Super Mario Bros. - It's Not THAT Bad - A 30th Anniversary Retrospective

[@KeavyGoesLive]

This movie came out on my 13th birthday. My parents took me to see this movie, took me to Pizza Hut for dinner and I got a Game Boy and a Game Boy case that looks like a giant Game Boy. It was the best birthday ever.

[@SeraphsWitness]

This is the most 90s sentence I've ever read

[@leavingcorinth]

What an awesome memory

[@WaterMeLoan64]

Happy 13th Birthday! 🎉

[@Red-Wolf-Ben]

​@@SeraphsWitness I was thinking the same thing, sounds totally righteous!

[@MrKenichi22]

That’s an awesome story

[@HAMHOTPOT]

From the cyberpunk world to the every day man blue collar comedy this movie is absolutely a gem

[@danrg26]

Nice

[@brianc3761]

Day.......Day man? ....fighter of the NIGHTman...

[@shadowangel2235]

Jeez, we now live in a time when people parrot what some youtuber tells them and if he calls shit great, they happily eat it. Sad to see. No, this trainwreck isn't a "gem", it's a turd.

[@Kastle9498]

@@brianc3761 champion of sun Uwaaaaaaaa!!

[@Rishi123456789]

@@shadowangel2235 Cringe. The 1993 Mario movie IS a gem and it's overhated, while the 2023 Mario movie is pixar-tier slop that only made as much money as it did because stupid kids saw the movie over and over again. lol

[@BugsyFoga]

I honestly appreciate how freaking bizarre and out there this film got, cause nobody from today or even back then was expecting Cyberpunk Mario flick .

[@vinesauceobscurities]

It's weird, but it's by no means all bad, and it certainly doesn't lack personality. I'd take something like this over a video game movie that's too faithful to the source material, because it's unpredictable at least.

[@JoeyArmstrong2800]

It feels like a repurposed script using Super Mario Bros characters.

[@JeonardShadby505]

I'd say it's comparable to Josh Trank trying to turn the Fantastic Four into a Cronenberg movie, except I like Mario 93 way more than that movie.

[@mikesilva3868]

Oh boy👍

[@plantain.1739]

This movie to me has a very similar issue the Metallica/ Lou Reed album Lulu has. It's more just marketed to the wrong audience. Not to blame the people who watched both, tho. you're a teenager in the 2000s who listens to Metallica, you probably aren't gonna listen to experimental noise rock with themes of feminism. Much like how if you're going into a Mario movie, you probably aren't looking to watch a gritty semi-comedic cyberpunk movie. Unless both of these pieces of media were utterly culture shifting masterpieces, it's kinda hard to not just be left confused. Especially something like Mario who, at the time, was basically only children.

[@strangemonkey90]

I will forever defend this movie. I watched it all the time when I was a kid.

[@swere1240]

same here i watched it abunch growing up. as well as tremor's 1 and 2, little monster's, goonies, three ninjas, and terminator 2. man times were so easy back then. the good ol day's

[@robbiewalker2831]

I don't think this film is worth defending, if a majority of it deviated from the source material extremely. But, as much as I hate the Live-Action Mario Movie, I will admit that the one thing I liked out of the entire film is that they introduced us to a great character: Lena; she is as bad as Koopa, but I don't think she deserved to be killed. See, Lena is an interesting case, because the concept of the character reminds me how Bowser got inspiration from the 1960s adaptation of Journey to the West (localized as Alakazam the Great); you can totally see from how the Bull Demon King wears a purple cape (much like how Bowser wears it in SMB3 promotional art), rules a Fire and Brimstone Underworld with loyal minions (which Bowser also did), and has an imp for a son (Bowser had that too, albeit resembling Bowser's younger self from Yoshi's Island), and yet, since the ending to Super Mario Odyssey (not counting remakes. or the movie), Bowser hasn't captured Peach to earn her affection for 7 years, and it's likely that Bowser has moved on from such a petty thing. If Lena was to be canon-immigrated and reintroduced to the public, this would be the perfect time; as the Bull Demon King also has a devoted wife that is as evil as he is. but no, Miyamoto didn't want to add Lena, because of how much of a failure the movie was. Honestly, having Lena be Bowser Jr.'s mother would be a lot better than Miyamoto giving us an external answer rather than an internal one.

[@drebone1986]

Same and people don't understand that this had nothing as far as story from the games cause it was literally just run left and right and jump on goombas, how do you get anything more out of that without CGI and Bob Hopkins as Mario in 1991?

[@BALLER_988]

W

[@bootsthecat6718]

I really love the extended cut. Just the extended scene of Mario hanging up his tool belt gently, and then yanking it back when Luigi asks for help with scappelli, added so much emotion

[@mikesilva3868]

Although it does explain some scenes it's still unwatchable I saw it on the archive website still hate the movie 👍

[@DeviantDork]

Hahahahahahahaha that's hilarious! Emotion lol

[@kamdan2011]

I feel it every time at 5:20.

[@DONKEYKONG260]

@@mikesilva3868 cool no one asked.

[@nolancho]

Oh shut up! What a stupid comment.

[@bensneb360]

You got to give Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo serious acting credit. Despite hating being there and drinking a lot, they both give good and fun performances… I like the movie, I can’t really defend it, but it has it’s own charm.

[@jasonblalock4429]

I find myself baffled by the career of John Leguizamo. He is a genuinely talented performer who can handle both comedy and drama... but his filmography is so lousy that it's hard to tell. If anything, I think he's been getting better roles in the last decade or so, but his output in the 90s-00s was absolutely dire. What happened there? He could have been a real star.

[@djangofett4879]

a lot of good movies were an absolute nightmare to make. look up the behind-the-scenes of predator or of mad Max fury road. the only time you hear actors really complaining about a set being a nightmare is if critics didn't like the movie. if critics like the movie then everybody just ignores all the terrible stories from the set and the actors don't whine about it because they got good reviews so they don't really care.

[@drebone1986]

​@@jasonblalock4429he was just breaking into the business plus he's not white and this movie was a bomb so of course he's going to do The Pest next if he wants to continue in the business. It's always better to be available for work than question the quality of every project if you want to become bigger. He made a lot of bombs but most of the time you remember him being good enough to follow to the next one. If he truly sucked we wouldn't be having this conversation about him. Only real bad Leguizamo performance is The Pest but he's still committed to it, I just don't like the character

[@CoolGobyFish]

@@drebone1986 not white? he is a white guy from Colombia))) he was lying about being Puerto Rican for years))

[@QuiltyExperience]

Absolutely bizarre mix of Ghostbusters, Princess Bride and Blade Runner.

[@blackmage471]

When you realize the source material has giant bullets with faces flying from nowhere, boxes you hit with your head to find mushrooms and stars, the ability to run across clouds, random pipes built into the landscape, striped tails make you fly, and weird armless brown leg things (goombas), and flowers that let you throw fire from your bare hands, the movie strangely starts to feel more sane in comparison.

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

I've always had a soft spot for this movie. I was 11 when it came out and I was kind of obsessed with the whole alternate dimension angle (and Yoshi). And I'd like to think that's where my current interest in post-apocalyptic movies originates.

[@SuperMarioBrosIII]

@CinnamonGrrlErin1 Well as a whole the movie is enjoyable if you ignore the fact that it bares no resemblance to the video games or cartoon, except Mario and Luigi being plumbers in New York. 👸🍄🪠🦖

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

@SuperMario Bros. III honestly, it's probably not that different from the games my friends and I played on the playground. We didn't have a huge canon of Mario lore yet so we just invented different stories.

[@djangofett4879]

​@@SuperMarioBrosIII the actual content of the video game would make the worst movie ever. it's a very good thing from a storytelling standpoint that it's nothing like the game.

[@djangofett4879]

​​@@CinnamonGrrlErin1 the entire story of Mario is just Mario saves the princess. thats it... thats all it has ever been. people that criticized the Super Mario Brothers movie for this reason are incredibly dumb.

[@feenix219]

I've always said, if it was just a weird drug-fueled 80s cheesefest about an alternate dimension, it would be absolutely BELOVED. The Mario branding killed it.

[@G00berella]

there's something about big production 80's/90's movies where everything is practical sets and effects built ground up is something special to watch.

[@jediknightguy82]

This is a guilty pleasure. I really enjoy how out there and different it is.

[@nickmanzo8459]

Totally agree, Bob Hoskins was an amazing choice to play Mario. Had the film been closer to the source material, we could have had a classic on our hands.

[@roberttreacy8271]

Fun fact: Danny DeVito was considered for the role of Mario.

[@nickmanzo8459]

@@roberttreacy8271 yeah and oddly enough, Tom Hanks almost landed the role.

[@OddOneOut665]

​@@nickmanzo8459 Tom Hanks could've been a better Luigi, tbh. Especially with the figure he had at the time.

[@roberttreacy8271]

@@nickmanzo8459 I also read that DeVito was offered to direct the movie as well.

[@nickmanzo8459]

@@OddOneOut665 Bob Hoskins as Mario, Tom Hanks as Luigi could have been a match made in Heaven.

[@marea707]

I cannot explain how happy I am this movie exists. Will forever deffend this gem

[@ocpmovie]

I was the editor of the extended "Morton Jankel Cut" of Super Mario Bros, done based on an early VHS rough cut, and with the directors' consent.

[@doctorfrosty3546]

Super Mario Bros is a testament that, no matter how badly a film is received at first, it can become beloved years later.

[@PhirePhlame]

Metal Gear Rising & Sonic Unleashed have had similar journeys.

[@dimitreze]

hispster being hipsters

[@Deckotaocho]

Beloved by who? Nostalgia critic?

[@allanromeo360]

Can’t wait for Emoji Movie to become nostalgic

[@RaptorNX01]

I've loved the film since seeing it in theaters in 93. lol

[@adamabou-nasr1130]

It doesn't feel like modern Mario, but it certainly feels like two plumber brothers from Brooklyn go to Mushroom Kingdom to fight dinosaurs. I rewatched it last month and actually liked it more than the new movie

[@HomeOnTheRanges]

I always really connected with this film as a kid, I don’t know maybe I was just a weirdo but I always loved it

[@paulfritz3552]

We need a "It's Not That Bad" of the Flintstones movie.

[@brandonsclips7741]

I thought the live action Flintstones was pretty well received? Like its not some all time banger, but "for a live action adaption of a dumb cartoon its not bad" sorta thing

[@Penoatle]

Wish recently granted!

[@rhaimusg5785]

I tired to watch again with my kids a while back. They left. Definitely a guilty pleasure movie for me.

[@agrippa.the.cosmonaut-wiz]

Don't feel guilty for liking an amazing movie!

[@El_SantoTaco]

your kids are smart

[@rubysuncle]

You got good kids there 👍🏼

[@worthybutter2004]

@@agrippa.the.cosmonaut-wiz Yeah, amazing because it sucks!

[@third.act.countdown]

@@worthybutter2004 It means enough to you to watch click a review and read and post a comment. Which means you should concentrate on getting laid rather than show your diarrhea.

[@msscott22]

The art design and performances from Hoskins and Leguizamo are so good it's easy for me to look past the the bad parts. Hoskins was soooooooooo good as Mario.

[@mikesilva3868]

I do agree with you about the art design disagree with you about this movie 📼

[@atomiswave2]

Hoskins is always good

[@Slaveternal]

What bad parts?

[@msscott22]

@@Slaveternal There aren't many!

[@403punk3]

Full honesty, I absolutely love this movie ever since I was a kid. It’s just a great stand along sci-fi movie that I will always love.

[@mikesilva3868]

It's a ridiculous movie 😂

[@peblezQ]

I loved that movie so much that my family plans to watch it before the new animated movie releases. It's ahead of its time.

[@justindenney-hall5875]

In defense of this movie, it's a more faithful adaptation than "Super Hornio Bros"🤣

[@FrogFriend3379]

Love that super hornio bros is canon as Nintendo bought the rights to bury it

[@justindenney-hall5875]

@@FrogFriend3379 Nintendo: No one will ever find this movie! The Internet: One way or another, I'm gonna find ya, I'm gonna get ya, get ya, get ya!

[@Launchpad05]

The Cinema Snob can testify to that.

[@justindenney-hall5875]

@@Launchpad05 Today on "Will it fit?" I've got some mushrooms and I'm gonna take "1-Up" my "Warp Tunnel"!

[@bezoticallyyours83]

Super what? Lolol

[@deanfranz]

"I used to play King Lear...." I know it's wrong to laugh, but that line cracked me up so much, lmao

[@Palidor19]

I laughed out loud at that, I immediately went back and rewinded it. 😂😂

[@travtotheworld]

I notice that Pixar is listed in the end credits as doing CGI for the movie. Would love to know more about their involvement with it and how it connects with what else they were doing at the time.

[@rich520]

Pixar did a lot of cgi work in films at the time. One of their contributions was the cgi creatures in Young Sherlock Holmes.

[@lutherheggs451]

Pixar had nothing to do with Disney in 1993. Disney didn't purchase Pixar until 2006 before that they were owned by Apple.

[@travtotheworld]

@@lutherheggs451 OK? I didn't say anything about Disney. Pixar is listed in the end credits for the Super Mario Bros movie.

[@phantomzone2725]

I think they only did additional visual effects to minor scenes, since most of the movie's effects were made with a beta version of Autodesk Flame. And apparently they were experimenting another software at the time before going to Renderman, so it's kinda complicated to identify their presence

[@travtotheworld]

@@phantomzone2725 The credits list them as "Special Thanks: Netranderman - Pixar" I don't know if netranderman is an industry term or what. I always assumed it was what they called the mid-transformation Koopa at the movie's climax, but I'm grasping at straws.

[@bootsthecat6718]

I think the biggest mistake this movie made was being titled Super Mario Bros. If this movie was named "Dinohatten" I would have far less issues with it

[@Gatorade69]

Yes, certainly !

[@mikesilva3868]

Super Mario bros super show was better than this movie 😊

[@jdtroup198683]

Dinohatten I would watch that

[@mrmusickhimself]

What's weird is there is a movie called "Adventures in Dinosaur City" which spawned a videogame adaptation in "Dinocity" for the SNES. The game ended up being more of a success than the movie, and most people are unaware that Dinocity was ever a movie to game adaptation.

[@bigduke5902]

I've definitely heard this somewhere. Nostalgia Critic maybe?

[@marco12377]

I will always love this movie, not because it is exactly like the games, but because it goes against the mainstream and does something weird.

[@eddiedutra3359]

IT the hipster way to like terrible things these days. This movie was TRASH!

[@marco12377]

@@eddiedutra3359 Liking it these days? I liked it back in the 90's, and still do to this day. Calling the movie trash without explaining why, if that isn't the definition of "hipster" I don't know what is...

[@eddiedutra3359]

@@marco12377 IT had nothing to do with the source material! Itlooked like the sets that were thrown out of Blade Runner, and it was not a Super Mario Brothers Movie. I loved the movie "Naked Lunch" and that came out in 1991. I knew nothing about that movie, and I was sure that was "Naked Lunch". This was suppose to be a Mario Bros movie and it was far from it. I loved the Mortal Kombat movie from 1995 but, the sequel "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation" was also trash.

[@marco12377]

@@eddiedutra3359 Cry some more about a movie you dislike from 1993, sounds like a good way to spend your time...

[@djangofett4879]

​​@@eddiedutra3359 The source material would have made a absolutely pathetically terrible movie. the old Mario games have no story. they essentially just had to make it all up from nothing because there was absolutely no story to mario. you have no actual critique of this movie. I'd be willing to bet you haven't actually watched it.

[@otahak]

Given the source material (especially at the time): I think they did an amazing job. Still better than any of the resident evil movies.

[@mikesilva3868]

Oh boy really it's a awful movie am I the only one who wants to see the new cgi movie it looked awesome 😊

[@CommodoreFan64]

@@mikesilva3868 I already have my tickets for opening night, and can't wait, as it's the first time I've been excited enough to see a movie in a theater in years!!

[@rickastley2308]

I watched this movie the first time just a few months ago. And I really like it! It's like Total Recall with Mario Bros.

[@roberttreacy8271]

RIP Bob Hoskins.

[@grantmortensonva]

And Dennis Hopper

[@kamdan2011]

My mother, brother and me were the only ones in the theater when we saw it. They almost didn’t play it but my mom made them run it so that we wouldn’t be disappointed. We were 4 and 7 at the time and we loved every second of it! I can totally relate to Bob Hoskins statement about the directors. I was in a theater production directed by a husband and wife that brought their personal life arguments into the mix that made the whole endeavor suffer greatly.

[@eriknelson7077]

I always loved this movie. It’s such a coincidence that the new movie is coming out 30 years after this one.

[@Launchpad05]

Now let see if Kaiserbeamz will take A look at the 'Super Mario Bros' anime movie from Toei.

[@colt5189]

I used to believe when a movie ended on a cliff hanger, that meant a sequel was guaranteed. I kept waiting for the sequel.

[@OH_MY_DOGGG]

That plot would revolve around something in the sky. Since mario 2 has so much verticle scrolling.

[@micahcaraballo5917]

Poor Bob Hoskins: he went from playing a compelling, well-acted alcoholic detective in Who Framed Roger Rabbit…to playing a horrible guilty-pleasure depiction of everyone’s favorite video game character 😅

[@SgtD85]

Cant forget his role in Hook

[@owmyballs8978]

Oh, he was an alcoholic in the Mario Bros movie, too. Just off screen.

[@micahcaraballo5917]

@@owmyballs8978 that’s true 🤣

[@silvertriforce2574]

If I remember correctly (unlikely, my memory sucks) he only agreed to do this movie for his kids

[@SgtD85]

@@silvertriforce2574 That was Raul Julia in Street Fighter before he died

[@jaycon3460]

Still can't believe I sat through this movie in the theater

[@mafeuk]

It was certainly a movie...all jokes aside it's an interesting take or what-if of the world of Mario if it was made in the style of Blade Runner. I can see why it has a cult following.

[@eddiedutra3359]

IT really doesn't have a cult following. I want to see a SHOUT release or, even Criterion.

[@igorivanov299]

@@eddiedutra3359 It does too

[@ZeldaMasterLogan]

@@igorivanov299 I can confirm this.

[@Deckotaocho]

It does not

[@dogpd3]

It’s very dystopian with Koopa throwing his enemies in jail and devolving them into making them his guards.

[@jamesburke2759]

Danny Devito should have been mario. "Its um... me, that mario guy!"

[@gobzdzilla]

I like that movie as a kid and still appreciate it for its 90s fever dream quality.

[@Seantendo]

This movie, Clifford, and Nothing But Trouble are my "trilogy of beloved childhood movies that I later found out most people hated." So glad you went to bat for this one, and bonus points for pronouncing it "Marry-Oh!" Everyone I grew up around said it that way and it makes me feel right at home!

[@QuiltyExperience]

I love this movie! Saw it when I was a kid and it blew my mind. Trust the fungus!

[@jailcatjones3250]

It's been my guilty pleasure since I was a kid, I squealed when I found it on DVD. The chemistry between Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo made me feel they were Mario and Luigi, just wish they both had moustaches.

[@DeanTheLaughingMann]

Wow, this is something I never expected Hats to cover. But let me offer my perspective. This movie, if you come into it expecting a video game adaptation, will fail you in that department. Instead, treat it like a sci-fi adventure movie from the 1990s. Dated effects on a digital scale, but good practical effects. It's cheesy enough to appeal for a watch. The stars playing in their roles do the best with what they have. Is it going to win awards? No. But it's pretty darn entertaining to watch. This, Double Dragon, and Street Fighter are my go-to's for bad adaptations but good movies in their own right. Mortal Kombat, on the other hand...no words. It's just perfect as it is.

[@bigduke5902]

Ok, I don't think I can go on scrolling the comments anymore after this. Let's pump the brakes a little bit!!! Street Fighter and Double Dragon are by NO MEANS good movies! Everybody calm down!!!!

[@erikpinedo7757]

I was so hyped for a sequel as a kid due to the Cliff hanger ending 😭

[@GreenGimmick]

I remember being little and thinking "Wart's gonna be the villain in the next one."

[@Newgrassrock]

I rented this so many times when I was a kid…. Thanks for the memories!

[@wtfsalommy3250]

I mean,if you remove all aspects of Mario Brothers, it's a dark comedy

[@jasonblalock4429]

6:02 As an aside, The Shadow would be a fantastic "Almost Cult Classics" entry. I really think it's the most underrated of the Batman-inspired superhero movies from that time. It's not perfect, but it's got a lot going for it and imo deserves more attention.

[@jadenbryant9283]

Fun fact shadow was actually created long before batman I just wanted to state that for some reason

[@taionalmeida5337]

I think Darkman did a better Job. Enjoyed the production values Of The Shadow but I really feel the film Falls flat a bit quickly.

[@taionalmeida5337]

​@@jadenbryant9283 and at some point, probably after the comics had a great run as a radio drama, no one minus than Citizen Kane director Orson Welles considered to make a movie adaptation from the comics - witch unfortunatelly never happened. That in the 30's, 40's ... Can tou imagine that?

[@patrickholt8782]

I could bump this movie up a whole letter grade if Luigi had a mustache.

[@catholiccontriversy]

If only Bob Hoskins or Lou Albano were still with us. Sure, neither are necessarily "big draws" like Chris Pratt, but at least they have some star power they could bring Charles Martine can't bring and have a "distinctive Mario sound." Still salty real Mario was snubbed like this.

[@10INTM]

Charles Martinet voices the father. Are we upset about Charlie Day as Luigi too? Or is he not Christian so we're not bothering with that pretense?

[@catholiccontriversy]

@@10INTM my frustration isn't with Chris Pratt, it's that it's not Charles, the man who's been voicing Mario for close to 30 years. I also saw it yesterday and thought it was great and barely noticed the lack of Charles, 9.8/10, with the only thing keeping it from 10/10 being "it wasn't actually Charles."

[@10INTM]

@catholiccontriversy Yeah, yeah, your reasons are wholly your own the same way everyone else's is who just simultaneously decided they couldn't stand Pratt's acting/voice/etc all of a sudden for totally not that reason. (Also you don't have a lot of feature-length roles of Martinet to compare to and confidently say he'd have performed better)

[@TetsuDeinonychus]

I think 90 minutes of "It's-a-me-a-Mario!" would have gotten pretty annoying, but I do wish someone like Hoskins or Albano were still around to give him a good "Brooklyn Mario" voice. Still haven't seen it yet, so I can't comment on Pratt's performance, but I hear the movie's pretty good.

[@catholiccontriversy]

@@TetsuDeinonychus Pratt's not bad, but it's still not Charles. Also, I used to play Mario's Fundamentals for hours as a kid, and Mario never stopped talking in that game. My tolerance might have dropped since I'm not 6 anymore, but there's a lot of "annoying things" that were big childhood memories that shield me from being really annoyed.

[@StevenAthertonSIUandPO]

The KZbin algorithm works! Just discovered your channel I'm a huge obscure movie buff. This movie got a lot of flack but I enjoyed it the first time I watched it

[@MikeReidWrites]

As a kid I was too young to be allowed to see it upon release but I listened to the audio cassette version over and over on long car trips. When I finally saw it years later, I loved it, and still do. It's a unique film, which is an understatement, but I'm glad to see a channel with an audience like this defending it - it really is an extremely fun film with a lot of incredible visuals and artistry behind it, with a very distinct, grungy atmosphere I've never quite seen replicated. Even its unevenness has a kind of charm for me - I love the Silvestri score mixed with the bizarre visual world of the film.

[@CaptainCat101]

If only the Illumination movie was scheduled to release in May of next year (2024), it would've been perfect timing

[@RyanMercer]

I saw it in theaters as a kid and loved it, still do, my wife said she'd end my life if I ever made her watch it again though...

[@elmarakovideo]

Smart wife! A complete Hollywood disaster! Bob Hoskins stated it was the WORST movie he ever made.

[@abdelali9279]

man I like this movie, is one of those basic cable saturday afternoon great findings as a kid, and man it is cyberpunk super mario what is not to love!

[@michaelscott4521]

I want a prop from this movie

[@recklessreels8803]

When I was young, I stumbled on a loose VHS tape copy of this movie. Seeing the title intrigued me because I've never heard of a Super Mario Bros movie before. When I first watched it, I was disappointed but later on, it began to grow on me. Now I want to see the extended cut.

[@mr.flipstv]

The cliffhanger at the end was so hard-core. Just imagine if we had gotten that as a sequel. In the 90's

[@Deckotaocho]

Thank god it didnt

[@GUNUFofficial]

​@@Deckotaochothere is a fan comic made by one of the movie's writers, so cope.

[@Deckotaocho]

@@GUNUFofficial not even official, the writers made a doujinshi then

[@GUNUFofficial]

@@Deckotaocho still basically a sequel as it was made by the writer.

[@davidpumpkinsjr.5108]

Something I would have added was during the pan through the Mario apartment, there should have been a framed newspaper article with a headline that read "BROOKLYN PLUMBER RESCUES WOMAN FROM RAMPAGING GORILLA". "We can talk about this later, if later even occurs." That''s a great line from a villain whose plan is falling apart.

[@imindubwetrust]

This movie is a cult classic. Love it.

[@sgtsquank]

One of my favorite movies as a kid, still enjoy watching it now, will gladly watch it again in the future. Haters gonna hate.

[@AnInnocuousBlueCube]

As a kid from a country where Sega won the console wars, the Super Mario Brothers movie was honestly a pretty fun watch. I also feel that the aesthetic is perfectly in line with other movies of the era like Judge Dredd, Demolition Man or Escape from New York.

[@amanoj318]

It is in line with those movies, but those are not kids movies and that is part of the issue. Gotta know your audience. Most people wanting to see a Mario Bros movie at that time were children and they wanted to see their game experience on the big screen. While making it dark and edgy might work for variety's sake today, it was probably a pretty bad move at the time. Transformers The Movie made a different, yet similar bad move. Execs wanted to sell more toys, so they opted to kill off characters not selling to make room for more. But what does a child see? Very beloved characters bumped off. Straight up crime as far as they're concerned. :p Know your audience.

[@marea707]

​@@amanoj318 idk man, i was 8 when it came out and me and my entire group of friends loved it. We weren't aware it was hated until we started talking with older kids (teenagers) at the arcade who liked the game and hated the movie 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@captaincreepergaming3453]

The first time I saw this movie was a few months after I saw the new animated one in theaters and I honestly can't decide what one I like better. It's too bad that nobody liked this movie when it first came out but for those of you who want a sequel there is a web comic that picks up right where this movie left off that was made by at least one of the people that worked on the movie. The wed comic was unfortunately never finished but I would definitely recommend reading it if you can find it. The web comic sequel is loosely based off of the American version of the super Mario Bros 2 game and has King Wart as the bad guy.

[@Rodsuper]

This Is a good movie and vision of what they attempted in 1993, the cast was great and the music soundtrack as well.

[@Dr.W.Krueger]

Excellent production design

[@ZachAsaD]

This film is so nostalgic ❤

[@zepdacat3766]

Mojo Nixon as Toad. Greatest casting ever.

[@greasyy1]

Can you do an almost cult classic on Big Bully 😄

[@mizuko6132]

I love this movie. I remember renting it as a kid and having fun with it. I rewatched it and still loved it. It’s a crazy 90’s cyberpunk movie. It’s legitimately creative to.

[@ZionKraze]

Always loved this movie, even as a kid. I don't care what the critics say.

[@harrisonlittrell1140]

Harold Ramis directing Mario? Well that would've been interesting, given his work on the Ghostbusters films.

[@Jared_Wignall]

It’s not horrible, but it isn’t some sort of gem either. It’s just a fine film for what it is.

[@MattKittredge2112]

Was it Oscar-worthy? Hell no. Was it a faithful adaption? Hell no. Was it a fun sci-fi action comedy? Absolutely!

[@VinnieGer]

This movie works best as a movie and not as a 1:1 ratio of a Mario movie. It has all the components of a great movie, just not a Mario movie.

[@theraymunator]

Just started watching this video, bro had the balls to tell Rogert Ebert, may he rest in peace, to shut up. This oughta be good

[@jalencooper2762]

I was a huge fan of the Mario games for N64 as a 6/7 year old. When my friend at school told me there was a Mario movie, I couldn’t believe it. He loaned me his copy that weekend and showed me on the VHS cover photos that Yoshi was an actual dinosaur, Goombas were actually tall, and Bowser was a human. I thought seeing all of those things from the video game shown in a different way was really cool! Plus, I already loved Bob Hoskins from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I’ll always be nostalgic for this movie. P.S. you compared the score to that of Honey I Shrunk The Kids, but it is nearly identical to that of Tommy Boy

[@Swordslinger-hb1ns]

Nintendo did in fact revisit the silver screen starting in 1999 with their Pokémon franchise. Despite a tepid reception it went on to have its own series of flicks. There was also a Legend of Zelda CGI film in development by the defunct Mirage Studios before it was canned (thank you Astro Boy you shithead).

[@grug_g]

Glad this guy knows how to pronounce Maario

[@descentmystery33]

Already hitting like before watching the video. I loved this movie as a kid and still unironically enjoy it today. I feel like you can't really blame the movie for being so weird. It's not like there was a lot of Mario lore to go with at the time. Also, this is a weird detail I noticed when watching the movie with friends years ago, but I love sharing it. Luigi's wearing a white t-shirt with a flaming Yin-yang at the beginning of the movie. When he's on his date with Daisy (and Mario and his girlfriend) later, he's changed to a black t-shirt with a flaming Yin-yang. I can only imagine the Costume Designer was planning all the character's changes out and said "Luigi's changed into a more formal, 90's shirt for his date".

[@user-vi4xy1jw7e]

Because the lore for Mario matters? Not like we have much lore for Mario now. Lol Aside from the backstory for Rosalina in Galaxy, there's still not much to go off. Most of the mainline games still boil down to save the princess. If you include the RPGs, sure, then there's more you can go off, but those are spin-offs. Going just off the art direction of the games alone, this was a complete difference, regardless of lore. The Mario anime movie from the 80s did just fine sticking closer to the games. Lol

[@1ronDragon]

Both the shirts can be seen at 13:22 with a better look at the white one at 8:39.🙂

[@bfish89ryuhayabusa]

​@@user-vi4xy1jw7e I mean, if they were going for a more straightforward adaptation, then yes, they need to get the lore right. But I'm glad they instead made something way more interesting, and I think it's a better movie as a result.

[@Geferulf_TAS]

I never disliked this movie, I feel it's best viewed like a Bakshi 70's indie piece.

[@livingabstraction2206]

I would call this movie a guilty pleasure but that would insinuate that I ever felt guilt for loving it. . A genuine blast of fun. That I'd argue succeeds because of its flaws as opposed to in spite of them. As faithful to the games as you could honestly have been in the early '90s but even when it's not, it's not boring for one second.

[@JDelwynn]

Yes, you should never feel guilty for liking the things you like!

[@Cazz8203]

I certainly don't feel guilty for liking this movie 😊

[@DoctorSpectre9781]

Grew up watching this movie on DVD. I really enjoyed it and still quote the movie every once in a blue moon.

[@ilikethecokev2]

Some parts of this movie are legitimately really good, in my opinion. Namely the music, Bob Hoskins (I seriously can't think of any role he didn't do a good job in, regardless of how good/bad the movie was) and the costumes/props. Especially the vehicles. Plus it also set into motion Luigi x Daisy, something that's still being utilized to this day.

[@ActuallyHoudini]

i watched the movie and saw no fucking issue with it. if shadow the hedgehog can exist, why the fuck can't blade runner mario??

[@Supercatandrewman]

To say whether or not if it was a faithful/accurate adaptation is up for debate. I mean, the movie came out in 1993, a time where the Mario games were extremely limited when it came to plot and cinematic material to be adapted into a full feature film, even more-so back then than today. Imagine trying to make a whole movie based on Pong or Tetris, that's kinda what it was like for Mario back in 93. The basic Mario lore could be summed up in like 5 seconds, Bowser kidnaps the princess and the Mario Bros gotta save her, that's about it, and that is basically what happened in the movie. However because the 80's and early 90's Mario games had very little to no story at all and very little cinematic potential to work with (heck Super Mario 64 didn't even exist yet, the Mario games were still in the SNES/2D era when the movie came out), they had to take a lot of creative liberties and make up their own story, and they certainly got creative with it. So I guess it depends on what you'd consider to be an "accurate adaptation" of Mario to be at the time. It's got the main characters, follows the basic semi-nonexistent plot of the games, and there's a ton of references to stuff in the games (some of which were actually pretty clever and I didn't notice the first time) I think one of the most clever references that I don't think many people noticed or thought had any significance, and kinda blew my mind a little when I realized it, was the king at the end of the movie! Unless it's just a massive coincidence, it appears that Daisy's father, the original king who got transformed into a big ball of fungus, was actually based on the King from Super Mario Bros 3 who got transformed into different creatures, and then was turned back to normal at the end. Look at that scene and the SMB3 King cutscenes side-by-side and you'll see what I mean. Anyway, while a lot of the characters and enemies look noticeably different from the games, and I do find it kinda weird how some of the big baddies like Bowser/Koopa and Big Bertha are humans (or dinosaur-evolved people technically), I guess it arguably fits the tone of the movie, since they were clearly going for a more action sci-fi or cyberpunk-ish version of Mario, rather than the colorful/cartoony aesthetic of the oldschool Mario games. One thing I find kinda fascinating is that Shigeru Miyamoto said he actually liked the movie and thought it had unique concepts, and I wouldn't be surprised if he had utilized elements from the movie in later Mario games, which it appears he has done, most notably in Super Mario 64. I'm sure I can't be the only one who thinks some scenes from the movie look eerily similar to some stuff from Super Mario 64, which came out 3 years after the movie. For example, one of my favorite scenes from the movie was the ice-sliding scene, honestly I doubt it's a coincidence that there was an ice-sliding level in Super Mario 64 3 years later. Also some little details like the way the walls warped/distorted when Mario & Luigi phased through the wall and got transported to Koopa's world, it looked very similar to how the paintings in Super Mario 64 warped/distorted when Mario phased through them and entered another place. There were also a couple walls you go through to enter levels, one of which leads to a desert wasteland level that looks very similar to the big desert Mario & Luigi end up in at some point in the movie. Not to mention I've seen some people briefly talk about how some Mario Kart tracks look incredibly similar to areas from the movie, like Neo Bowser City for example. It's probably never gonna happen, but I'd actually like to see a full-on bizarre action sci-fi/cyberpunk themed Mario game reminiscent of the 93 movie, that would be awesome! Whether if as an official or fanmade game, I'd totally play it!

[@scottnotpilgrim]

Video game movies are very hit or miss, more often they miss more than they hit

[@JDelwynn]

I'm struggling to think of a video game movie that can be considered genuinely a good movie. I think Silent Hill got it the closest, but apart from looking good, the story and acting is not that good. Not to mention the pointless deviations of the game's characters.

[@scottnotpilgrim]

If you want to count it, Detective Pikachu has it's charm but that's just one take

[@matthewboggs9382]

I have always enjoyed this movie. Discovered it on cable, recorded it, and watched over and over.

[@alecaquino4306]

This is one of those movies that is more fun to discuss than it is to watch. But secretly.... I kind of really like it.

[@LITTLE1994]

Surely the new upcoming animated one will all the problems this old 1993 film had done.

[@AaronJohnson-mo8rf]

this movie deserves a proper dvd/bluray/4k remaster and digital release

[@allenrubinstein3696]

With a special limited edition box set and souvenier booklet, special appearances by the surviving cast members promoting it, a spot on the Sight and Sound critic's list of best films of all time and archival storage by the Library of Congress. Hell, let's just run the movie for president!

[@chano1283]

I was very surprised to hear that Tom Waits was originally slated to play Toad, as it’s fellow outsider rocker, mojo Nixon, that ended up, playing him in the film

[@Sweetish_Jeff_]

Good video. I think a video on the short-lived “Super Mario Brothers Super Show” would be a good follow-up in the future.

[@ChapBloke]

Honestly, I love this movie, then again I'm not the biggest Mario fan out there so that might affect my perception. However I can't help but enjoy this film for it's sheer outlandishness.

[@dimethedude]

Don’t care how “good” the new mario movie will be This one will always be my favourite Bob Hoskins as mario was perfect

[@RemnantCult]

I just ordered a copy of this movie just in case Nintendo tries to scrub it off the record. Thanks for covering it!

[@xXxDigitalBathxXx]

I've always been a fan of this movie.. I know it's very nostalgic for me but I do love all the special effects and just the weirdness of this movie. So much boring mainstream stuff out there so I appreciate things way different

[@leogiroux6751]

Lol I've watched this movie so many times every time you put up a clip from the movie I would say the lines before they would

[@Lifesizemortal]

It's the most underrated movie, possibly in the history of cinema.

[@TheTenCentStory]

wrong

[@The-Man-On-The-Mountain]

No it's crap. Entertaining crap, but crap.

[@Lifesizemortal]

Its reputation precedes it. Most people who say it's bad are just parroting the same thing they've heard over and over yet don't bother re-examining it. You can hate it and that's fine, but I'd like the haters to first ask themselves what else could possibly be expected of a Super Mario Bros movie in the early 90's?

[@J0SHUAKANE]

​@@Lifesizemortal use any of the previous scripts.

[@Lifesizemortal]

@@J0SHUAKANE 3 games in, Mario still had basically no lore to speak of. Save the princess, save the king, etc, and has consistently not had a real "storyline" to speak of, really, in the entire game franchise. It was open grounds to create basically anything. Nobody deserved to have a single "expectation" of the movie when the series is literally about a little guy jumping on stuff and eating mushrooms.

[@dwayneelizondomountaindewh6073]

I love ❤ the super Mario brothers movie!

[@leighanne709]

I loved this movie as a kid and it remains one of my guilty pleasures 30 years later. I've probably seen it 100 times. It's not a great film, but it was fun enough for me as a kid and as an adult I'm fascinated at just how much of a wild filming process this movie had.

[@Sandlot1992]

this movie was okay in my opinion!

[@CoryTheNorm]

Lazard, Lazard, Conda, Dactyl & Cohen always makes me laugh.

[@Raycloud]

I've always thought it was an entertaining movie, that while bad, holds you attention. The visuals are great I think. It's quite unique.