A place for those who "Trust the Fungus"

Hey, how y'all doin'? Ever since I started playing video games, I've been a huge fan of Mario and Luigi and all those wonderful Mushroom Kingodmers. When I eventually learned that there was at once point a movie made about these characters, I knew I had to see it. I kept hearing about how it was supposedly so awful, but I didn't care, I still wanted to watch this thing. When I finally saw it a couple of years ago, I loved it. I'm honestly not sure I'd call it a "good" film in the traditional sense, but I always have a lot of fun watching it. One day I decided to do some research onto the film, which lead me here, to this goldmine of information. I'm very happy to have found a place with so much enthusiasm for this film, and I look forward to being part of this community.

Welcome!
Glad to hear we came upon this website the same way! The movie is one of my favorite movies. I hope that you have the time to participate in the forums.

If you want to sign a petition so they will make another Super Mario Bros. movie I have a petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/my/petitions/319428
Be sure to read the ATTENTION note.

Yeah, the movie gets a really bad rap. It's unfortunate that so many people haven't seen it or aren't even aware of it solely because of the word of people that don't appreciate it. Many people that eventually do see it feel it's enjoyable, even if not necessarily "good." (However, I would say that a good film is hidden in there. It just needs some re-mastering and re-cutting)

Anyways, I'm glad that you took the time to introduce yourself. It's always good to get another fan around. Feel free to post in any topic you like, no matter how old, if you feel you have something to add to the discussion at hand.

Also, if I may ask, could you tell us a little about your thoughts on the movie? What you liked and didn't like?

Welcome to the Super Mario Bros. movie community. Glad to have you.

Like Redstar said, feel free to add to any discussion on the boards you like. No conversation too old

Thanks for the welcomes, everyone.

Redstar wrote:Also, if I may ask, could you tell us a little about your thoughts on the movie? What you liked and didn't like?

Well, first of all I'd agree with you that there's a genuinely good film in there if it's fixed up a bit.

I actually like the fact they turned Mario into a sci-fi epic. It's a different look at the plumber and his world, but it's an interesting one. The idea of a realistic mario living in Booklyn sounds strange, but the movie made it work. And we actually got to see the bros do some plumbing for once.

The idea of the Mushroom Kingdom being a parallel universe where man evolved from reptiles is interesting. The dark dystopian wasteland of the movie is a far cry from the blue skies and smiling clouds we see in our video games, but as I said, I can appreciate a different look at the Mario universe. Most people would say these changes make for a bad adaptation, but really, it's the same plot as the games(plumbers save princess from reptillian king while being aided by fungus), just with a darker atmosphere, and some more backstory thrown in.

But despite my being okay with the changes from the source material, a part of me still wishes we could have gotten a movie more true to the games. While I did enjoy seeing Mario in a darker, more sci-fi-ish setting, it does kind of bug me that Mario's only movie (outside of that Japanese one) just barely qualifies as a Mario movie.

I did enjoy the plot, but I feel like there are parts where it could have made more sense than it did. Daisy being the only one to merge the dimensions for instance. I understand this was originally meant ot be explained, and I really wish they had actually done so, because to the average person watching the film, that bit doesn't make much sense (though it is pretty easy to assume that she has some sort of special power no one else has, it would have been nice to see the movie explain it). There's also the way the king is restored as soon as Koopa's defeated, without any explanation. I guess one can assume Yoshi or Toad found the devo gun controls and hit the right buttons while Mario and Luigi were having their epic battle, but that's the type of the thing you want a clear explanation for.

Movie had some great special effects though. Most of them still look good today. One heck of a soundtrack too, both Silvestri's score and the other songs used.

Overall it's a fun movie to watch without thinking about, I just wish they could have tightened up the plot a bit and maybe added just a bit more Mario flavor to it.

Welcome, CTM

CTM wrote:I did enjoy the plot, but I feel like there are parts where it could have made more sense than it did. Daisy being the only one to merge the dimensions for instance. I understand this was originally meant ot be explained, and I really wish they had actually done so, because to the average person watching the film, that bit doesn't make much sense (though it is pretty easy to assume that she has some sort of special power no one else has, it would have been nice to see the movie explain it).

The plot really is the most common and legitimate complaint for the film. Out of every review for the film printed at the time, the plot was the only element consistently criticized. Everything else was generally praised.

You may know that Daisy's ability to merge the dimensions was directly keyed to her unique genetic traits, which were mutations brought about due to exposure from the meteorite's radiation. These mutations led to the birth of the Portal-Keeper society, a group of evolved dino-humans that ruled their world for much of its civilization. Daisy's mother was a member of this society.

All of this was explained in early versions of the script, but were ultimately cut for being "unnecessary." In my opinion, it's one of the most fascinating concepts of the entire story.

CTM wrote:There's also the way the king is restored as soon as Koopa's defeated, without any explanation. I guess one can assume Yoshi or Toad found the devo gun controls and hit the right buttons while Mario and Luigi were having their epic battle, but that's the type of the thing you want a clear explanation for.

The King's re-evolution was a re-shoot back in L.A. after shooting had officially ended. It was done as a favor by Lance Henriksen, which really resulted in the biggest plothole of the entire movie. Still, there have been attempts at rationalizing that scene. Some are more logical than others.

If you're interested in the concept of the film and the explanation behind many aspects of its story then I recommend checking out the early scripts. A lot of concepts are elaborated on in them, including the Portal-Keepers and Koopa's political system. We currently only have one of these scripts up, but we should be updating with three more in a few weeks. You can stick around and wait until then to read them in order.

Heya! Welcome to the forums

Welcome to the boards! It's great to have another fan in our growing army of Goombas!