I am one of the few people out there that actually genuinely likes this movie. Is it a great adaptation of the game? No. But that by itself does not make it a horrible movie. You have to put things into context. Around the time of this film's production and release there weren't really any major bits of storytelling or backstory for Super Mario Bros. There were the cartoons which have aged even worse than the film has if you ask me, some comics and that's about it. So its not like the writers had this wealth of infomration to go off of for the film. All they had was the video games which essentially had one very simple plot line. To rescure the princess. And the film does have a princess and the Mario Bros. do rescue her. So in that particular instance, the film did not fail to adapt the source material.
I never understood this particular criticism of the film because of that and even if there were more bits of story for the writers to use, that would not change the fact that the games or those story arcs were basically impossible to film in live action.
Think about it for a second. If the writers and the producers of the 1993 film really did adapt the game or the comics straight up the movie would have been an even bigger joke than it already was according to critics then and now. I don't care who you are, a live action film about two plumbers who run around a brightly colored landscape with fluffy smiling clouds, break bricks with their heads, jump on mushrooms and throw fireballs would only be entertaining or work if the viewer was actually high on mushrooms themselves. The filmmakers and the writers made the right choice by just taking a simple framework and then just building their own unique story around it.
The film also has some really clever easter eggs and nods to the games that gets overlooked by many. The Thwomp boots, the B-ooomb, Bullet Bill, and even an SNES Super Scope that the Mario Bros. use to de-evolve Koopa into muck. And one thing that the film does that no other adaption or game in the series has ever done, is make Luigi genuinely cool. I mean John Leguizamo in this film is more of a bad ass and ten times cooler than Mario.
And speaking of cool. The production and art design for this film is spectacular. I love the look of Dinohattan and the visual and practical effects are also quite excellent for the time as well. Yes. Some of the CGI is dated but the practical makeup effects for Yoshi and the Goombas still hold up really well to this day and look incredibly lifelike. Silvestri's score is also quite rousing. And the cast does a solid job too. I mean I know Bob Hoskins hated this movie and hated working on it. I mean he did break his arm during filming, so I can't blame him. And most people who were involved with it don't consider it their finest hour. But its not like they deliver truly terrible performances. Leguizamo and Hoskins are quite charming and fun as the Mario Bros. and Dennis Hopper is deliciously over the top as Koopa. The direction by a combination of one of the producers and the folks who were responsible for Max Headroom: The Series is full of energy and has quite a few inspired sequences sprinkled throughout the film.
Even if you don't like Super Mario Bros. which a lot of people definitely don't. Especially fans of the franchise and of gaming as a whole, you have to admit that the film was at least unique and truly one of a kind. And that it could have been a lot worse. And is it really the worst video game movie ever? I wouldn't even call it one of the worst period.
This is a genre of filmmaking that includes films like Street Fighter, Double Dragon, Mortal Kombat: Annhilation, House Of The Dead, Alone In The Dark, Far Cry, and countless others that make this look like a masterpiece in comparison. At least the filmmakers and the writers here tried and had some passion for the film that they were making. I can't say the same for any of the films I listed earlier.
Super Mario Bros. is a misunderstood and quite underrated flick that if you have skipped it or decided not to play it due to its reputation is well worth at least one session.
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