s got the jokes, the characters, and the spark that kids would really want in a movie.

It may seem silly to dig into a so-far well-liked movie made for young ones, but it just could have done a lot more with the material offered. At times it felt like the film was trying to cram every Mario game and reference into it without reason, making the whole thing feel lazy and incoherent. The humor didn’t necessarily land for me either, but as mentioned earlier, will match the target audience’s taste. The movie still managed to leave out a lot of fan-favorite characters too, even with the over-referencing and cramming of it all. The whole thing is a conventional, repetitive joy ride that doesn’t offer what it could of in the hands of another studio, and will almost definitely lead to more cash-grab sequels that hardly capture the spirit of the original video game franchise. Animated movies have the power to impact people of all ages, not just children, and even those made with characters children specifically adore can be significant, meaningful pieces of filmmaking that adults can love just as much as their younger peers. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is a perfect example of an animated feature with wasted potential, that knew its easiest accomplishment was reaching kids and ignoring high-quality, substantial filmmaking. While enjoyable and flashy at the moment, the film will unquestionably lose all charm and earn “forgettable flop” status as the years go on.

Riley Palma Entertainment Editor

In a calm, quiet town in the pacific northwest, the homecoming queen, Laura Palmer, is found dead, and a mystery begins to unravel. This is where “Twin Peaks” begins. “Twin Peaks” is a television show with three seasons that aired from 1990-1991;2017 created by Mark Frost and David Lynch, plus a prequel movie from 1992 directed by David Lynch. It is hands down, without a doubt, my all time favorite TV show. It can only be described as a mystery. The first two seasons airing in the early 1990s are very different from the third season (known as “Twin Peaks: The Return”) which aired nearly 25 years later in 2017. This is largely due to the fact that the co-creator David Lynch directed every episode in the third season. Mark Frost was still affiliated with “Twin Peaks” and even helped write and produce the third season. This was a big step up for Lynch and his work on “Twin Peaks” as he had only directed 6 of the 30 episodes in the series’ original run. Lynch is well known for his offbeat, dark, and surreal art style. This is very apparent in the third season which houses his 18 episode, 18 hour, journey. It picks up directly where the original series left off. I will only be talking about the original run of the series, seasons 1 and 2.

“Twin Peaks” holds a special place in my heart. My love for it runs deep. It had such an impact on my life. It is one of those shows that sticks with you and that you can’t stop watching. revolutionized the way mysteries were told. Season 1 is near perfect. 8 episodes including the incredible pilot. Although there are some boring parts in the show, the story and characters make up for it. There are so many characters each with their own defining traits that you get to know over the course of the show. One character ‘The Log Lady’ is a kooky older woman who is always seen carrying and talking to her log. My favorite character is Special Agent Dale Cooper, (Played by Kyle MacLachlan) the main man who works for the FBI and is solving the case of Laura’s murder. He has a passion for black coffee and cherry pie. His charm and brilliance make the show what it is and it wouldn’t be the same if he were portrayed by anybody else.

The setting of a small cozy town in the pacific northwest is perfect. I think it is captured very well. The way everybody knows each other and all the places around town. The frequent trucks carrying wood from the lumber mill are a constant reminder of the quiet, wooded, landscape that is the town of Twin Peaks.

The show blends drama, comedy, romance, mystery, and su- pernatural elements together so seamlessly. It all works well together and they compliment each other nicely. The otherworldly components of the show are so fascinating to me. They are so bizarre and eerie. There are only a few scenes that take place in a strange unsettling setting known as ‘The Black Lodge’. Though there are little scenes in ‘The Black Lodge’ every single one of them is remarkable. The look of the room is iconic with the black and white zig-zag floors and the red curtains in the background. Nothing but 3 chairs, 2 lamps, an end table, and an old roman statue. ‘The Black Lodge’ is home to many creatures such as ‘The Man from Another Place’ often referred to as ‘The Arm’. He is a small man who wears a red suit and is often seen dancing. The way ‘The Black Lodge’ scenes are filmed is super beautiful and it truly makes the show perfect. Such a variety of music as well. One song a slow, dark, jazz beat, the next a cheery, upbeat tune. I love his music and it will always hold a special place in my heart. He sadly passed away late last year. Julee Cruise also performed songs in the show at the local bar ‘The Roadhouse’. She too is incredibly talented and has a unique voice and a sad, lonely style to her songs. cool to me. Everyone in ‘The Black Lodge’ talks backwards. So when they film a scene that takes place there they have the actors move in reverse and the way they speak is very interesting. They will say their line and record it and play it backwards, they will then say what it sounds like backwards to produce a forward sounding word. It is so unique and strange and special to me.

The main story of “Twin Peaks” doesn’t last as long as you’d expect it to. After the first season ended and the mystery was left unsolved, the network that “Twin Peaks” was airing on, ABC, pushed the creators Lynch and Frost to solve the mystery. They weren’t happy with this as their original plan was to never reveal who murdered Laura Palmer. So nine episodes into season two the killer was revealed. But they still had 21 episodes left in the season… The rest of the second season, except for the last few episodes, were unbearable to almost all viewers. It is known among fans as the ‘Seasons Two Slump’, as the main driving point of the series is gone. This sadly results in an incredibly boring string of episodes where the characters have nothing to do. Some characters put on a war reenactment that lasts a few episodes, and some characters just leave the show. This ruined “Twin Peaks” reputation and the ratings dropped insanely low. This left a lot of fans upset and it seemed like all hope was lost.

The music is 100% one of the biggest things about the show. The music, including the iconic theme, was all done by the incredibly talented Angelo Badalamenti. Angelo collaborated with Lynch on many of his other projects where he created the score. The music he created for the show is so moving and

Then they introduced a new storyline. Dale Cooper’s former FBI partner Windom Earle, who went crazy, was dead set on getting Cooper. This helped drive the show more but it was already too late as a lot of the viewers had already given up on “Twin Peaks”. They ultimately redeemed themselves with the finale of the show which is one of the best episodes of the entire series. It has such a dark ending and an unsettling vibe the whole time. Some of the imagery they do is great and looks so cool.

Overall, the original run of the series is in my opinion the best part of all of “Twin Peaks” . It is so incredible. Every character is so unique and special. The setting is comforting. I love how weird and unsettling it can be. The music is some of the most beautiful I have ever heard. It holds a place near and dear in my heart and always will. It is a show that I recommend to everybody. Please, go watch “Twin Peaks”.