Summary
- Lumalee steals the show in The Super Mario Bros. Movie with his hilarious nihilism and deep existential thoughts.
- The character's voice acting, done by the director's eight-year-old girl daughter, adds to his humor and makes him stand out.
- Lumalee's popularity proves that any of the Nintendo games' characters can be a hit if adapted properly in future Mario movies.
From the moment The Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer dropped, it was obvious Lumalee would become a hit character, with the comedic voice acting behind him sealing the deal. Although Lumalee doesn't play a huge role in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, he steals the show every time he's on-screen. Pulled from the Super Mario Galaxy games, Lumalee is a member of the Luma species, and he resembles a blue star. In the games, he's a shopkeeper who sells Mario items.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie introduces Lumalee when Luigi is imprisoned by Bowser. The film's villain has no shortage of creatures locked away in his cages, Lumalee included. Unlike the rest of Bowser's prisoners, Lumalee takes a grim approach to the possibility of escape. He's content embracing certain death, and his hilarious nihilism has endeared fans to his character. The voice acting adds to the humor, as Lumalee sounds like a small child with big existential takes.
Juliet Jelenic Voices Lumalee In The Super Mario Bros Movie
Believe it or not, the person behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie's Lumalee is the eight-year-old daughter of director Michael Jelenic. Juliet Jelenic lends her voice to Lumalee in the blockbuster hit, standing out among many seasoned voice actors. What makes this more impressive is the fact that The Super Mario Bros. Movie is Juliet's first and only voice acting project. She's never been involved in another film, live-action or animated. As it turns out, she wasn't even supposed to be in the finished Super Mario Bros. Movie.
During an interview with Discussing Film, Michael revealed that Juliet was only meant to be a stand-in for Lumalee's character. They originally planned to replace her voice with someone else's. However, they chose to keep her performance in the film. Given the character's popularity, it seems like they made the right decision.
Why Lumalee Became Super Mario Bros Movie's Breakout Character
It's no surprise that Lumalee is The Super Mario Bros. Movie's breakout character, as he adds much-needed levity to the serious moments of the film. While Luigi and the other characters in Bowser's cages exhibit fear and frustration, Lumalee nonchalantly accepts their fate. He brings down the other prisoners with nihilistic sentiments like "Hope is an illusion" and "No escape," but his blunt assessments of their situation are hilarious from the outside looking in. Lumalee also blurts out a number of deep, existential thoughts, making him an unexpected highlight of The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
For a character who only played a small role in the many Super Mario Bros. games, Lumalee has accumulated an impressive number of fans since Illumination's film debuted. In part, that's due to Juliet, who delivers the character's lines with a hilarious pitch that makes them that much funnier. Through Lumalee, The Super Mario Bros. Movie proves that any of the games' characters can be a hit if adapted properly. Perhaps more small-timers from the Nintendo games will make their way into The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2.
Source: Discussing Film