Super Mario Bros.
Sometimes, just sometimes, a train wreck can be fun to watch. That certainly applies to this 1993 release (based off the forever popular video game series) about two goofball Brooklyn plumbers sucked into an alternate universe where dinosaurs have evolved into human-like creatures and only they can save both our and their worlds from oblivion. The fact that it was a massively troubled production (shot locally here in Wilmington, North Carolina) is evident by the situation where original directors Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel (best known for Max Headroom) were literally kicked off the set and the directing duties were taken by producer and Oscar nominee Roland Joffe, which results in no clear vision, obvious plot holes and story gaffes, not to mention some seeming confusion during the postproduction process, but nonetheless, is made up for by an earnest goofy charm mostly on the part of its game cast: Bob Hoskins as Mario Mario is perfectly cast in terms of the physical look of the iconic character, and manages to handle both the action scenes and the silly dialogue quite well; John Leguizamo as Luigi IS a departure from his game counterpart, being portrayed as a goofball kid still learning his trade from his older sibling, but thankfully Leguizamoās charisma and likability carry him through well; The Immortal Dennis Hopper as the evil King Koopa brings his usual weight and presence to what is essentially a cornball villain, and manages to entertain the viewer as much as everyone else; Samantha Mathis as The Princess is absolutely GORGEOUS to look at, as we can see why Luigi is so taken by her at first sight, and also has enough beauty and charm to keep things on an even keel; Fiona Shaw (best known as the evil aunt from Harry Potter) as Hopperās companion is a bit strident at times, but still fearsome; and Richard Edson and future Oscar winner(!) Fisher Stevens as Hopperās bumbling cousins and henchmen sometimes wear thin with their pseudo-Laurel and Hardy schtick, but do bring some smiles at times, particularly when they undergo a procedure to make them āsmarterā. Plus there are cool cameos from rockabilly legend Mojo Nixon and Lance Henriksen as well. The storyās most basic glaring plot hole is something that needs to be addressed right here: Apparently Hopper needs the Princess and a piece of meteor that she carries to open the portal to our world, yet it seems the Marios and several other characters have little trouble jumping back and forth from one place to another, so one wonders why he doesnāt just march his troops through and begin his invasion?? Other bits, like Mario declaring that the car he is driving has no brakes when he had just used them to outsmart his pursuers a couple of moments before, prevent the film from rising to a certain level of quality that would have no doubt made it successful, but from another standpoint it can be said that the production design for the dinosaur world is quite sumptuous to look at, the special FX are fairly good, and the film moves at such an entertaining, crackerjack pace that thereās very little chance for the viewer to get restless or bored right up to the very end. Overall, while far from perfect, a film that does get unfairly maligned and is certainly an enjoyable treat for kids to watch before they graduate to more adult action fareā¦
7/10