The Worst Video Game Movie? A Super Mario Bros. Documentary

Noah Whitaker

15 Dec 201118:34

Summary

TLDRThis documentary explores the cultural impact and tumultuous production of the 'Super Mario Brothers' movie, one of the first films based on a video game. Despite its ambition, the movie was plagued by constant script rewrites, directorial disputes, and a mismatched tone that confused audiences. Featuring insights from the cast, including Bob Hoskins who expressed regret over his involvement, the film is infamous for its poor critical reception, yet it has garnered a cult following over the years. The documentary delves into the movie's legacy, contrasting its failure with the success of the Mario franchise, and touches on the broader challenge of adapting video games into movies.

Takeaways

🔥 Mario is recognized worldwide primarily through iconic symbols like the red hat, as mentioned in the beginning of the documentary.
🎮 The 'Super Mario Bros.' movie is notorious for being one of the worst video game movies, according to critics and ratings on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes.
💻 The script for the 'Super Mario Bros.' movie went through numerous rewrites, contributing to its chaotic production and final reception.
👨‍💻 Bob Hoskins, who played Mario, described the experience as a nightmare and the worst job he had ever done.
🎬 Hollywood attempted to capture the essence of the Mario games in a film but strayed far with concepts like a dystopian city and a human King Koopa.
🖥 The production faced challenges such as changing directors and scripts, leading to a disorganized set and a disjointed final product.
🎉 Despite its critical failure, the movie has developed a cult following and remains a topic of interest and discussion among fans.
🎬 Attempts to cast major stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito failed, impacting the film's potential star power.
🎞 The movie's setting and aesthetics were heavily influenced by cyberpunk themes, contrasting sharply with the colorful and whimsical world of the video games.
🎥 Despite the film’s failure, it holds a special place in cinema history as one of the first major attempts to adapt a video game into a movie.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the documentary?
-The documentary primarily discusses the history and impact of the Super Mario Brothers movie, including its production challenges, reception, and legacy.
Who played Mario in the Super Mario Brothers movie and what was his opinion of the film?
-Bob Hoskins played Mario in the Super Mario Brothers movie. He regarded the film as the worst job he had ever done and described the entire experience as a nightmare.
What were some of the major issues faced during the production of the Super Mario Brothers movie?
-The production faced multiple issues including constant script rewrites, disagreements and micromanagement by the directors, on-set tension among cast and crew, and an overall lack of a coherent vision for the film.
What was the initial public and critical reaction to the Super Mario Brothers movie?
-The Super Mario Brothers movie received mostly negative reviews, with a rating of 3.8 on IMDb and 13% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics and audiences were generally disappointed by the film.
How did the directors envision the Super Mario Brothers movie, and how was it received by the studio?
-The directors, Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, envisioned the movie as a dark, cyberpunk narrative that differed significantly from the Nintendo games. The studio, however, was expecting a light-hearted children's film and was not pleased with the darker tone.
What impact did the Super Mario Brothers movie have on Nintendo's decisions regarding film adaptations of their games?
-The negative reception and financial failure of the Super Mario Brothers movie made Nintendo hesitant to license their game franchises for Hollywood adaptations for many years.
Describe the setting and design aesthetics of the Super Mario Brothers movie.
-The movie featured a cyberpunk aesthetic, heavily influenced by films like Blade Runner. It was set in a dystopian version of New York called 'DinoHatten', where evolved dinosaurs and humans coexist.
How did the cast of the Super Mario Brothers movie cope with the challenging production?
-The cast coped with the challenging production environment in various ways, including John Leguizamo (Luigi) and Bob Hoskins (Mario) reportedly drinking on set, and other actors improvising their lines or creating new scenes.
What was unique about the animatronic Yoshi used in the Super Mario Brothers movie?
-The animatronic Yoshi in the movie was highly praised for its realism and was even admired by the team behind Jurassic Park for its lifelike appearance.
Despite its initial failure, how is the Super Mario Brothers movie viewed today?
-Despite its initial critical and commercial failure, the Super Mario Brothers movie has gained a small cult following. Some fans appreciate its unique take and production values, and there is ongoing interest in its behind-the-scenes history.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 Mario's Cultural Impact and a Notorious Film Adaptation

This paragraph introduces the iconic status of Mario, detailing his ubiquity in games, merchandise, and media since his debut in 'Donkey Kong' and the launch of 'Super Mario Brothers'. It discusses the anticipation and release of 'Super Mario 3D Land' for Nintendo 3DS, emphasizing the character's broad appeal and extensive fanbase. The focus then shifts to the infamous 'Super Mario Brothers' movie, widely regarded as a poor adaptation of the video game. Despite its negative reviews and ratings on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, the paragraph explores various perspectives on the film, including Bob Hoskins’ regretful experience. The film’s production issues are briefly mentioned, leading into a more detailed exploration of its history in the subsequent paragraph.

05:02

🎬 Turbulent Production of the Super Mario Movie

This paragraph delves into the chaotic production of the 'Super Mario Brothers' movie. Initially, notable writers and actors were approached to shape a film that could resonate with the success of Mario video games. Multiple script revisions and a lack of a consistent vision led to a disjointed development process. The directorial duo, Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, who had a vision starkly different from the game's playful theme, took the project in a darker, more adult direction, which ultimately contributed to the production chaos. Featuring a cyberpunk aesthetic and a complex backstory involving alternate realities, the project struggled with its identity, shifting scripts, and dissatisfaction among cast and crew.

10:04

🎥 From Script Chaos to Box Office Flop

In this paragraph, the turmoil behind the scenes of the 'Super Mario Brothers' movie is highlighted, describing how constant script changes led to a loss of interest from the cast, who became increasingly indifferent and disenchanted with the project. The directors faced significant backlash for their handling of the film, including an incident where hot coffee was dumped on an extra. As production challenges mounted, the film went over budget and fell behind schedule, culminating in a last-minute change in directorship. Despite extensive marketing and the allure of groundbreaking special effects like the animatronic Yoshi, the movie was a financial disaster, overshadowed by 'Jurassic Park' and largely rejected by audiences and critics alike.

15:06

🌟 Cult Following and Potential Redemption

This paragraph reviews the legacy of the 'Super Mario Brothers' movie, noting its small but dedicated cult following and the existence of a comprehensive fan site dedicated to preserving its memory. The narrative reflects on the reasons for the film’s initial failure, citing its deviation from the source material and the ambiguous target audience. Despite its flaws, the narrator appreciates the film's unique charm and its distinct departure from typical Hollywood adaptations. The paragraph concludes by expressing hope for future Nintendo adaptations in Hollywood, noting the ongoing interest in the film and its re-release on DVD and potential Blu-ray release.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Super Mario Brothers

Super Mario Brothers refers to both a landmark video game and a controversial movie adaptation. Originally a platform video game developed by Nintendo, featuring the character Mario, it became immensely popular and led to numerous sequels and merchandise. The video script discusses the transition of this video game into a film which was notorious for its deviation from the game's lighter, more fantastical elements, opting instead for a darker, more dystopian presentation. The film's development and reception are explored, highlighting its poor critical response and the challenges faced during its production.

💡Bob Hoskins

Bob Hoskins was an English actor cast as Mario in the Super Mario Brothers movie. The video script highlights his negative experience working on the film, to the extent that he referred to it as 'the worst job he's had' and 'a nightmare'. This casting choice is crucial as it underscores the film's problematic production and the dissatisfaction among its leading actors, impacting the overall quality and reception of the movie.

💡video game adaptations

The script discusses the broader concept of adapting video games into movies, a trend that gained interest in Hollywood with varying degrees of success. The Super Mario Brothers movie serves as a case study within this context, illustrating the potential pitfalls of such adaptations, including misalignment with the original game's tone and audience expectations. The video script uses this movie to question Hollywood's ability to faithfully and successfully translate popular video games into film.

💡critical reception

Critical reception in the script refers to how the Super Mario Brothers movie was received by critics and audiences, with specific references to low ratings on platforms like IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes. This aspect is crucial to understanding the video's discussion on the film's legacy as one of the poorest-received video game movies, impacting perceptions of future video game adaptations.

💡production challenges

The script delves into the myriad production challenges faced during the making of the Super Mario Brothers movie, including multiple script rewrites, casting issues, and a tumultuous set environment. These challenges illustrate the difficulties in maintaining a coherent vision and direction for the film, which ultimately contributed to its failure both critically and commercially.

💡Danny DeVito

Danny DeVito was initially approached to direct and star in the Super Mario Brothers movie as Mario. His involvement is mentioned to highlight the film's ambitious attempts to attract high-profile talent and the subsequent challenges when he, among others, declined the role. This aspect of casting what-ifs contributes to the narrative of a troubled pre-production phase.

💡cyberpunk

Cyberpunk in the script refers to the aesthetic choice made for the film's version of a dystopian city called 'DinoHatten', inspired by the movie Blade Runner. This creative direction is significant as it starkly contrasts with the vibrant and whimsical worlds typically seen in Super Mario video games, contributing to the fan and critic dissatisfaction due to its tonal and stylistic divergence from the source material.

💡Yoshi

Yoshi, a beloved dinosaur character from the Mario video game series, is mentioned in the script as being one of the few well-received elements of the movie due to its animatronic realization. This example is used to discuss the mixed reception of the film's special effects and the challenges of translating iconic video game characters into a live-action format.

💡Nintendo

Nintendo, the company behind the Super Mario franchise, is discussed in the context of licensing their properties for film adaptations. The script touches on Nintendo's cautious stance towards Hollywood adaptations following the Super Mario Brothers movie debacle, illustrating the impact of the film's failure on future business decisions regarding their intellectual property.

💡cult following

The script mentions the cult following that the Super Mario Brothers movie eventually garnered despite its initial poor reception. This concept is important as it shows how some films, despite being initially panned, can find a niche audience that appreciates them for unique or unconventional reasons, which adds complexity to the film's overall legacy.

Highlights

Mario is one of the most well-known characters globally, recognized by the red emblem on his hat.

Super Mario 3D Land, a new game, was released for Nintendo 3DS.

The Super Mario Brothers movie is known as the worst video game movie with very low ratings on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes.

Bob Hoskins, who played Mario, described the movie as the worst job he ever had and a nightmare experience.

Initial casting included high-profile names like Danny DeVito, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Keaton, and Tom Hanks.

The movie's script underwent numerous rewrites, deviating greatly from the original video game's theme.

The directors' initial vision was dramatically darker and different, set in an alternate reality New York.

Production faced multiple challenges, including an over-budget and behind-schedule shoot.

Conflicts on set led to the original directors being replaced after their agent intervened.

Despite the challenges, an animatronic Yoshi was a standout achievement, impressing even the Jurassic Park team.

The movie failed commercially, grossing only $21 million against a $48 million budget.

Its release coincided with Jurassic Park, which overshadowed it with more advanced dinosaur effects.

Despite its failure, the movie has developed a small cult following and a dedicated archive website.

The film's legacy has made Nintendo hesitant to license its other game franchises for Hollywood adaptations.

Fans of the movie argue it has its merits, citing its unique visual style and Hoskins' performance as Mario.