Super Mario Bros. the Movie (1993) VHS Movie Review

Matt and Steve discuss a super flop from 1993 and do we ever go long! There's just too much to talk about with this extreme 90's movie. 

Film Details

• Released on May 28, 1993 in the US, rated PG and had a runtime of 104 minutes
• Taglines:
  Anything is possible, You just gotta believe in it…
  A Bright, Clamorous Extravaganza!
  This Ain’t No Game, It’s a Live-Action Thrill Ride!
  This Ain’t No Game!
• Can Two Plumbers Save the World From Going Down the Drain?
• Directors: Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton (co creators and directors of Max Headroom (an AI host portrayed by Matt Frewer), they also did a lot of Music Videos)
• Writers: Everyone considering there was 7 flipping scripts. The main three on IMDB are Parker Bennett (Mystery Date, The Thief and the Cobbler), Terry Runte (Mystery Date, The Thief and the Cobbler) and Ed Solomon (Bell & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Men in Black).
• Cast:
  Bob Hoskins as Mario Mario (Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Mermaids)
  John Leguizamo as Luigi Mario (Spawn, Voice of Sid in Ice Age, Land of the Dead)
  Dennis Hopper as King Koopa (Hoosiers, Speed, Waterworld and TCM 2)
  Samantha Mathis as Princess Peach (Little Woman, Broken Arrow, American Psycho)
  Fisher Stevens as Iggy (The Burning, Short Circuit and Hackers)
  Richard Edson as Spike (Ferris Bueller’s Day off and Do the Right Thing)
  Fiona Shaw as Lena (My Left Foot: The Story of Christy, Harry Potter)
  Featuring Mojo Nixon as Toad and Lance Henriksen as the King
• Music by Alan Silvestri (Back to the Future, Predator, The Avengers)
• Produced by Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields, Fat Man and Little Boy, The Scarlet Letter)
• Art/Production Designer (Blade Runner, Demolition Man and Soldier (1998 Russell))
• Production Co: Hollywood Pictures (Disney owned) & Lightmotive (One False Move: Written by Billy Bob Thornton and starring Bill Paxton)
• Distributed by Buena Vista (Disney)

Movie Breakdown (Scenes to Highlight)

• The odd 8 bit prologue (That’s Dan Castellaneta or Homer Simpson)
• Intro of Mario & Luigi
• Her name is Daisey? Where is Princess Peach? Digging for Dinosaur bones under the Brooklyn Bridge? Whatever
• Dinner (I thought you had no money)
• Why is he called King Koopa, where the F*CK is Bowser!?!
• Thoughts on Dinohatten (How did they get this from a bright and colorful video game?)
• Old Lady gets tossed over a bridge, WTF?
• Why is Toad a protestor?
• Police Station and name reveal
• So Goomba’s are giant body/small head creatures? Not Mushroom minions?
• Electric Cars (Mad Max)
• Night Club Scene (Really needs a Iggy and Spike Rap)
• Why does Koopa keep the King alive? Just kill him...
• Lena is wearing what must be the tightest dress ever
• Why did he make Iggy and Spike smarter?
• Why is Koopa such a germ freak?
• Why can Daisy merge the worlds? She’s Royalty, that’s all I’m getting.
• Did Lena just stab Yoshi????!!!!!
• At least there’s a desert world like in Mario 3
• Finally their costumes!!!
• The elevator scene is so weird but I giggled
• Why is everyone so calm about Koopa and Goopas appearing out of nowhere and turning Scapelli into a chimp, with a Super Scope 6, then calling him a monkey.
• Finally that Bob-omb came into play
• So Mario and Luigi turn Koopa into a T-Rex but he can’t take it and he turns into slim? LAME, We get no giant dinosaur fight!
• Wait, why can’t Luigi stay with Daisy? You’re a broke plummer on Earth, F that, stay with the Princess and rule that place!
• Ha, they really thought this was going to be a franchise!?
• Post End Credits: The Super Koopa Cousins, Sure