The Super Mario Bros. Movie Review

BY ALEX DE VORE alex@sfreporter.com

OK, yeah, sure—The Super Mario Bros. Movie is made for and aimed at children. But just like most animated properties since the dawn of animation, a contingent of adult moviegoers will certainly see the thing. Don’t forget, either, the parents who will have to take their kids; there should be things in there for them, too. And yet...ugh.

Animation studio Illumination (makers of the Minions movies) would surely know the very concept of a Mario Bros. film would speak to various generations. For so many of us, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser and all the rest have been ubiquitous characters as far back as we can remember. Why, then, does this movie work so hard to be devoid of originality? Dimensional characters? Why does it eschew much of anything outside of repeated jokes from other films, Easter egg nods that feel less like sly winks than they do hammers emblazoned with “remember when...?” on them and celebrity voices less interested in crafting characters than sounding as much like themselves as possible?

In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, we follow brothers Mario and Luigi as they embark upon a new plumbing venture in New York City. No one believes in them, though, which proves an especially damning

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4

9

+ INCREDIBLE ACTION; GORGEOUS, ACTUALLY; BADASS

- A LITTLE TOO LONG

Keanu Reeves is back as John Wick in the aptly titled John Wick: Chapter 4, and it is everything we’ve come to expect from director Chad Stahelski’s franchise over the past near-decade. We rejoin Mr. Wick hot on the heels of his last foray, which found him traipsing the globe in search of forgiveness from the shadowy High Table order of assassins after he’d killed someone at the Continental, a neutral ground hotel for assassins wherein so-called “business” is strictly prohibited. Turns out Mr. Wick didn’t quite earn his freedom despite lopping off a finger in deference in the last movie, so the leaders of the High Table dispatch the Marquis (It star Bill Skarsgård) to kill the guy with all of their nefarious resources at his disposal. A hail of bullets and tempest of blades follows.

We must first assign credit to Stahelski, where it is most assuredly due thanks to his fresh take on action films. Throughout the John Wick series, there has rarely been a lull. Bodies pile up in these films through no shortage of creative martial arts, swordplay and gun-fu, but it’s the broader world of assassins that keeps things interesting. We don’t know much about the High Table, nor can we—but therein lies much of the fun. Through storytelling devices, we know Mr. Wick is likely Belarusian, he’s about the best killer ever and he belongs to a clandestine reality to endure when they’re swept into the alternate dimension Mushroom Kingdom through a pipe located deep within the sewers of Brooklyn. Seems a big ol’ fire-breathing turtle guy called Boswer (Jack Black; the only truly fun element of the movie) is hell-bent on domination and has taken over parts of the realm. Separated and forced to rely on the expositional facets crammed down our throats in the film’s early minutes, Mario (Chris Pratt) sets off to do brave stuff and make quips about heart or whatever, while Luigi (Charlie Day) drops Scooby-Doo-esque lines about g-g-g-g-ghosts or, in this case, k-k-k-k-koopas! Mario teams up with the Mushroom Kingdom’s Princess Peach (Anya Taylor Joy in what is just plain a mind-numbingly boring performance), Toad (Keegan-Michael Key, who, like Black, actually tries acting) and Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen doing his best impression of Seth Rogen) to find his brother and stop Bowser. Spoiler alert? They win.

Illumination is a top-tier animation studio, and no one should have any notes about their design and aes- universe of ritual-obsessed sects of killers lurking in plain site. Neat!

Beyond that, all that matters is the onslaught of fight scenes meticulously choreographed like a bloody ballet. The addition of martial arts cinema legend Donnie Yen as former Wick associate Caine only ups the ante. Yen takes part in the long-running canon of blind swordsmen that includes such iconic entries as Zatoichi and Ninja Scroll. In tandem with Wick’s blend of over-the-top insanity...well, let’s just say there’s something satisfying about a blind guy beating everyone’s ass.

Back in the fray are other longtime franchise favorites like Continental manager Winston (Ian McShane) and his concierge Charon (Lance Reddick, rest in power!), plus Reeves’ Matrix co-alum Laurence Fishburne and, thrillingly, veteran character actor Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption). Together, they represent the various bits and pieces of the otherwise enigmatic Mr. Wick; they, too, are badass. Even so, there’s such a thing as diminishing returns, and the 50th fight starts to overstay its welcome. As for the overhead tracking shot that reads like 2012 video game Hotline Miami? Brilliant. Beautiful.

As Stahelski leaves Wick behind (at least for now) and moves on to his next project, an adaptation of the Ghost of Tsushima video game, fans of the series will find an organic and satisfying conclusion. Turns out homeboy did it all for love, and that’s an OK reason enough to blast fools, right?(ADV) Violet Crown, Regal, R, 169 min.

Boston Strangler

+ FASCINATING PREMISE; CINEMATOGRAPHY - RUN-OF-THE-MILL JOURNO THRILLER

+ STUNNING ANIMATION AND SOUND - BARELY-THERE STORY; SUBPAR VOICE ACTING; TOO CUTE AT TIMES, EVEN FOR KIDS thetics. As for its recycled humor from its other movies and a whole heck of a lot of assuming most people will just know who the Mario characters are, well, let’s just say that if a kid who never had video games wandered into a theater, they’d be baffled. Oh, but look—there’s Rainbow Road from Mario Kart! There’s Kranky Kong from Donkey Kong Country! Flashing lights! Yoshi the dinosaur in the background! Love conquers all while the 50th slo-mo moment stands in for anything the least bit clever! Even worse, literally dozens of high-profile voice actors who could’ve done better left out of the process. Yes, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is for kids, and yes, adults will see it. The real question is, regardless of who it’s for, should it piss you off so badly?

THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE

Directed by Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic and Pierre Leduc

With Pratt, Black, Taylor-Joy, Key and Rogen Violet Crown, Regal, PG, 92 min.

When last we checked in with Keira Knightley (which wasn’t recent; it’s not like we just follow her career all the time), she was starring in 2019’s Official Secrets, a sort of bland based-on-a-true-story journalism movie about the US’s nefarious intro to war in the Middle East circa 2003. Therein, she played a British government worker who leaked information to the press, and this time, Knightley’s on the other side of the fence in Boston Strangler, a movie about—get this—the Boston Strangler, a purported serial killer who terrorized women in Boston in the 1960s and possibly later in Michigan.

In Strangler, Knightley plays real-life journo Loretta McLaughlin, who, along with also-real-life journalist Jean Cole (portrayed here by Gone Girl’s Carrie Coon), dug into the enigmatic and seemingly patterned killings that gripped the Massachusetts metropolis. Contending with everything from institutional misogyny, impatient husbands, ineffective cops and so forth, McLaughlin and Cole became part of the story themselves (sadly, in a “look at this dog that can stand on its hind legs!” sort of way at first) and made enemies of the police force, but ultimately did that kind of kick-ass journalism to which we all aspire.

Writer/director Matt Ruskin (Crown Heights) helms the historical drama, and though he does delve into the ways in which women were forced to fight for a place at the table, be it at work or in society, his main focus remains on the tenacity of his subjects. Without McLaughlin and Cole, we learn, the public might have been kept in the dark much longer, and though a known Boston scumbag confessed to the crimes, launching later-disgraced attorney F. Lee Bailey into the public sphere, Strangler contends that humanity’s need for comfort often supersedes our pursuit of truth. The bulk of the Boston Strangler murders remain unsolved to this day—and many question whether the confessor, Albert DeSalvo, truly was the guy. Ruskin posits that we much prefer tying a neat bow on things to accepting there is real and ongoing evil in the world.

Knightley cuts a sympathetic enough character in her performance as McLaughlin, and her obsession becomes our own. Coon wows, though, all tough shouting and dogged reporting. Boston Strangler even manages a few truly scary moments akin to David Fincher’s Zodiac, from which this one obviously takes more than a few cues. But rather than straying from the newspaper thriller formula set down by movies like All the President’s Men, Ruskin opts to paint by numbers. This is disappointing, even if the film’s final moments are cause for conversation. Regardless, one wonders why Ruskin’s film went straight to Hulu rather than a theater near you, particularly in its brilliant cinematography from Ozark alum Ben Kutchins. Some moments look almost like Renaissance paintings, but they can’t save a middling movie. Still, it’s fun to see McLaughlin and Cole take on the cops and to see Knightley run around doing journalism. (ADV) Hulu, R, 112 min.

JONESIN’

“Running Free”—more words, words, words.

by Matt Jones

11 Gym instructor’s deg.

12 Musical character who sings “I swear on all my spores”

13 One of Chaucer’s Canterbury pilgrims

16 Involve

20 Some strength-training enthusiasts

25 “Whenever”

27 Throws a sleeper then touches the ground, essentially

29 Went for the silver, perhaps

30 Ganon, to Link

33 Family surname in current TV

34 “... the giftie ___ us”: Burns

35 Field items that follow an arc

36 Barely

37 Underground experts

41 Add new padding to

42 “Mr. Belvedere” costar Bob 43 They’re real knockouts 45 Zulu warrior king 47 Toyota model rebooted in 2019

52 Laugh line 54 “Proud Mary” band, briefly 55 Dir. from Iceland to Ireland

Psychics

Mind Body Spirit

Rob Brezsny Week of April 12th

ARIES (March 21-April 19): I hope that in the coming weeks, you will keep your mind bubbling with zesty mysteries. I hope you’ll exult in the thrill of riddles that are beyond your current power to solve. If you cultivate an appreciation of uncanny uncertainties, life will soon begin bringing you uncanny certainties. Do you understand the connection between open-hearted curiosity and fertile rewards? Don’t merely tolerate the enigmas you are immersed in—love them!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): An old sadness is ripening into practical wisdom. A confusing loss is about to yield a clear revelation you can use to improve your life. In mysterious ways, a broken heart you suffered in the past may become a wild card that inspires you to deepen and expand your love. Wow and hallelujah, Taurus! I’m amazed at the turnarounds that are in the works for you. Sometime in the coming weeks, what wounded you once upon a time will lead to a vibrant healing. Wonderful surprise!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): What is the true and proper symbol for your sign, Gemini? Twins standing shoulder to shoulder as they gaze out on the world with curiosity? Or two lovers embracing each other with mischievous adoration in their eyes? Both scenarios can accurately represent your energy, depending on your mood and the phase you’re in. In the coming weeks, I advise you to draw on the potency of both. You will be wise to coordinate the different sides of your personality in pursuit of a goal that interests them all. And you will also place yourself in harmonious alignment with cosmic rhythms as you harness your passionate urge to merge in a good cause.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Some scientists speculate that more people suffer from allergies than ever before because civilization has over-sanitized the world. The fetish for scouring away germs and dirt means that our immune systems don’t get enough practice in fending off interlopers. In a sense, they are “bored” because they have too little to do. That’s why they fight stuff that’s not a threat, like tree pollens and animal dander. Hence, we develop allergies to harmless substances. I hope you will apply this lesson as a metaphor in the coming weeks, fellow Cancerian. Be sure the psychological component of your immune system isn’t warding off the wrong people and things. It’s healthy for you to be protective, but not hyper-over-protective in ways that shut out useful influences.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): One night in 1989, Leo evolutionary biologist Margie Profet went to sleep and had a dream that revealed to her new information about the nature of menstruation. The dream scene was a cartoon of a woman’s reproductive system. It showed little triangles being carried away by the shed menstrual blood. Eureka! As Profet lay in bed in the dark, she intuited a theory that no scientist had ever guessed: that the sloughed-off uterine lining had the key function of eliminating pathogens, represented by the triangles. In subsequent years, she did research to test her idea, supported by studies with electron microscopes. Now her theory is regarded as fact. I predict that many of you Leos will soon receive comparable benefits. Practical guidance will be available in your dreams and twilight awareness and altered states. Pay close attention!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You don’t know what is invisible to you. The truths that are out of your reach may as well be hiding. The secret agendas you are not aware of are indeed secret. That’s the not-so-good news, Virgo. The excellent news is that you now have the power to uncover the rest of the story, at least some of it. You will be able to penetrate below the surface and find buried riches. You will dig up missing information whose absence has prevented you from understanding what has been transpiring. There may be a surprise or two ahead, but they will ultimately be agents of healing.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Visionary philosopher Buckminster Fuller referred to pollution as a potential resource we have not yet figured out how to harvest. A company called Algae Systems does exactly that. It uses wastewater to grow algae that scrub carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and yield carbon-negative biofuels. Can we invoke this approach as a metaphor that’s useful to you? Let’s dream up examples. Suppose you’re a creative artist. You could be inspired by your difficult emotions to compose a great song, story, painting, or dance. Or if you’re a lover who is in pain, you could harness your suffering to free yourself of a bad old habit or ensure that an unpleasant history doesn’t repeat itself. Your homework, Libra, is to figure out how to take advantage of a “pollutant” or two in your world.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Soon you will graduate from your bumpy lessons and enter a smoother, silkier phase. You will find refuge from the naysayers as you create a liberated new power spot for yourself. In anticipation of this welcome transition, I offer this motivational exhortation from poet Gwendolyn Brooks: “Say to them, say to the down-keepers, the sun-slappers, the selfsoilers, the harmony-hushers, ‘Even if you are not ready for day, it cannot always be night.’” I believe you are finished with your worthwhile but ponderous struggles, Scorpio. Get ready for an excursion toward luminous grace.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I periodically seek the counsel of a Sagittarian psychic. She’s half-feral and sometimes speaks in riddles. She tells me she occasionally converses by phone with a person she calls “the ex-Prime Minister of Narnia.” I confided in her that lately it has been a challenge for me to keep up with you Sagittarians because you have been expanding beyond the reach of my concepts. She gave me a pronouncement that felt vaguely helpful, though it was also a bit over my head: “The Archer may be quite luxuriously curious and furiously hilarious; studiously lascivious and victoriously delirious; salubriously industrious but never lugubriously laborious.” Here’s how I interpret that: Right now, pretty much anything is possible if you embrace unpredictability.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “I’m not insane,” says Capricorn actor Jared Leto. “I’m voluntarily indifferent to conventional rationality.” That attitude might serve you well in the coming weeks. You could wield it to break open opportunities that were previously closed due to excess caution. I suspect you’re beginning a fun phase of self-discovery when you will learn a lot about yourself. As you do, I hope you will experiment with being at least somewhat indifferent to conventional rationality. Be willing to be surprised. Be receptive to changing your mind about yourself.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): People of all genders feel urges to embellish their native beauty with cosmetic enhancements. I myself haven’t done so, but I cheer on those who use their flesh for artistic experiments. At the same time, I am also a big fan of us loving ourselves exactly as we are. And I’m hoping that in the coming weeks, you will emphasize the latter over the former. I urge you to indulge in an intense period of maximum selfappreciation. Tell yourself daily how gorgeous and brilliant you are. Tell others, too! Cultivate a glowing pride in the gifts you offer the world. If anyone complains, tell them you’re doing the homework your astrologer gave you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I encourage you to amplify the message you have been trying to deliver. If there has been any shyness or timidity in your demeanor, purge it. If you have been less than forthright in speaking the whole truth and nothing but the truth, boost your clarity and frankness. Is there anything you could do to help your audience be more receptive? Any tenderness you could express to stimulate their willingness and ability to see you truly?

Homework: What’s your favorite lie or deception? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s Expanded Weekly Audio Horoscopes and Daily Text Message Horoscopes . The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

© COPYRIGHT 2023 ROB BREZSNY

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D-101-CV-2023-00645

IN THE MATTER OF A PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME OF RAMON D. MARTINEZ. NOTICE OF CHANGE OF NAME (Telephonic Hearing)

TAKE NOTICE that in accordance with the Provisions of Sec. 40-8-1 through Sec. 40 8-3 NMSA 1978, et seq. The Petitioner, Ramon Daniel Martinez, will apply to the Honorable Kathleen Mcgarry Ellenwood, District Judge of the First Judicial District at the Santa Fe Judicial Complex, 225 Montezuma Ave, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at 11:15am, on the 24th day of April, 2023 for an ORDER FOR CHANGE OF NAME from RAMON DANIEL MARTINEZ to RAMON DANIEL LOUIE NARVAIZ

KATHLEEN VIGIL, District Court Clerk

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CASE NO: D-101-CV-2023-00690

IN THE MATTER OF A PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME OF ZAHARA GUILLEN, A CHILD. NOTICE OF CHANGE OF NAME.

TAKE NOTICE that in accordance with the Provisions of Sec. 40-8-1 through Sec. 40-8-3 NMSA

1978, et seq. The Petitioner, Natalie Guillen, will apply to the Honorable Maria Sanchez Gagne, District Judge of the First Judicial District at the Rio Arriba County Courthouse, 7 Mainstreet, in Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico, at 9:30am, on the 8th day of May, 2023 for an ORDER FOR CHANGE OF NAME of the child from Zahara Isabela Genevieve Guillen to Zahara Genevieve Guillen

KATHLEEN VIGIL, District Court Clerk

By: Bernadette Hernandez Deputy Court Clerk

Green Party Annual Convention and Meeting Saturday, April 29, 2:00pm Pick Room, Main Library, 145 Washington Ave, Santa Fe. Remote option available. Contact 505.226.7533 or info@greenpartyofnm.org.

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