Classic Review: Super Mario Bros. (1993)

Super Mario Bros. is the now infamous 1993 live action adaptation based on the highly popular and hugely successful Nintendo video game series and was also the first full length live action film based on a video game. Mario (Hoskins) and Luigi (Leguizamo) are two plumbers in Brooklyn who must travel to an alternate parallel dimension called Dinohatten in order to rescue princess Daisy (Samantha Mathis) from the evil dictator King Koopa (Hopper) and stop him from taking over the world. As a faithful adaptation of the beloved video game series, Super Mario Bros. is a failure on nearly every level that shares little in common with its source material which understandably upset a lot of devoted fans especially when it first released in theaters. It’s a misfire in every sense of the word and is far from what most would consider a good movie, but if one can look past the Mario aspect of it/the connections to the source material and just view this as its own weird 90’s thing, then there’s a level of bizarre fun and enjoyment to be had.

There are genuinely some really good things here and it’s easy to see how it developed a bit of a cult following over the years in certain circles following its release. Hoskins is actually an inspired choice as Mario and had the film been more faithful to the character, he would’ve made for a perfect live action version. Hoskins is one of the main bright spots in anything he appears in, and this is no exception although it was quite funny to learn that he didn’t even realize this movie was based on a video game until his son told him after production had already begun. Another major highlight is Hopper who is hamming it up to the extreme as King Koopa (before he was referred to as Bowser), and even if he only did this movie for a nice paycheck, he’s still one of the most entertaining parts of the film. It’s odd that Koopa appears in human form for 98% of the film but if that meant getting to see more Hopper, then so be it. The rest of the cast is simply okay, Leguizamo is fine as Luigi, but he doesn’t leave much of an impression especially when compared to Hoskins and Hopper, and while she isn’t given much to do, Mathis is very likable as Daisy.

Meanwhile, its practical effects and set designs are pretty impressive and for a film approaching it’s 30^th anniversary. Its visual also effects hold up well for the time. If one could separate the film from the games, there’s some fun in seeing a weird dinosaur version of Manhattan and there are some decent if entirely forgettable action sequences. As much as it doesn’t deserve the hate thrown its way, there’s still no denying, it’s not a very good movie. Most of the humor falls completely flat, the dinosaur world is barely explored and almost all of the side characters are very irritating and underdeveloped. The tone is also wildly inconsistent bouncing from family friendly film to more adult orientated sometimes within the same scene and by the end of the film, it’s never really clear what age group this is going for. A lot of the humor is geared towards small children but there’s an equal amount that’s pretty inappropriate and surprisingly adult. It also makes it even more confusing who this is aimed for when it mostly takes place in a dark dystopian society and there’s several scenes of violence and character deaths that probably scarred the living daylights out of kids when the film first came out.

In the end, this is a tough film to discuss because on one hand, it’s way better than the irredeemable trainwreck it’s been made out to be but at the same time, all of the complaints thrown its way are very valid and it’s undeniably a misfire that gave video game adaptations a bad name. If this was an original 90’s sci-fi/fantasy adventure with no ties to the Mario brand, then the reception would’ve most definitely been stronger (if still not great), but the fact that it is tied to that property makes it hard to overlook the glaring issues and impossible to not compare it to the games. Though the film is absolutely a product of it’s time and many may hate it, for those who are curious about it, it’s worth seeking out before the new animated version hits theatres tomorrow.

still courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/