Replace from this part of the opening post onwards “My suggestions to develop these emotional journey.”

There were clear opportunities to develop these emotional journeys.

The film gestures towards two central themes: what makes a good parent, and the tension between compassion and naivety.

Bowser’s relationship with Bowser Junior could have mirrored Rosalina’s relationship with the Lumas. Rosalina could represent a nurturing but firm parent who sets boundaries, while Bowser is overly indulgent and unable to say no. This dynamic could have been both comedic and meaningful. For example, Bowser Junior might throw a tantrum about school, prompting Bowser to destroy it in an attempt to please him. This would highlight Bowser’s core flaw, that his need to satisfy his son leads him into destructive behaviour. As a result, Bowser’s eventual betrayal of Mario would feel consistent with his established character. This could contrast with the Lumas rising to the occasion when Rosalina is captured and playing an instrumental role in helping the heroes save the day.

The central emotional conflict should revolve around Mario’s compassion. When Mario shows forgiveness towards Bowser and is betrayed, the film raises a key question: Is compassion a strength, or is it naivety that leads to exploitation? Mario, already struggling with low self-esteem regarding his heritage, experiences a crisis of confidence. He believes his naivety has led him to fail Peach and put her in danger, reinforcing his belief that he is not good enough for her.

Fox also had the potential to play an important role in this arc, representing confidence in contrast to Mario’s self-doubt. Fox’s cocky demeanour versus Mario’s insecurity could have created tension, especially as Mario becomes jealous of Fox’s confidence around Peach. The film hints at this conflict but ultimately abandons it. Mario could have feared that Peach might choose Fox over him, deepening his emotional crisis.

Mario’s arc could then resolve through a combination of realisation and action. He learns that Fox uses confidence as a shield for his own insecurity, as shown when he panics after crashing and is unable to fix the ship. In contrast, Peach values genuineness over bravado. Luigi’s role could evolve from joking about Mario’s insecurities to becoming more supportive as he realises how deeply Mario is affected. Peach could reinforce that royalty is defined by actions rather than heritage, noting that she herself was not born into royalty but earned the title through her leadership. She also reassures Mario that it is his compassion that makes her care for him, and that even if this quality can be exploited, she would not want him to change who he is, as this perceived weakness can be a strength in another context.

Most importantly, the resolution should come through action. When Bowser is defeated and transformed into Dry Bowser, he could become a mindless threat, even attacking Bowser Junior. This would force Mario and Bowser Junior to work together like in Bowser’s Fury. In this situation, Mario becomes the positive parental influence that Bowser Junior lacks. When given the choice to destroy Dry Bowser or restore him, Mario chooses compassion. By doing so, he redeems both Bowser Junior and Bowser, who are grateful both for being saved and for Mario protecting Bowser Junior. This action proves Mario’s earlier belief in compassion to be correct

Through this, Mario learns that his compassion is not a weakness but a strength. This resolves his internal conflict and gives him the confidence to pursue Peach. The emotional arc of the romance and the central conflict are therefore unified.

The film does not need to follow these exact ideas. However, once such concepts are introduced, they should be developed. Instead, they are sacrificed for action sequences and references that do not serve the plot or emotional journey. Moments like Peach fighting Mario Bros 2 enemies or Yoshi raising baby Mario and Luigi could have been removed to make space for meaningful development.

It is better to be simple and execute it well than to attempt complexity and fail. This film tries to do everything and ends up achieving very little. It should have committed either to being a purely nostalgic celebration or to telling a focused emotional story.