Alright it's been about a year since I sincerely cared about the latest in gaming news, and much longer since I've paid attention to the next big flick, but to my surprise I actually have an opinion on this.
The animation is "good" as in, Illumination is finally reaching into their deep cash reserves to pay their animators enough to put actual effort into the project. I just don't like the style. It feels a bit too "bouncy" I guess. I guess I should preface this by saying I have no intention of actually watching the movie when it comes out.
Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek turned out really good, or so I assume from the one line of dialogue. They probably could've used a better take for Jack Black's lines as Bowser, but the script is pretty bland (or maybe this just isn't a good advertisement) so I don't blame him if he couldn't sound just right. Overall, the whole thing feels a bit too dramatic for a Mario movie. Like, seriously, the OG Mario movie was about parallel dimensions and had strippers as extras, yet its trailer felt way more Mario-esque. I like the Penguin gag but it just doesn't land well. Mostly a music issue. And you know we're in for a rough time when the Penguin King's actor seems to be having the most fun with his role.
Now, as one of those guys who likes to pretend he knows better than professional filmmakers, I would like to mention that if I were directing this, I would've had Bowser burn the penguins alive and leave the architecture alone. I know that's very gruesome and conflicts with my prior criticism of the trailer being overdramatic, but at no point have I ever said that I'm not a hypocrite.
I did not want to live in a world with Mario wearing a polo shirt.
Overall, these character designs feel like an odd halfway point between "generic cartoon character" and "Mario", and while I could certainly sit through this style, again, I did not want to live in this world.
Assuming the Toad we saw in the trailer was the Toad, then Keegan-Michael Key did a great job. Chris Pratt kinda feels like he's in the same position as Black, with flatter writing that hinders his acting ability. From a few sentences, you could hear falters in his semi-Italian-ish accent. Maybe I really like "hams", but I still feel like maybe these lines could've been recorded under better circumstances.
I mentioned this somewhere else on the internet, but I don't like the way the Mushroom Kingdom is designed. How could anyone live here? How does this society function? Seriously, I hate this.
Not familiar with Charlie Day's work, but I am excited to hear him as Luigi.
And that's it. I mean, I guess I'm impressed, but I definitely preferred life before this got revealed.