I haven't seen it years but, I remember how much I liked it as a kid.
A lot of the stuff that I've since watched from when I was a kid I still think most is pretty great when I watch it again. However I did like things like power rangers..
So is this that bad?
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Its terrible. Bob Hopkins and Leguizamo were constantly making fun about how bad the movie was, they stopped learning the script at one point! They consider it the worst thing they ever did.
"Welcome to Burger Shot mofückaaa !!!"
as a kid, i liked it. after rewatching as an adult, its godawful.
shareI liked it as a kid and still like it now, I watched it the other day and I still thought it was really good..
I guess I look at it in a different way than everyone else.. instead of seeing how different it was from the Game.. I sorta saw it as a fill in of the story.. like, I played all the NES and SNES and N64 games as a kid *and now too* and I never really knew any background from the games.. like why were Plumbers the heroes.. and in a world with Dinosaurs and other giant reptiles type animals and so on..
so from the movie, I got answers.. they went to another demention and sorta fell into the hero business.. and the other world was one of evolved reptiles *although i don't believe people came from monkeys but we are in the same primate family so it still works for me that they'd be the same way just with Dinosaurs *although a lot of experts say birds on the real decedents or whatever now* but anyways.. So the movie gave answers as to why/how the Mario Bros got to that world... and then also.. Why were they called Mario Bros? like the movie told you that their name was Mario Mario and Luigi Mario. which explained a lot.. I always like Luigi better and didn't understand as kid why his name wasn't up their until i saw the movie..
And also on the evolving thing like, it explained why Yoshi *a dinosaur* and the Turtles were both their like they were just at different states of evolution or something.. And you could also say it explained why theres magic mushrooms and stuff like that all over the place..
And like a lot of people were complaining about how dark the set was and all that, but i think if it was all bright colors people would of been complaining that it was too cartoony.. *but i would of liked more color too* but from what i read, it seems like the directors wanted one thing and the studio or whatever wanted another thing.. and thats why we got a dark gloomy kid film lol. just like with Comic Superhero Films its like you have to find a common ground with the sets and costumes.. Like with Wolverine for example, a lot of people complained he didn't wear his trademark yellow/blue or orange/brown costumes but he totally wouldn't have been taken seriously in this day of age in something like that.. *but i didn't like how they all wore black leather, thought that was totally boring* but i thought all the Avenger characters got it right when it came to costumes.. But in 1993, I think Super Mario Bros *and an X-MEN movie if made back then* could of gotten away with bright colors without look stupid.. hell, in 1993 i wore a florescent yellow TMNT hat and purple/green wacky pants so..
And i liked their costumes! i always wanted a Luigi costume! lol
but that was just my take on it.. maybe i read too much into it? but it's still my favorite Video Game Movie.. *is still waiting for The Legend of Zelda film :/ * but just like Street Fighter, people hated that one too and i like it! but JCVD is my fav living actor ^_^
"It Can't Rain All the Time"
I think I am totally with you on this one. I was eleven (a long time ago!) when I first watched the movie, and I still watch it now every few months on DVD. For me it is a guilty-pleasure. I watch it and KNOW how bad it is, yet I can't help but love it.
For the time, they tried to take this idea and although it doesn't seem like it, try to ground it in some kind of reality, like 'this could really happen.' Ala superhero movies of today. But it was the 90s, so they hadn't really perfected that just yet :p I love the dynamic between the characters, especially Mario/Luigi and Luigi/Daisy. I love that they tried to work things into the world that otherwise would have looked ... strange - such as Toad, being a busker, or bob-omb actually shown being winded up, rather than just randomly walking about.
I would have LOVED to have seen a sequel made, with Bob and John reprising their roles, but if it ever was to be rebooted or anything, obviously there would be a completely new cast.
As a stand-alone kid's film, it's very basic and underwhelming. The story is poorly written, some of the performances are foul, and there's a lot of shaky internal logic. But the visuals are nice, and there are some cute moments. It's a sup-par 4 out of 10 at best.
However, as a Mario movie, it's a complete and utter failure. It barely resembles the video game counterpart in the least.
A lot of people say "Oh, well the game has no story", which is complete and utter bull-crap. By the time this movie came out, Mario had appeared in nearly 100 games (including cameos and different versions of the same game on different consoles) and there was an incredibly healthy mythology surrounding the characters and world. There was more than enough material to build a faithful, fun kid's/family movie around.
I think the real problem is that this wasn't the first instance where Mario was butchered. Remember the really bad Super Mario Bros. Super Show, which also used an invented real-world/fantasy-world crossover? For some reason, nobody understood how to make a decent Mario adaptation.
The writers and directors of this film simply didn't understand or respect that they were adopting a property that had a loyal fanbase and an established canon.
Mario is really, in all honesty, the sort of property that requires a special, specific treatment. If another attempt at a Mario movie is made, it'd have to be a production by a company like Blue Sky or Dreamworks Animation, because I think CG animation is the best way to capture that world.
And FURTHERMORE, this is my signature! SERIOUSLY! Did you think I was still talking about my point?
A lot of people say "Oh, well the game has no story", which is complete and utter bull-crap. By the time this movie came out, Mario had appeared in nearly 100 games (including cameos and different versions of the same game on different consoles) and there was an incredibly healthy mythology surrounding the characters and world. There was more than enough material to build a faithful, fun kid's/family movie around.
Give us 1 single example of how to successfully translate the Mario video game material pre-1993 into a workable movie.
You're talking complete and utter bollocks!
You can't make a feature length movie out of a fat plumber living in the mushroom kingdom breaking bricks with his head and jumping on goombas. There was and is simply no way of making that work in a movie.
The movie actually did an admirable job of incorporating as much of the Mario world into a movie as possible. There was plenty of fan service the movie offered.
In all the years I've been reading people trash this movie I've STILL yet to read any ideas for how it could've been done better. Until then, this movie did a fine job translating the game to the big screen and no-one's successfully argued otherwise.
The fact of the matter is, many of the games in the Mario Universe often essentially boil down to an archetypical "Knight (Mario) must save the fair maiden (Peach) from the vicious dragon. (Bowswer)" This is a simple and elegant set-up rooted in much of fiction and fantasy, and allows for dozens if not hundreds of potential stories that maintain the spirit of the games
It really wouldn't have been so hard to create an animated film that follows this basic formula while retaining and expanding on the core design philosophy of the franchise, the essence of the characters and the basic setting. Hell, it's not too far removed from much of Disney's work around the time, to be perfectly honest. (At least from a basic fundamental level) Animation is where Mario adaptations should be. (Which is why there's such a huge call now from fans for Pixar, Blue Sky or other animation companies to give us a good, CGI Mario film)
A live-action pseudo-dystopian-future/muddled sci-fi take on the series, that consistently goes against the established tone/story/setting, characterization and style of the established franchise was not the way to go.
You're over-simplifying a long-running media franchise with a wealth of characters, stories and settings to try and contrive your non-existent point. This is a poor argumentative tactic.
Please elaborate on how the film did an "admirable job" incorporating elements of the Mario franchise.
Yes, people have indeed successfully argued otherwise. You're just ignoring it.
Whelp, given that this will be one of my final posts before IMDb does away with the message boards (a ridiculous decision and one that might make me leave the site altogether since the boards are one of the biggest appeals), I might as well answer this old thread as per your request...
*Ahem*
That's what happened in the movie. Daisy was kidnapped and imprisoned in Koopa's tower and Mario and Luigi had to save her.
That's what I said in my initial post; that the only way to make a movie anything like the games would be to do an animated movie.
It didn't go against the established story or characters though.
Again, at the point in time the movie was made what was the Mario franchise?
I've played the games. It's a couple of plumbers racing through a magical mushroom kingdom collecting coins, bashing bricks with their heads, jumping on goombas and turtles on a mission to rescue a princess from a castle. There's really not a whole lot to it.
It could've made a cute little animated series for kids or do what the movie did and create an interesting world and premise using the characters from the games and the very basic premise of rescuing a princess from a castle/tower.
My point is obvious and my argument isn't poor in the slightest.
Do you realize this movie came out in 1993? I think we had 3 NES games, a gameboy game or 2 and a terrible childrens show that made up this rich franchise with such a wealth of characters and stories.
The whole concept was someone's bizarre magic mushroom trip to begin with for *beep* sake. It would've been most accurate to make it something more like Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas (which I doubt you've heard of since you're probably so busy dissecting childrens video games)
There were a bunch of little nods to the game. The trademark attires Mario & Luigi wear got a cool epic reveal mid-way into the movie. The whole dimension they went to had a living mushroom/fungus infestation. Mario even uses a mushroom at the end to deflect Koopa's gun blast to defeat him (notice how the mushroom made Koopa enlarge first like in the games?)
I loved the mario games as a kid and still play Super Mario Bros 3 to this day. I saw the movie when I was maybe 9 or 10 and thought it was really fun and enjoyable and appreciated all the little nods to the game.
I thought the movie had plenty going for it:
Good cast - Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, Samantha Mathis
Plenty of really funny moments and characters. I especially liked Koopa's 2 bumbling goons.
Really crazy futuristic setting. Kind of like Blade Runner almost. Lots of unique and interesting characters. Half lizard people. Really inventive.
The special effects still hold up pretty well. I don't know the budget but I'd guess it would've been at-least 20 maybe 30 million at the time.
I watched the movie many times as a kid and have seen it numerous times over the last 20 years and enjoyed it every time.
There's nothing to ignore. I've revisited this board many times and no-one has EVER been able to give an example of how this movie "should" have been made. Not once. If you want to provide a link to anywhere where someone goes into detail about how this movie should've been made then go ahead. Or you could simply do so yourself.
So. Since you're so passionate about the Mario franchise and claim it boasts such a rich tapestry of characters and stories then please try to come up with a way to make it work in a LIVE-ACTION MOVIE and ONLY using ideas/concepts/characters etc... established BEFORE 1993. You never once attempted to do that which was my whole point.
Try again.
While this is true, the big issue was the mind-boggling execution and storyline construction. Again, it is a poor reflection of the source material. Mario is Mario. Mario is not some cockamamie Blade Runner knock-off about magic portals and alternate dimensions. (Also, there's the fact that they inexplicably went with Daisy instead of Peach.)
No, your initial reply actually read, and I quote:
"You can't make a feature length movie out of a fat plumber living in the mushroom kingdom breaking bricks with his head and jumping on goombas. There was and is simply no way of making that work in a movie. Maybe as a fully animated kids show but even then you'd have to take plenty of liberties to make it work."
Yes. Yes it did. When you radically and violently alter the source material so much that Mario and Luigi aren't even technically "brothers" anymore (as is the case in this film), you're going against established story and character.
Wikipedia it. Literally dozens and dozens of games, spin-of television franchises, popular products and merchandise, etc. Don't try to downplay it.
While I think you're downplaying the mythology too much, lemme ask you...
In what insane way does what you just describe translate into "So a meteor rips a hole in spacetime, and creates a dark and dystopian parallel dimension called 'Dinohattan' that's ruled by a germophobe who hates plumbers"?
It did make a cute little animated series. Several in fact. You don't seem to be grasping however that radically alterring every facet of the game rightfully pissed off the fans. There was plenty of room for them to make a good movie that did the series justice while remaining true to the spirit, tone and style... this movie failed to do that.
Blatantly and obviously misrepresenting the franchise doesn't make you right.
No, that would not have been the "most accurate" way to make it. The most accurate way to make it would simply have been to tell a story that actually resembles the darned games! How is it that hard for you to grasp this?!
Those are nods and references. Fan service. Cute moments. But passing references should not be the part of the film that ties it to the series. That should be, oh, I don't know... THE STORY, THE STYLE AND THE CHARACTERS! I don't care how many cute nods you throw in... it doesn't make it a "better" film or a more "accurate" film.
Finally something we can agree on. Loved the games as a kid and still do, and when I was young, I enjoyed the movie for what it was. But pretty much the second I turned 9 or 10, it started to fall apart and I saw all the inherent flaws.
Please tell me how the games were like Blade Runner... Please?
That doesn't make it a good movie or a good adaptation.
It's mindless entertainment and can be fun to watch now to an extent, albeit more ironically for me due to its failures. It's a borderline "so bad, it's kinda good" affair because it does literally just about everything wrong.
Super Mario Bros. The Hypothetical Movie Pitch by MaximumMadness.
First, it's not live-action. Mario needs to be animated. The tone should be bright and light-hearted with plenty of adventure, and the film should have a road-trip quality akin to Wizard of Oz.
The plot? Rather than an adaption, make it as a sort-of "sequel," since everyone knows the games and the premise.
As we start, Mario has became famous all over the magical Mushroom Kingdom for his continued dedication to saving the day and doing the right thing. Princess "Peach" Toadstool is throwing a grand party at the Castle in his honor and plans on presenting Mario with a medal for bravery, though his brother Luigi feels overshadowed by Mario and sad that his accomplishments and contributions to saving the day are not as recognized.
At the party, Mario entertains Toad children with stories of his escapades while Luigi feels left out. Right as Mario is about to get the medal, Bowser arrives with a fleet of airships, bombards the castle and kidnaps Peach once again, trying to ruin Mario's day.
Mario and Luigi are joined by their friends Toad and Yoshi and begin a journey throughout the various "lands" of the Mushroom kingdom while trying to track down Bowser. Along the way, the meet new friends and get into various struggles in the different "lands." (battling giant Goombas in the Giant Land, having to escape quick-sand in the Desert Land, etc.) Luigi and Mario eventually get into a fight over Mario having become to full of himself, and Luigi leaves.
Eventually, the group confronts Bowser, but cannot quite overcome his newest scheme, and it's up to Luigi (who was inspired to return after a pep-talk from another character about the importance of family) to save the day when he returns. Together, the brothers are able to defeat Bowser and save the day, and Mario learns humility. Back at the castle, after getting the medal from Peach, Mario instead choses to give it to Luigi, finally acknowlegding him as a true hero, and the two brothers triumphantly run through the Mushroom Kingdom together in the final shot, breaking open blocks and stomping Goombas as the theme triumphantly plays.
There. Took me like 5 minutes to come up with, and it's way more accurate to the games. Boom.
Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario's creator, stated, "[In] the end, it was a very fun project that they put a lot of effort into," but also said, "The one thing that I still have some regrets about is that the movie may have tried to get a little too close to what the Mario Bros. video games were. And in that sense, it became a movie that was about a video game, rather than being an entertaining movie in and of itself."
And let me add, despite being confrontational and perhaps a bit over-passionate, I'm just having fun on these boards. I like these heated discussions because we both are clearly passionate, and I find it entertaining to have arguments and disagreements, since I think all involved can learn a thing or two. Hope you didn't take any offense to anything I wrote. I'm gonna miss these message boards.
I'm not going to go through and argue every single point since a lot of them come down to minor disagreements and differences in personal preference, but I do want to address a few specifics...
Ok, fair enough. But does it really matter that much though? Did anyone walk out of the theater in disgust that they weren't technically brothers? It was Mario & Luigi together up on the screen which is what mattered. Nit-picking again.
I don't think it was a wise idea to make a live-action movie to begin with. I can't even imagine some of the ideas that were initially thrown around. There was successful animated kids movies out at the time like The Land Before Time, Aladdin and whatever else. Mario was a hot property. I get why a movie studio thought they could make some money out of the franchise. But in the end they went ahead with an animated movie and it's amazing the final product was actually something coherent and actually quite well made (no matter how "inaccurate") The only way it was able to work was by making up something radically different like they did but still giving fan-service and keeping the most basic elements of the "story" and "characters" in place.
Oh really? You were that discerning and that knowledgeable about the franchise at 9? Ok
One line in and I already have to stop and make a point. You see this is what I keep coming back to, as far as the movie needing to have wide-appeal to the general movie-going audience so that the movie can actually make money and not just appeal to a small section of dedicated fans.
Who's "everyone"? I can only really speak for myself and my group of friends who grew up at around this time and were very much into our video games and particularly loved the Mario games.
Mario was very big here (Australia) and always has been. My sister got the game for her birthday in the mid/late 80s I think (before I was born) and when I was old enough to play games I started playing it at maybe 3 or 4 (early 90s) we played the 2nd one and then the 3rd one and loved them all. They got replayed more than any other games we had. My sister got a Gameboy in the early 90s and we played whatever Mario game was on that and I don't know if there was more than one of them on the Gameboy, it was devoid of any storyline anyway much like the NES games we played.
There was a horrible Saturday Morning kids show we didn't like that was on at the time. Being nearly 30 years ago now I can't for the life of me remember much about it. I think it may have been an animated show and they had live-action segments in-between. I may be remembering that completely wrong but either way it was terrible and we didn't bother with it.
I don't know if it would be a viable feature-length animated movie that would do well at the box office though. It would probably work better as either a cartoon or as a direct-to-video animated movie. None of what you detailed wasn't part of any of the early games I mentioned and is hardly what I would consider to be "an incredibly healthy mythology surrounding the characters and world. I don't know where all the characters supposed backgrounds and character traits come into your story as you made very little mention of any character motives or personality traits other than Luigi being jealous of Mario which is more something fans joke about rather than an established character trait in the universe. What other dialogue happens along the way? You have to have all these characters interacting with eachother in a feature-length movie that;s meant to have some semblance of an actual plot other than Mario and friends making their way through one different land after the other.
It's freaking awesome!
Mind you, the younger generation might not understand, since they've been used to movies filled with steroid, botox injected actors and bad CGI.
I saw it when I was a kid, the day it came out, and I hated it. I still consider it by far the worst movie I've ever seen in a theater.
"Seda-GIVE?!"
I've watched it a few times over the years, and I have to say it's not that bad.
Sure, they could have been a little more faithful to the games, but you're talking about a video game franchise where some guy in red/blue overalls jumps on brown deformed mushrooms and travels through pipes...
not bad at all
Rob Zombie is one of the greatest directors today