Product: Super Mario Bros. [VHS] (1993)
Rating: 3.0
Roll with it
The best thing I can say about the 'Super Mario Bros.' movie is that I don't think anyone could have dreamt something remotely resembling what it ended up being.You know what? I like it. Yes, for the most part, it's absurd, contrived, and goofy. The thing is, it almost revels in it. Even though the whole film is one big, weird mess, none of the actors seem like they're on auto-pilot. These are good, respected actors too.What the film really has going for it, above all, is a unique world -- parallel universe, if you will -- that is both bizarre and fun. It's completely unpredictable. In making such an atmosphere the filmmakers seem to borrow elements from more renowned films, but the seeming integration goes unnoticed after all the pieces are stitched up to make 'Super Mario Bros.'' world complete.I'm fond of it. I was a fan of the games when I was a kid, but I was never devastated to see such a re-working when translated to film. Even then, I thought the film was forgettable, but there were remains that existed in my memory until my second viewing -- over ten years since my first -- just last night. Watching it again, the creative disposition of the film jumped out at me once more, allowing me to understand why some particular visuals stayed with me since I was a child.Whacky, stupid, and even painful in parts, yes. Overall, though, a commendably DIFFERENT product; audacious even, in retrospect. Yet again, I don't think anyone could have predicted anything close to what ended up being the 'Super Mario Bros.' movie. This day in age, that's worth a lot.