Mario Movie Happy Meals Are The Best McDonald's Promo In Years
What is it about video game movies managing to turn it around and actually impress their harshest critics? First, it was Sonic the Hedgehog after THAT monstrous design reveal, and now, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is actually looking pretty good.
While we're still not fully on board with Chris Pratt playing the portly plumber, The Super Mario Bros. Movie at least looks visually stunning, as the Mushroom Kingdom gets a 2023 makeover. Are you ready though? Are you ready for the deluge of merchandise and tie-in collaborations?
What Is The McDonald's X Mario Collab?
We've already covered a sneak peek at the Super Mario Bros. Movie toys in Japan, with figures honouring the likes of the lead, Peach, Luigi, and Bowser. However, as McDonald's has vowed to cut back on its non-sustainable plastic in some territories, those in the UK look like they're in for a very different promo.
As shared by VGC, the Happy Meal Toys in the UK will be a series of buildable figurines and vehicles. This is presumably to fit the sustainability quote, because in 2021, the fast food giant promised Happy Meals would come with either a soft toy, book, or paper-based toy.
Even though we miss the days of Hercules or Mulan having plastic toys that could get lodged up your nose, the card Mario toys look like a lot of fun. We get a closer look at Mario and Luigi in their work van, Peach on her motorbike, and Donkey Kong in a kart.
A personal highlight is Kranky Kong riding his own kart. These clearly come from the Mario Kart-inspired scene that was seen at the end of the latest trailer - and was arguably one of its biggest talking points.
When Will The Mario Happy Meal Toys Release?
According to VGC, these card-based Happy Meal toys should be racing into our lives on January 4. As McDonald's plans so far ahead with its promos, this was presumably pencilled in when The Super Mario Bros. movie was initially supposed to release in December.
Alongside the release of HBO's The Last of Us series, The Super Mario Bros. movie is sure to be one of 2023's big video game adaptations. Let's just hope Chris Pratt's accent doesn't get in the way and Illumination can live up to the hype of the trailers.