Movie Debate #64: Super Mario Bros.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,510]

[RH | 4,895]

This was such a wired movie but I loved it as a kid. I haven't seen it in at least 25 years so I gave it a conservative 5 but it could be as high as an 8. As a kid, I loved all of the SMB troupes that looked nothing like the cartoony world Mario is set in. It was actually fun to imagine a gritty, Gothom Cityesque Mushroom Kingdom.

Certainly not the best film ever made but I give it props for it's creativity. I should watch it again soon.

[Jeevan | 8,909]

Not great, not horrible.  7/10

[Hammerfestus | 3,821]

I haven’t seen it in its entirety since back when it came out but what a horrific disappointment it was.  It’s like the only reference they had was, „hey this is what the main character looks like and it’s set in some sort of mushroom kingdom.  Go“.  
definitely didn’t run around pretending to be super Mario bros movie when I was a kid.  Hot garbage. 3.

Edited April 5, 2021 by Hammerfestus

[DefaultGen | 5,400]

7/10. Enjoyable both as a super weird dark fantasy movie and as a “bad” movie because it’s so far off from how anyone would interpret Mario. Really enjoyable either way I think. It sure isn’t boring. 

[Dr. Morbis | 2,088]

I gave it a 3/10, and all three of those points were for the bizarre interpretation of all of the non-Mario bros characters.  That stuff is fascinating, but it's not quite a "so bad it's good" movie to me...

[fcgamer | 4,719]

Loved this as a child, watched it with a friend as a teenager and I found it very hard to get into, though it might have been due to being a teenager and critiquing everything too much.

Haven't watched it since, though I'd like to at some point. For now though, it sits at a 5.

[a3quit4s | 4,092]

5/10. I'm only watching it for the Mario theme nothing else

[JamesRobot | 5,786]

Never seen it.  

[nrslam | 474]

5. Saw it when new, but remember almost nothing about it except it wasn't very Mario-ish. I'd likely remember it better if it had truly stunk, hence the rating.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,104]

It was different. Not necessarily in a good way. 4/10. 

[MegaMan52 | 2,440]

6/10

Pros:

Excellent cast, some good music, a few funny scenes, and a lot of somewhat hidden details and references to the games ("These premises protected by Fry Guy Flamethrowers").

Cons:.

Almost nothing to do with the games, the Super Mario Bros. theme is only heard at the beginning (at least it was included, and I do like that it is used on the DVD's root menu), Mario and Luigi don't change into their "video game clothing" until much later in the movie, and the Goombas...aren't Goombas at all.

Other notes:

The deleted scenes are interesting (definitely check them out on YouTube if you haven't). I hope the Super Mario Bros. Movie Archive is able to make an American Blu-Ray/4K release happen, and that the deleted scenes are included (either as extras or in an extended version of the movie).

Edited April 7, 2021 by MegaMan52

[Strange | 1,700]

All I remember about this movie is how miserable everyone involved was and how they all pretty much say it was the worst mistake of their careers lol

[TDIRunner | 2,725]

Never saw it.  Even as a kid I didn't have much of a desire to see it.  

[Tanooki | 4,930]

I gave is a 7 pretty sure it's justifiable.  Most of it getting dropped would be the elephant in that room of it just not being like any of the games established at that time (hell, even since either.)  The story was pretty nicely done, had some decent twists for a kid-teen centric movie too.  In a way it was interesting, it was like a reverse mario game, it's not so much you have the baddies cruisin around causing trouble in the kingdom.  This is well after it has been taken down, reorganized, and just made crap in the image koopa wanted so thinking of it like that made it far more interesting.  You throw the sci-fi cheese of dino evolution, the devo gun, and the rest and it's pretty good.  NOt awesome, not even excellent, just pretty good as you can do far worse in a game movie, most game movies really.

[PII | 1,883]

Haven't seen it since the theater as a kid, things were so weird and dark; it definitely made an impression...

[Webhead123 | 675]

It's been over 20 years since I've seen it. It was certainly bizarre but I honestly remember liking more than a few scenes in it. I can't imagine that it's aged terribly well, not that it was any kind of masterpiece to begin with.

I gotta say, though, Bob Hoskins was incredibly talented and charming no matter what he was in. Rest in peace, Mr. Hoskins.

[MagusSmurf | 577]

It clarified what Mario and Luigi's last name is and for that we should be forever grateful.

[mbd39 | 2,017]

I've never actually sat down and watched all of this movie, nor do I want to. To be fair making a live action SMB adaptation is going to be rough.There's not much to work with in terms of story.

 

[DefaultGen | 5,400]

36 minutes ago, mbd39 said:

I've never actually sat down and watched all of this movie, nor do I want to. To be fair making a live action SMB adaptation is going to be rough.There's not much to work with in terms of story.

 

That's why it's so fun

[SpoonMan Abrams X | 697]

Not sure what I would give this movie. It's terrible in the best possible way, imho.

Also of note is WrestleTalk's Luke Owen wrote a book about this and other forways of Hollywood into Video Game movies. It's a good read https://www.amazon.com/Lights-Camera-Game-Over-Movies/dp/0764353179

[SpoonMan Abrams X | 697]

Actually, 7/10

This movie really had naught to do with the games but I still love it. This also came at a time when I was all in for Mario, and still playing SMB3 religiously. It's weird as hell but charming. A shame that it's production was apparently the stuff of nightmares

Also just want to bring up may have to change this thread name to "Super Mario Bros. 1993" lol

https://www.gamesradar.com/super-mario-movie-is-officially-coming-in-2022-with-miyamoto-involved-as-producer/

[galacticlint | 42]

I gave it a 5. It's like some weird fever dream.

 

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

Just watched this with the kids for "movie night" -- and it was quite a bit stranger and worse than I remembered.

If I hadn't rewatched it, I might have given it a 6 or even a 7 for nostalgia (and remembering being SUPER excited for it as a kid).

But now, I can only give it a "4".

Though I wouldn't talk somebody out of the time commitment of watching it -- just to witness the strangeness.

 

[Ferris Bueller | 495]

I mean, I worked on the rough cut that was found on VHS, so I've seen the deleted scenes after my buddy remastered it. I've forgotten what the original is like now, but the Koopa rap is awesome. Iggy and Spike at the end, also hilarious. The idea of a world without oil because the dinosaurs lived is super weird, but makes sense. Cult classic. I like it more now than I did then.