Super Mario Bros. (1993)

Two Brooklyn plumbers, Mario and Luigi, must travel to another dimension to rescue a princess from the evil dictator King Koopa and stop him from taking over the world.

Directors:

Annabel Jankel, Rocky Morton

Writers:

Parker Bennett, Terry Runte

Stars:

Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bob Hoskins	...	Mario Mario
John Leguizamo	...	Luigi Mario
Dennis Hopper	...	King Koopa
Samantha Mathis	...	Daisy
Fisher Stevens	...	Iggy
Richard Edson	...	Spike
Fiona Shaw	...	Lena
Dana Kaminski	...	Daniella
Mojo Nixon	...	Toad
Gianni Russo	...	Scapelli
Francesca P. Roberts	...	Bertha
Lance Henriksen	...	The King
Sylvia Harman	...	Old Lady
Desiree Marie Velez	...	Angelica
Andrea Powell	...	Brooklyn Girl

Storyline

Can you make a movie out of a video game? That's the question that is answered by this film. Mario Mario and Luigi Mario, two hard working plumbers find themselves in an alternate universe where evolved dinosaurs live in medium hi-tech squalor. They find themselves the only hope to save the Earth from invasion.

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Plot Keywords:

plumber | dinosaur | italian american | based on video game | super mario bros. characters | 

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Taglines:

This Ain't No Game, It's A Live-Action Thrill Ride!

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Tous Public

Did You Know?

Trivia

Arnold Schwarzenegger turned down the role of King Koopa.

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Goofs

After the brothers steal a police car the text on the side is momentarily reversed, showing the shot was mirrored.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: A long long time ago, the Earth was ruled by dinosaurs. They were big, so not a lot of people went around hassling 'em. Actually, no people went around hassling 'em cuz there weren't any people yet. Just the first tiny mammals. Basically, life was good. Then something happened: a giant meteorite struck the Earth. Goodbye dinosaurs! But what if the dinosaurs weren't all destroyed? What if the impact of that meteor created a parallel dimension where the dinosaurs continued to thrive ...

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Crazy Credits

After the closing credits, some Japanese business men ask Iggy and Spike about appearing in a video game based on the incidents in the movie.

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Alternate Versions

In the Italian release, the ending is cut so Mario and Luigi don't go back to Brooklyn.

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Connections

Spoofed in Mario & Luigi Reenact Last Name Reveal Scene from the Super Mario Bros. Movie (2017)

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Soundtracks

Where Are You Going?
Performed by Extreme
Written by Nuno Bettencourt
Courtesy of A&M Records, Inc.

User Reviews

Absolutely disgraceful.

Not many critics are fans of feature films based on video games, and this movie is a great example of why.

Everything that made the video game so much fun was completely thrown out the window. The Super Mario Bros. games were so much fun because of the original thought that went into the story and characters. Players are immersed in a colorful, strange, and silly world where they are in control of a pair of plumber brothers from Brooklyn that find themselves in a place called the Mushroom Kingdom where they must save the the Mushroom Kingdom princess from a giant turtle-like creature named Bowser and his minions.

The movie (very) vaguely sticks to the storyline, but replaces all the interesting creatures in the video game with human representations (Dennis Hopper's Bowser is a particular stretch) and replaces the whimsical Mushroom Kingdom we're used to with a dull, uninteresting, dismal world that doesn't even remotely resemble anything in any Mario Bros. video game.

Anyway, besides my problem with the movie's inability to stick to the plot of the video game, the movie as a whole is an incredible waste of time that fails to satisfy. I'm not quite sure what the target audience was for the movie, but it doesn't seem to appeal to any one age group, while the video games are timeless classics that all can enjoy. Whether you are a fantasy movie lover, a video game lover, or both, avoid this movie at all costs.

Details

Country:

UK USA Japan France

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 June 1993 (France)

Also Known As:

Super Mario Bros.

Filming Locations:

North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$48,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,532,623, 31 May 1993

Gross USA:

$20,915,465

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$20,915,465

Company Credits

Production Co:

Allied Filmmakers, Cinergi Pictures Entertainment, Hollywood Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min 90 min (Japan) 87 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1