Product: Super Mario Bros. [VHS] (1993)
Rating: 2.0
Game Is Fun, This Is Not
Yesterday I happened to have a chance to watch "Super Mario Bros.," a live-action film loosely based on the hugely popular video game series. Loosely I say, because the story was mostly set in the alternate universe called "Dinohatten," where our heroes Mario and Luigi land accidentally while looking for a kidnapped NYU student Daisy (Samantha Mathis). The film's pointless story goes on and on, not knowing what it really wants to do."Super Mario Bros." has been criticized for its departures from the original source. I didn't mind that at all. Bob Hoskins looks like Mario enough. What bothered me is simply this: "Super Mario Bros." is boring. Jokes are lame. Actions are dull. In short, the game is fun; the movie is not.The film was released in 1993, followed by two based-on-video-game films "Street Fighter" in 1994 and "Mortal Kombat" in 1995. They are not just bad; they all look cheap and cheesy, but what differentiates "Mario" from other two films is that it has a pretty impressive cast: Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Samantha Mathis as well as Dennis Hopper and Fiona Shaw in campy costumes. The last one is certainly worth watching.