I just hope that by the time the next film comes around, Daisy will have her moment to shine. But hey, at least Luigi's not gonna be sidelined, this time around.

And yes, Junior's voice and his pupils are a bit off-putting. (I would've gone with Nancy Cartwright.)
But then again, so was hearing Chris Pratt would be voicing Mario, when the first film was announced.

Plus, Junior's iteration in this film is only *slightly* different than the one in the games.

Well, I gonna say that having Brie Larson be Rosalina's voice actress was a bit of a letdown. But since it's not Awkwafina it's better than nothing. Sort of a lesser of two evils, if you will.

I think that just about covers it. What are your thoughts on the movie trailer so far?

That being said though, I'm not a hundred percent sold on his design.

I'm not liking the iris on his eyes or how old his voice sounds. It just looks and sounds weird coming out of his face, and it's gonna bother me throughout the whole film, I bet.

I love that they're bringing in his Wonder form and mixing it in with his look as Shadow Mario.

That is an excellent touch and the addition of his brush turning into a morning star is a solid choice and one I wonder why Nintendo didn't do sooner in the games.

It feels genuinely natural!

Let's talk about Junior.

I'm NOT a fan of his voice, but I'm willing to overlook it if the acting and writing fit him.

It's clear they're trying to set him up to be the primary antagonist of the film, which does make me worry that Bowser may be sidelined, like how Luigi was in the first film.

But all this feels VERY intentional. Bowser taking up painting is meant to set up and even contrast how Bowser Jr. will play a role in the movie.

Junior's clearly being set up to drag his father back to the Dark Lands, and even be there to witness his own ambitions rising from the ashes of defeat.

I think it'll lead into some storytelling and even conflict between the bros.

Mario sees the obsession is still there, in the art. He sees Bowser's self delusion in his idealized form, but Luigi is more optimistic and wants to believe Bowser can do better.

But he's still scared of being wrong.

In a minute, we see that Luigi's open to the idea of Bowser's rehabilitation, but he's still got some concerns, judging by his expression when seeing Bowser's art of him and Peach.

He deflects, not unlike how a parent unsure of their kid's art would react.

Mario, of course, doesn't hold back.

I have to say I like that they've still giving him hobbies and that might have shown some improvement, like him sipping soup and clipping a bonsai, and he's eager to show off his "masterpiece" to Luigi, and a lesser extent, Mario.

But he hasn't changed, not really, and I think Mario knows it.

I was surprised with Bowser, but it really sounds like they've got a solid direction for him that's fairly grounded in reality.

Guy's taking painting, which is a valid form of therapy for rehabilitating criminals, although it doesn't look like he's quite going about it in the healthiest way.

Brie Larson is not who I would have picked, but based on an article my friend showed me, it sounds like she genuinely loves the character and wants to do her justice, as opposed to just "fixing" her.

What matters is the acting, direction and writing coming together to portray her properly.