Super Mario Bros. (film)



Super Mario Bros. is a live action movie about the Mario brothers, released in 1993.

Plot
The basic plot of the movie is the idea that the comet that killed the dinosaurs created a parellel dimension where dinosaurs have evolved into intelligent beings and their leader, King Koopa, is trying to rejoin the two dimensions and rule over both of them. In order to do so, Koopa must reassemble the comet that struck the earth and separated the two dimensions in the first place. The last missing piece to the comet was left on a doorstep with a mysterious egg containing a newborn Princess Daisy. The movie contains a lot of references to Mario games, but almost nothing resembles their game counterparts in look.

Cast

 * Bob Hoskins &mdash; Mario
 * John Leguizamo &mdash; Luigi
 * Dennis Hopper &mdash; King Koopa
 * Samantha Mathis &mdash; Princess Daisy
 * Fisher Stevens &mdash; Iggy
 * Richard Edson &mdash; Spike
 * Fiona Shaw &mdash; Lena
 * Dana Kaminksi &mdash; Daniella
 * Mojo Nixon &mdash; Toad
 * Francesca Roberts &mdash; Big Bertha
 * Gianni Russo &mdash; Anthony Scapelli
 * Lance Henriksen &mdash; King Toadstool
 * Carol Kane &mdash; Mrs. Mario

Lines and Actions
Scene: Animated prehistoric jungle.

On screen text: As the scene progresses, the opening credits are shown along with setting cues. BOB HOSKINS JOHN LEGUIZAMO

NARRATOR (as the below actions and the first two actor credits appear): A long, long time ago, the earth was ruled by dinosaurs. They were big, so not a lot of people went around hassling them. Actually, no people went around hassling them because there weren't any people yet... just the first tiny mammals.

''An apatosaurus peaks out from the trees during this narration. The camera zooms in to show him eating a plant, in which a pair of blinking eyes can be seen. A skunk is revealed when the entire plant is pulled up. The skunk trots away, muttering, until he notices a triceratops chewing leaves in his mouth nearby. He stops in place momentarily, then jumps up in fright (his stripes separate from him instantaneously) at the sight of the second dinosaur and runs away. The stegasaurus watches without interest.''

NARRATOR: Basically, life was good.

APATOSAURUS (licks up some stray plant strands, then looks up at the stegosaurus while chewing the plant): Yo! It just don't get no better than this.

TRICERATOPS (looking up at the apatosaurus): Yeah!

Scene: Fade into live action version of the same jungle.

On-screen text: BROOKLYN 65 MILLION YEARS AGO

NARRATOR: Then something happened. A giant meteorite struck the earth! Good-bye dinosaurs!

''The meteorite appears over the horizon coming towards the screen. Its flame trail covers the screen.''

''Scene: Camera flows through abstract images meant to show travel between one dimension to another. Eventually, the camera zooms in on a completely black wall.''

On-screen text: DENNIS HOPPER

NARRATOR (growing in intensity, then returning to his normal tone): But what if the dinosaurs weren't all destroyed? What if the impact of that meteorite created a parallel dimension, where the dinsaurs continued to thrive, and developed into intelligent, vicious, agressive beings?! Just like us. And hey, what if they found a way back?

The film's logo zooms in towards the screen: "SUPER MARIO BROS."

Scene: Fulton Street, Brooklyn and possible another later.

On-screen text: BROOKLYN 20 YEARS AGO

''A young woman in a strange jacket and shawl runs on-screen from behind a car, holding an unknown item and obviously frightened. She looks back quickly, then pulls the shawl over her head as lighting lights up her face. She runs up the stairs leading to the front door of St. Theresa's Catholic church, stoops down on the doorstep, and place her package on the door step, looking back at the street. She unwraps it, revealing an egg-shaped metal case. Then, she pulls what appears to be a geode shard from her jacket and places it into a slot on the case. She strokes the case gingerly before pounding on the door repeatedly, looking back. She leans down, strokes the case once more before partially covering it again, and runs back into the street, leaving the case on the door. She flees down a sidewalk.''

Back at the church, the head nun opens the door, looks down at the egg, looks up at the street, then takes in the case, looking again before closing the door.

''The woman continues to run, this time across an intercection. Cars swerve to avoid her, honking, as she makes her way to a manhole and climbs down a ladder into it.''

DRIVER: Hey lady, what are you, nuts?

''Scene: St. Theresa's interior. The nuns gather around the case, placed on a table with candles, as it opens to reveal a large, off-white egg.''

HEAD NUN: [gasps in pleasent surprise]

''Scene: Brooklyn Sewers. The young woman runs down a circular passageway lit from behind. She turns a corner, walking backwards and looking nervously around her. Koopa appears from behind and grabs her.''

KOOPA: Where's the rock?

He spins her around to face him, then releases her.

WOMAN (gasping for breath): Koopa!

She looks up as sawdust falls from the ceiling, then attempts to escape as the passage collapses.

WOMAN: [Screams as the screen fades.]

''Scene: St. Theresa's. The egg begins to hatch. The nuns look nervous and attentive. A human baby is revealed.''

DAISY: [Cries]

''The head nun makes the sign of the cross. picks up the rock shard and holds it in front of the camera. It glints, changing the scene.''

''Scene: Present day Brooklyn. The camera focuses on a building labeled "Fulton Flowers" as people and cars passby. The scene changes to the inside of the second story apartment.''

Miraculous World Host (on television): Welcome to "Miraculous World," where each week we ask unanswered questions. Today on Miraculous World: another dimension, the universe next-door, an alternate world separated by time and space, and yet, somehow joined and continuous with our own. [His voice is drowned out.]

''A telephone can be heard ringing as the camera pans the appartment. It is picked up by Mario, at his desk.''

'''MARIO (into the telephone): Mario Brothers Plumbing. No leak too small. Uh-huh, uh-huh. No, no, no! Don't touch it. No, it's not a big problem, just leave it to the professionals.

Luigi is shown lying down on the couch, eating abscent-mindedly as he scares with rapt attention at the television.

Miraculous World Guest (on television): And when I looked around, I was some... I was somewhere else.

Miraculous World Host: Another... dimension, you mean?

Miraculous World Guest: Sure.

Miraculous World Host: Another dimension. A universe [His voice is drowned out, but his voice can be heard throughout the scene.]

Mario: Be right there! [Hangs up phone and turns around in his chair towards Luigi] Luigi, we got a broken dishwasher down at the River Front Café! You know what that means?

Luigi (distracted): [Waves arm] Yeah, yeah, yeah...

Mario (exhuberently): [As he picks up Luigi's snack bowl] We got work!

Luigi: [As Mario makes to turn off the television] Oh, Mario, Mario! Right now on the Miraculous World, this guy just found out he was in another dimension.

Mario: [Turns off the television, smiling incrediblously] The only thing miraculous I know is that we're still eating! ...while we're going broke!

Luigi: [Picks up a toy off of his knee and presses it against his face, pushing out the pegs that make it up, leaving an imprint of his face] We ain't going broke Mario; we're already there!

Mario: Yeah? [Drops Luigi's plumbing boots on his crotch purposefully.]

Luigi (painfully): Ow! Oh!

Mario: [Picks up a copy of the New York Post with the headline, "NOT AGAIN! Another B'klyn Girl is Missing"] Are you spending money on this stuff? Look at this!

Luigi: Yeah, but its got the article about the missing Brooklyn girls...

Mario: [Cuts Luigi off, picks up the other bowl on the table, then uses the newspaper to sweep the crumbs on the table into the bowl.] It's also got one on the scientist, who turned his brain into cheese!

Luigi (indignent): Yeah, well you don't know; it could happen.

Mario (as he walks behind the couch and into a bedroom): [laughs condicendingly] How could that possibly happen?

Luigi (loud): Anything's possible Mario, you just gotta believe! [Mario grabs his plumbing tool belt and walks towards the previous room.]

Critical Reception
The movie is generally considered poor. In a Nintendo Power article about New Super Mario Bros., a timeline of Mario's history could be seen at the bottom of the page. The Super Mario Bros. movie was mentioned, only with the words, "Yes, it happened. Let us speak no more of it." The actor of Mario, Bob Hoskins, called the film the worst thing he ever did while Luigi's portrayer, John Leguizamo, mentions in his autobiography that he practically couldn't bare working on the film.