HBO’s “The Last Of Us” is off to a roaring start, sitting at 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes with only four episodes released. It’s an unprecedented success for a live-action adaptation of a video game, and it’s given Saturday Night Live a comedic idea: What if HBO picked completely the wrong game franchise and decided to ruin Mario Kart? It’s a joke but, also, it’s probably crossed the minds of network executives.
After opening on a Bullet Bill shell, the skit cuts to a wider scene that looks like an alternate-universe version of the Great Depression, in which Mario’s called upon to smuggle Princess Peach to Rainbow Road. Hey, most Need For Speed games operate on flimsier plots, so it looks like SNL’s just rolling with it. Mario doesn’t act alone, so let’s pull out the Fast & Furious family trope and go find Luigi.
Oh of course Luigi’s living in some facsimile of his haunted mansion. There’s no sign of Professor E. Gadd, but Luigi has a shotgun like he’s living in the Florida swamp or something. There’s a nice joke about resolution-limited character design when the Goomba walks in and a little dig at HBO’s idea of complex characters when Yoshi and Toad are introduced, then we’re promptly launched into quoting mock reviews.
The skit eventually evolves into what can only be described as a gritty re-skin of the Wachowskis’ Speed Racer, with Mario and the gang dodging obstacles and Toad eventually being taken out by a red shell from Bowser. Rest in peace, bisexual Toad. We hardly knew ye.
Add in jokes like the oddness of Lakitu and the no-karting sign in the opening scene, along with a smattering of darkness like Mario’s addiction to mushrooms, and you get a sketch that leans into the absurd. And you know what? It still looks better than the real-live series they tried to do and way better than the OG movie. Just watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hho1P_a1nQ
The state of live-action video game adaptations is pretty abysmal, so it’s not terribly surprising that an SNL sketch seems as plausible entertainment as the Need For Speed movie, but still. It’s amazing what high production value can pull out of a premise as thin as single-ply toilet paper.
While SNL’s Mario Kart bit is obviously for laughs, there’s a kernel of promise in the idea of a gritty TV show centered around a driving game. While something as frenetic and carnage-bearing as Burnout 3: Takedown could be entertaining, the real money could be in something like a TV adaptation of Grand Theft Auto. For now, though, the SNL Mario Kart sketch is a solid laugh that’s worth checking out.
(Photo credits: SNL)
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There’s a live action Fallout production out there shooting now! The set I saw looks dope.. hoping for a good product
A Burnout series never occurred to me, but a couple of years ago it was announced that a Twisted Metal TV series was in development. I assume it was shelved due to the pandemic or other factors, but I will hold out hope. (Although the individual entries varied in quality, the Twisted Metal games remain the ne plus ultra of car combat games.)
The last few weeks/months have been really good at SNL
The new cast really is good. I’m looking forward to see them grow as a team.
Best thing SNL has done in years…
The Southwest ad spoof recently was pretty good too
Yes to GTA. With some careful planning and multiple takes they might even let the audience decide how noble or depraved the plot moves week to week.
Between PP’s looks in this piece and his giggling in the sketches, now I want a Burt Reynolds biopic.
Burnout 3 Takedown – yes! I wonder if my PS2 still works… loved that game! Ah, the soundtrack!
As a huge fan of TLoU game (first game I recall playing more for the story itself then to just play) the show is phenomenal. This SNL Mario kart spoof is also fantastic, but I feel the ending fell flat.
I hope there is a writer or two out there working on a screenplay for Resident Evil in the same vein as TLoU so we can try and erase one of the worst Video Game to media travesties ever committed.
“…something like a TV adaptation of Grand Theft Auto.”
So like… The Sopranos? or Breaking Bad? or The Wire? or Narcos? or Sons of Anarchy? or Snowfall? or Gangs of London? or Ozark? or The Untouchables? or Weeds?
There absolutely should be more decent videogame TV series, but ‘crime /gangster drama’ – and even more specifically, ‘criminal dark/black comedy’ has already gone there and done that.
GTA is essentially just a satire of a ton of different crime drama TV shows and movies. Making a GTA TV show would just be regressive.
People still watch SNL? I lost interest years ago, when all the skits were just terrible.
Jesus that skit was bad. It referenced the games sure but it was bad. I don’t know if the skit or canned laughter was worse. I cracked a smile with the mushroom addiction bit but other than that I just kind of sat there.
you know there’s a live audience right?
It was a good skit, that they seemingly put a lot of money into.
I can’t wait for the actually real Gran Turismo movie, I just hope it’s soundtrack is nothing but jazz when there’s no racing. https://youtu.be/_jUYYF0VxwM