After mostly positive reactions to the first trailer, a second trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie has now come out, and this one has provided more information about the movie's plot and characters. The new trailer showed Mario and Bowser in their endeavors, alongside new developments of Luigi's sticky situation and the first footage of Princess Peach.
Just about every villain and obstacle from the video games show up, from Goombas and Bomb-Omb to all the hurdles from the original games. There are also tons of Easter eggs, with no stone left unturned, including the rare Tanooki Suit. However, many of these trailer moments also reveal a lot about the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie, including a change to Princess Peach's story from the games and a popular racing game coming to life.
Donkey Kong Is Here
The biggest reveal in the trailer's opening is that Donkey Kong is in Super Mario Bros Movie. Not only that, but the entire area that they battle looks like the original Donkey Kong video game. They are on the red girders that were used in that game, and the setup is almost a duplicate.
This is important for two reasons in this movie. First, it is part of a trend that plays out in the trailer that shows The Super Mario Bros. Movie is going to be very loyal to the video games' anesthetics. Second and more important, Donkey Kong doesn't appear to be a villain. There are spectators in an arena, and Princess Peach is not a captive but a spectator.
Mario Is Pretty Hopeless
In the video games, Mario was a plumber with a plucky heart who set out to save Princess Peach. In the original Donkey Kong video game, Mario was just the Jump Man, but he did what he could to save the princess. He was a hero in the Super Mario Bros. video games, charging into action.
The first time Mario shows up in the trailer, he looks like he is getting ready to battle and then Donkey Kong just lays down a beating on him. This changes his dynamic in the movie, from the plumber who takes no nonsense to a more reluctant hero not ready for the big fight.
Luigi Faces Bowser
Luigi appears in the new Super Mario Bros. trailer, but more footage expands on the first trailer that showed him being chased. In the shots, Bowser is threatening the plumber because he looks and acts just like Mario. It's nice to see Luigi in the movie, but from the look of it, he will mostly serve as bait for Mario.
If Mario is not ready for the fight, there is nothing that could better prepare him than putting his brother in danger. This would lead to what would likely be Mario's final resolution to join in the fight and take the war to Bowser. However, from what Bowser said, Mario was causing problems long before Bowser grabbed Luigi.
Mario And Luigi Are From Brooklyn
There is also a quick flashback that shows Mario working as a plumber, and another shot of Mario and Luigi walking across the street together, bumping fists. Based on these shots, and the previously released movie poster, the brothers live in Brooklyn, New York.
This is pretty important because it means that the Mario Brothers end up sucked into the Mushroom Kingdom to help battle in their war with Bowser. They likely end up separated, as Mario lands alone and sees Toad, and Luigi ends up captured by Bowser. That clearly shows this will either be a fish out of water movie for Mario, or a return to a kingdom he left long ago.
The Map In The Movie
There is a map shown in the Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment. In the shot, several members of the Mushroom Kingdom sit around a table and stare at the map. This map shows several locations in the movie's world, and they all line up with the locations in the video games as well.
The Donkey Kong land is at the top of the map, right next to a volcano island. To the left is a desert pyramid that looks like the land from Mario 64. The Mushroom Kingdom is below that, with Yoshi's Island to the right. Bowser's Land is above that, and there is some ice below it, which is likely the land he conquered in the first teaser. All these lands will surely play into Mario's journey.
Princess Peach Is Not A Damsel In Distress
From the start of the franchise, Princess Peach is simply a girl that Mario and Luigi need to save. Bowser or Donkey Kong always capture her, and the brothers have to save her and return her to her throne in the kingdom. Things have changed for the better over the years, and this movie changes Peach for the better as well.
In the trailer, Princess Peach is the leader of the war against Bowser. She brings Mario into the fight, and she sets up training for the plumber to learn what he needs to do to beat the monster. She saves Mario more than once in the trailer and is far from the damsel in distress from the games, a positive change for the movie.
Princess Peach Is Also Fire
On top of making Princess Peach a more proactive character, it looks like The Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer showed they pulled at least one moment from the video games for her. While she will join in the fight, it looks like she will power up somewhat as well. One shot has her touching a Fire Flower and getting some firepower of her own.
Her costume here is white and red, which is the same as her Fire Peach costume, which gave her firepower in the Super Mario 3D World game. Sadly, she never used the fireball power again, making it something only die-hard Super Mario Bros. fans might know. The costume is a skin in Smash Bros Ultimate. It looks like, in the movie, she will have this rare power to fight Bowser head-on.
The Training Montage
The training montage is also straight from the video games. In the trailer, Mario trains for his battle with Bowser, and this involves him going through levels from the games. It includes jumping, bricks disappearing, and moving targets. It is all the things that frustrated gamers back in the day.
This shows two things about the movie. First, it continues the trend of pulling features and moments directly from the games to make the movie almost look like a cartoon reenactment of playing the game. Second, this is a fun moment of Easter eggs as Mario goes through the training montage that appears in almost every action movie.
Yoshi Island – But Where Is Yoshi?
In a bit of confusion, Yoshi is Mario's green dinosaur buddy in the games. However, he is also part of a larger species of dinosaurs known as Yoshi, and they all live on Yoshi Island. In the trailer, there is a quick shot of Yoshi Island, with several of them playing alongside a stream.
There is one problem. The green Yoshi is not in this shot. The trailer showed little from the island, but the scene that immediately follows it is of Bowser destroying the Penguin Kingdom. With Yoshi Island right below the Penguin Kingdom, it may suggest that Bowser could target these little guys next. If so, this might be where one survivor joins Mario, and that would be the missing green Yoshi.
Mario Kart Comes To Life
In yet another moment pulled straight out of the video games, the good guys show up for the fight in a Super Mario Kart scene. This is more than just a fun moment for game fans, although the Easter eggs are great. For one thing, all the characters are in their game specific vehicles. It is also on Rainbow Road, which is straight out of the games.
However, this also shows a lot of information about who is fighting Bowser. Donkey Kong is here in his vehicle. That makes it look like Mario might have gone to Donkey Kong Island for help, and earned the respect of Kong, who joined him in the fight along with several other apes. Princess Peach is also here, as is Toad in his monster truck.