Regarded by many to be an all-time cult iconic movie, Super Mario Bros receives its high definition Blu-ray and DVD release on Monday 3rd November thanks to Second Sight.
Originally released in 1993 Super Mario Bros was later nominated for two Saturn Awards (one for Best Costume, the other for Best Make-up). But there are other reasons why this movie has received cult status and why, no matter your age you should purchase this film. Firstly, Super Mario Bros remains the only live action adaptation of a Nintendo video game; a company which celebrated its 125th anniversary this year. Super Mario Bros the game is their iconic title; the very fact that it made it to the big screen demonstrates just how loved these character are. Secondly, it remains one of the last movies where you can see legendary actors such as the late Bob Hoskins alongside John Leguizamo and Dennis Hopper all in one film.
If you haven’t seen the film, the story revolves around Brooklyn plumbers Mario and Luigi and how they discover a parallel world populated by the intelligent descendants of dinosaurs. It seems they weren’t destroyed by a meteor millions of years ago, but hurled in to a new dimension and now under leadership of the evil King Koopa have plans to take over the world. These two unlikely yet plucky heroes must battle ‘Goomba’ guards, free the beautiful Princess Daisy and save mankind in what has to be said was an all-out adventure of its time.
Just like the dinosaurs it also has to be said that Super Mario Bros represents a time that land soon forgot. Before the advances of green screen and endless CGI effects (of which this film still has loads) the emphasis was on characterisation, story telling, costly sets and building unique fan bases. Computer Games especially those which involve plumbers, dinosaurs and pipes do not fit into motion picture territory easily. I take my hat off to the script writers who had to juggle the complex nature of the game and weave it into something convincing and understandable for its audience. It’s no wonder that the film differentiates so much from the game and why many of the actors would talk about the endless challenges involved as well as just how much time they had to dedicate to making this film.
The end result though is something that shows its merit and is worth watching both for the nostalgia value but also because it is great fun, there are moments of excitement, there are loveable characters, and frequent nods to the game and the company that inspired it.
Being brought up to date means both discs are filled with loads of bonus features including:
- ‘This Ain’t No Video Game’ – Brand new 60 minute documentary featuring new interviews with: Co-directors Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, Producer Roland Joffe, Actors John Leguizamo and Richard Edson, Writer Parker Bennett, Production Designer David Snyder, Art Director Walter Martishius, FX Artists Paul Elliot, Vincent Guastini and Rob Burman, Visual FX Designer Chris Woods, Editor Mark Goldblatt and Creature Designer Patrick Tatopoulos. Archive interviews with Bob Hoskins and Producer Jake Eberts
- Making Of
- Original Electronic Press Kit
- Behind-the-scenes/Storyboard Galleries
- And of course English subtitles for hard of hearing
Super Mario Bros receives its high definition Blu-ray and DVD release on Monday 3rd November from most retail stockists, pre-order your copy now and check out the trailer below.
