Video Games

Super Mario Bros. is a 1993 adventure comedy-drama loosely based on the video game of the same name and its entire franchise. The film follows the exploits of Mario Mario (Bob Hoskins) and his brother Luigi Mario (John Leguizamo) in a comical dystopia ruled by King Koopa (Dennis Hopper). It was the first live-action major motion picture to be based on a video game. The film's plot features Mario and Luigi as the main protagonists, Mario leading the team with Luigi developing a romance with Princess Daisy.

Bob Hoskins as Mario Mario - The elder of the two Mario Brothers, Mario has a no-nonsense attitude to life which is why the eccentricity of his younger brother tends to get him annoyed and angry. In the movie it's explained that Mario brought up Luigi as they are apparently orphans. It describes him as Luigi's father (and Luigi also states that he has been like a mother to him as well). Hoskins depicted Mario speaking with a Brooklyn accent. Early on in their journey, he seems to be more cowardly and paranoid than his usual heroic self. But after his big battle fighting Koopa, he gains his strength and courage to become the heroic "Super Mario" he is.

The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics and fans alike and was denounced by critics as "cheesy" and lacking any sort of coherent plot. On the television show Siskel & Ebert, the film received two thumbs down. This is Nintendo's second least successful video game film adaption, only behind Pokémon Heroes. Fans denounced the movie for having very little to do with the video game series and distorting many established facts about the fictional game world. For instance, in the movie President Koopa (Bowser) is a humanoid descendant of a Tyrannosaurus rex, whereas he is a monstrous turtle in the games. Toad is also depicted as a reptilian being in the film, instead of a mushroom as he is in the video games (Although in the film he is turned into a Goomba, which, in the video game series, is a traitor of the Mushroom Kingdom). However, Toad still seemed to remember his strong dislike of King Koopa, as he opposed the other Goombas later in the movie.

Also references are made to various items and enemy-characters from the games. The Stomper boots were potentially inspired by the Kuribo's Shoe from Super Mario Bros. 3. The Stomper boots could also be a reference to Mario and Luigi's jumping ability. The charges used for the boots resemble Bullet Bills. The sound that the boots make when they are activated is the exact sound from the games when Mario takes a hit and dies. The flame throwers used end in petal-like extrusions of metal, evoking the Fire Flower. When used by Koopa, they also represent the classic Bowser fire breath move. The police uniforms of the Mushroom Kingdom are somewhat reminiscent of the Hammer Bros. uniform and the Junkyard workers are referred to as, and look like the video game incarnations of Snifits. It is curious, though, to notice that, underneath its feet, a Reebok logo can be seen for a few seconds (as an act of product placement). The last time Koopa is seen he appears in a metal bucket in his de-evolved dinosaur state. This could be a reference to "Super Mario World", (the first mario game for the SNES.) where, at the last stage in the game, the player battles Koopa, as Koopa hovers above them in what appears to be a flying bucket with spikes on the bottom.