MOVIE NEWS – How does Super Mario Bros.’ Rotten Tomatoes rating compare to other CGI video game movies? What was the post-credit scene referring to…? (Warning, this article contains SPOILERS!)

The Super Mario Bros. movie has received very mixed reviews with a “Rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but how does it compare to other recent CGI video game adaptations such as Sonic the Hedgehog, The Angry Birds Movie or Detective Pikachu?

The 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. adaptation has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 29 per cent and an audience score of 29 per cent, and there have been plenty of failed video game adaptations in the decades since. But after the recent success of films like Sonic the Hedgehog and the funny-looking trailers for the new animated adaptation, it seemed like things might be different this time. Unfortunately, the Super Mario Bros. Movie divided critics – you can read BadSector’s scathing review here – and debuted with a 53 per cent Rotten Tomatoes score. Here’s how it compares to other recent video game adaptations.

Compared to the others, the Super Mario Bros. movie is a big flop

Although Sonic the Hedgehog (64 per cent), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (69 per cent) and Detective Pikachu (68 per cent) are a mix of CGI and live-action films, they are similar in tone and target audience to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, making them good comparison points with The Angry Birds Movie (43 per cent) and The Angry Birds Movie 2 (73 per cent), which are entirely 3D animated films.

Overall, these video game adaptations average 63 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes. This puts them 16 points ahead of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. All but The Angry Birds Movie received a “fresh” score and were ranked higher than the fresh Mario creation.

It’s a different story in the video game adaptation market

Although the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes score is lower than most other recent video game adaptations based on critics’ reviews, the film is receiving rave reviews from audiences. Overall, it achieved a better Rotten Tomatoes audience score than other recent CGI video game adaptations. Sonic The Hedgehog (90 per cent audience rating), Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (92 per cent audience rating), Detective Pikachu (79 per cent audience rating), Angry Birds Movie (46 per cent audience rating) and Angry Birds Movie 2 (79 per cent audience rating) all scored lower, averaging 77 per cent, 19 points lower than Super Mario Bros. Movie’s 96 per cent score.

Of course, all ratings are subjective, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s audience score could undoubtedly drop a few points in the coming weeks. Regardless, it is clear that there is a large gap between critics and audiences when it comes to the quality of the films, especially when distinguishing between the top critic scores, which average 46 per cent, well below both the 62 per cent critic and 80 per cent audience average for the group as a whole.

What about the sequel? (SPOILER WARNING!)

The post-credit scene in the Super Mario Bros. movie is brief, but upon returning to the underground tunnels of Brooklyn, a white and green egg – presumably left behind when the world of the Mushroom Kingdom was sucked into the tube leading to the world of the humans – begins to shake and crack. Before the screen fades to black, the egg hatches and Yoshi’s voice is heard saying its name.

In the games, Yoshi, an adorable green-and-white dinosaur from the island of Yoshi, is Mario’s beloved sidekick and ally to him and his brother Luigi.

The fact that Yoshi is in the film suggests that the character will undoubtedly appear in the sequel. While the other characters return to their respective kingdoms, Yoshi’s arrival in Brooklyn could mean he runs amok on the city streets. This will trigger the return of Mario and Luigi to the human world to find Yoshi and bring him back to his island. In Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 could also establish Yoshi’s friendship with Mario and Luigi, as Yoshi is a trustworthy and loyal friend who always helps.

It is possible that Yoshi will help Mario and Luigi in their next adventure. It could be that he helps them defeat Bowser again when he is released from his cage and returns in full size. Or perhaps he will face a new enemy threatening to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom and its neighbours. Conversely, Yoshi may need Mario and Luigi’s help to free Yoshi’s home from Bowser, which happened in Super Mario World. Whatever the case may be, Yoshi’s inclusion in the film further expands the world of the animated movie and shapes the relationships Mario and Luigi have already built and continue to cultivate.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes, Variety