Is Mario a generic character?

[Saltman]

A good studio could probably come up with something very creative and beautiful that doesn't require Mario to talk, though it'd be very hard, but that's really not Illumination's.... style. They favor marketing over the actual substance of the movie.

I'd be a bit more optimistic if I were you. Their movies aren't the worst ever. From what I know, only one of them has been received horribly.