Was anyone hanging out to see a 4K restoration of 1993’s Super Mario Bros? Apparently Japanese audiences were.
So, over the weekend, I finally got around to watching The Super Mario Bros Movie (2023). Yes, I took my time, but then I kind of figured that this was one of those movies that wouldn’t lose a whole lot moving from the cinema screen to my home screen, especially as a kid’s movie.
Kids in cinemas are… rambunctious, and sometimes that’s fun, and sometimes it’s not. At cinema prices, I’d rather avoid the not part of that equation.
Quick review: It’s OK, plays it very safe with the source material.
You know what didn’t play it safe with the source material?
1993’s Super Mario Bros, starring Bob Hoskins. Surprising it failed, when the trailer shows so much promise:
And now, it’s heading back to theatres.
As per Crunchyroll, from September 15, it’s heading back to theatres in Japan only, with a restored 4K print to… enjoy?
Alex’s Take
OK, this absolutely is the Super Mario Bros movie of my generation, and it is indeed gloriously awful and awkward and just downright weird. I won’t be jumping on a plane to Japan to go and check how much 4K “improves” it. There’s an aphorism about polishing that I think applies here.
But if I were to recommend a way to watch Super Mario Bros? That’d be the Rifftrax version of the film, which, unlike its source material, is quite superb:
