Mario is and has always been a plumber. He’s a blue-collar worker thrust into the role of an interdimensional hero, a role that his recent film reveals him to be woefully inadequate. So why would you trust an Italian plumber from Brooklyn with something as important as your personal health?
The answer is simple: you shouldn’t. And that’s not just my medical opinion--that’s the opinion of Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario and director at Nintendo. In an interview with IGN, Miyamoto discussed how the Super Mario Bros. film casts Mario as the "everyman hero," which sort of explains why Chris Pratt was hired to be Mario’s voice.
He also discussed Mario’s various other representations in the movie and how his plumber background makes him question Dr. Mario’s credentials.
“Mario’s a blue-collar, he’s a regular person,” Miyamoto said. "So, even when he becomes Dr. Mario, there’s a sort of, like, shadiness, like 'can I trust this person?'
"That remained [in the film], and I think that’s the kind of image that’s carried down for generations as Mario," he added. "And to see that image kind of coincide, and then evolve into something of a hero is something that I’m really happy to see."
Sort of brings a new light to the Dr. Mario franchise. All those pills are being prescribed without a valid medical license. Maybe we should even look into Mario's schooling to see where he even got his doctorate. I certainly haven't heard where Mario performed his residence, and from the sound of things, neither has Miyamoto.
The good news here is that the Mario movie is "fine." That's according to our own Stacey Henley, who got to see The Super Mario Bros. Movie before the rest of us. She described it as "a cosy, bouncy adventure through the Mushroom Kingdom that knows when to pelt the audience with references great and small, and when to let the characters speak for themselves."
That certainly sounds better than the '90s Mario movie, and while Critics are divided on Rotten Tomatoes, the viewers are universally loving Mario's new film.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is showing in theaters now. And if you're looking for a new Mario game, we've got more good news. Miyamoto has confirmed that more Mario games are on the way (surprise, surprise), and to "stay tuned for future Nintendo Directs." Considering it's been six years since Super Mario Odyssey, it's about time we saw the return of the Italian Plumber in something other than a major motion picture.