Product: Super Mario Bros. [VHS] (1993)
Rating: 4.0
A hidden cult-classic with an unfair reputation.
For years after its release, "Super Mario Bros." has been slammed as one of the worst video-game-to-big-screen adaptations, if not the worst. Yes, it does have its problems, the biggest of which is its identity crisis. It has plot, characters, motivation, and all the other good stuff a movie should have, but it doesn't know what it wants to be half the time. Is it a light-hearted action/adventure comedy? A dark cyberpunk thriller? A biting social satire? It's all of these and more in places, but never has that one, single, unifying catalyst to complete the reaction.And yet...that's part of its charm. It's all over the place, but it has something for everyone. As other reviewers have said, eagle-eyed viewers will spot countless references to the games, like a nightclub called "Bullet Bill's", and of course the infamous Bob-ombs. There are many, many more, but...let's not ruin the surprise, shall we? (Side note: Some people have complained about the current release's picture quality. A restored and remastered print may yet bring all of the details out into the open.)There is also more to be discovered about SMB. Over the past few years, a small but steadily-growing group of fans has been doing research into the behind-the-scenes aspects, conducting interviews with cast and crew, collecting rare unproduced scripts and deleted scenes, and piecing the puzzle together. There should be a future 2-disc release with all of those treasures on it, because the bare-bones version that's currently out on the shelves just doesn't do it justice.Soon, "Super Mario Bros.: The Movie" will be twenty years old. That's twenty years of an unfair reputation, and it's an excellent opportunity for Disney to bring out a new edition with extra features so that film fans and gamers alike can see the truth about this hidden gem of a cult classic. As the review on the front of the box says, "it's a blast!"