“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was a super success at the box office over the weekend, and some conservatives had a bizarre explanation for why: anti-wokeness.
The animated film sold a whopping $377 million in tickets worldwide in its first five days, making it the biggest opening of 2023, despite some initial criticism for casting Chris Pratt as the voice of the mustached Italian plumber made famous in the Nintendo video game.
In addition, John Leguizamo ― who appeared in the 1993 live-action “Super Mario Bros.” movie ― criticized the new film for failing to include a Latin character.
“They messed up the inclusion,” Leguizamo told TMZ last week. “They dis-included. Just cast some Latin folk! We’re 20% of the population. The largest people of color group and we are underrepresented.”
Leguizamo’s frustration seemed to be a source of glee for some in conservative media, with Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk praising Nintendo because it “refused to let Mario Bros go woke!”
Others piled on.
The stir left some people confused.
One person tried to get specifics on what made “Mario Brothers” “anti-woke,” which led to this head-scratching exchange:
This new conservative appreciation for the film is a far cry from when the trailers first came out last fall. Back then, some conservative types got into a tizzy because the trailer featured Rainbow Road, the climactic course for every Mario Kart game, according to TheGamer.com.
One person accused producers of including “woke pride flag nonsense” into the film.
Others feared the movie would send the wrong message by portraying Mario as is “bumbling and pathetic,” and Princess Peach as a “girl boss who saves the day.”