Before 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie', There Was This 27%-Rated Flop & the Worst Game Flick Ever
However, time has transformed this strange experiment into a cult artifact of the 90s with its own insane charisma.
Long before the animation The Super Mario Bros. Movie conquered the box office, the first daring and disastrous attempt to bring the iconic video game to the big screen had already been made.
The 1993 movie titled Super Mario Bros. bombed at the box office, was panned by critics, and derided by fans, setting a long-standing trend for failed video game adaptations.
What Is 'Super Mario Bros.' About?
The plot barely resembles that of the original game. The Italian-American plumber brothers, Mario and Luigi, accidentally discover a passageway to a parallel dimension beneath New York City.
In this alternate reality, dinosaurs did not die out but evolved into humanoid reptiles. The world is ruled by the cruel dictator Koopa, who plans to take over the surface world as well.
To save all of human civilization, the brothers must rescue Princess Daisy, who wears a magical amulet, and stop the invasion.
'Super Mario Bros.' Looks More Like a Hallucinogenic Trip Than an Adaptation of the Cult Video Game
The only elements retained from the original game are the names of the main characters and the general idea of saving the princess. Everything else is a radical departure from the bright world of Nintendo.
Directors Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel created a dark, grimy, futuristic, Blade Runner-esque noir populated by reptilians and imbued with a psychedelic aesthetic.
This radical reimagining shocked and alienated fans who were expecting to see a familiar gaming world on screen.
Still, 'Super Mario Bros.' Has Its Strange and Wild Charm
Despite its box office and critical failure, time has been kind to this strange project. Today, Super Mario Bros. is not perceived as a failed adaptation but as a unique product of its era – bold, punk, and utterly inimitable.
Exuding the raw energy of the early 90s, the movie's absurdity and total inconsistency with the source material are now charming rather than irritating.
Despite its failure, Super Mario Bros. is a project that wasn't forgotten but became an object of worship for connoisseurs of the so-bad-it's-good genre.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Super Mario Bros.'?
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Super Mario Bros. has 27% from critics and 30% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the movie has a score of 4.2/10.
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On Letterboxd, Super Mario Bros. scored 2.1/5.0.
Where to Watch 'Super Mario Bros.'?
Super Mario Bros. is notoriously difficult to stream or purchase digitally in the US, but you can often find the DVD or Blu-ray for sale on Amazon.
