Super Mario Bros. 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Super Mario Bros. 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Super Mario Bros. is one of the most underrated and underappreciated cult classic films ever made in the history of cinema. No, that is not an overstatement. Super Mario Bros. has developed a wide cult following over the years and continues to draw viewers in with its imaginative filmmaking.

Super Mario Bros. is enormously special and has managed to gain a legion of fans who care a great deal about this gem of a film. Naysayers might bemoan the fact it is not as true to the classic video games, but it makes up for any of those differences with a lot of creativity and originality that keeps it interesting from beginning to end.

Produced by Jake Eberts (The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The Name of the Rose) and Roland Joffé (The Scarlet Letter, City of Joy), Super Mario Bros. is an adaptation of the Nintendo video game series. Super Mario Bros. is a landmark cult film and one of the best genre efforts of the 90s.

Mario (Bob Hoskins) and Luigi (John Leguizamo) are two down-on-their-luck Brooklyn plumbers who find themselves traveling into another dimension in order to help Princess Daisy (Samantha Mathis) from the evil and diabolical plans of the sinister King Koopa (Dennis Hopper). King Koopa plans to take control of the entire world with the help of his minions Iggy Koopa (Fisher Stevens) and Spike Koopa (Richard Edson). Can Mario and Luigi save the world?

The performances are outstanding and a huge part of the fun of Super Mario Bros. The cast has a terrific time with their respective roles. Bob Hoskins is a great Mario and has as much energy and enthusiasm as the role requires. John Leguizamo is a perfect Luigi and he is arguably the most-valuable-player in the entire film with a performance that carries the entire film forward. Samantha Mathis is also great as Princess Daisy. There is some real chemistry between Leguizamo and Mathis, too.

The score composed by Alan Silvestri (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump) is terrific and one of the most fun scores of the 90s blockbuster era. Silvestri taps into the same magic well that he used to create the scores to the Back to the Future trilogy. The score for Super Mario Bros is incredibly upbeat. The score is energetic fun and it makes a great impression throughout.

The cinematography by Dean Semler (Dances with Wolves, The Road Warrior) is beautiful and far better than almost any other video game adaptation. Semler is one of the best cinematographers around so it comes as no surprise the efforts here are exceptional, too. The visuals are one of the key components essential to the filmmaking.

Edited by Mark Goldblatt (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, True Lies), Super Mario Bros. is a well-edited and well-paced film. Super Mario Bros. could have felt overlong or overblown but instead it has an impressive and well-paced cut that flows terrifically well throughout the feature-film. The editing certainly serves the narrative and the performers well.

The production designs by David L. Snyder (Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey) are creative fun. The outlandish and over-the-top designs make a solid impression. The style brings the surrealism of the 80s and early 90s. The art direction by Walter P. Martishius (Demolition Man, The House with a Clock in Its Walls) is essential, too. The art designs add a lot to the creative style of the filmmaking. Super Mario Bros. also features superb and creative costumes by Joseph A. Porro (Stargate, Independence Day).

Written by Parker Bennett (The Thief and the Cobbler, Mystery Date), Terry Runte (The Thief and the Cobbler, Mystery Date), and Ed Solomon (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Men in Black), Super Mario Bros. is a cult film for a reason – the script is a huge part of the charm. The writing is well-done and the script has memorable one-liners and character moments throughout the entire film. The story is well told and the flow of the film is top-notch. The screenplay certainly works enormously well and is an essential part of the fun.

Directed by Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton (D.O.A., Max Headroom), Super Mario Bros. is one of my favorite films. Super Mario Bros. charmed me and amazed me since childhood. It still holds up to my love and admiration since youth and not through tinted-glasses of nostalgia alone, either. This is an incredible cult classic and one that so many fans adore with good reason. Super Mario Bros. is quite special. An amazing gem of a Hollywood blockbuster and one of the strangest video game adaptations ever made. A unique classic and one that any fan of the Mario video games should see (even if it isn’t as faithful to the charming video games as some would have preferred). Super Mario Bros. is a weird cult masterpiece of cinema and something I encourage any lover of filmmaking to experience.

Super Mario Bros. 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on 4K UHD by Umbrella Entertainment, Super Mario Bros. is presented in 2160p 4K UHD in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The 4K UHD release does not include high dynamic range metadata (HDR). Even despite the lack of a HDR presentation, Super Mario Bros. looks quite immaculate and stunning on 4K UHD. The presentation is simply incredible and the best that the feature-film has ever looked on home media.

The 4K UHD is gorgeous and the scan looks pristine throughout the transfer. The print has no dirt, specks, or debris to distract from the video presentation. The filmic scan looks organic and beautiful at the same time. A wonderful and vivid presentation with remarkable clarity. The level of detail is almost unparalleled – an example of the best 4K UHD has to offer and the remarkable uptick in detail and clarity the format provides.

Super Mario Bros. 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The lossless audio encode is exceptional and the audio presentation is crystal clear. The lossless encoding provides robust depth and detail to the audio soundstage. The audio dynamics are enormously pleasing. Dialogue sounds crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The surround sounds are actively engaged and make a huge impression on the sound presentation. This is a top-tier lossless audio encode and the score is beautifully reproduced, too. Exceptional.

Super Mario Bros. 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The "1UP" Collectors Edition from Umbrella Entertainment also includes:

480-page hardcover book featuring production materials, interviews, and artwork

200-page book including early scripts and drafts of the screenplay

Replica A6 1993 34 page Souvenir magazine

8 Replica Lobby Cards

2 A3 reversible two-sided posters – one including the USA and European posters and the other including the Thai and Japanese posters

Limited & Numbered Special Edition Release

On disc supplements:

Disc 1: 4K UHD

Disc 2: Theatrical –

Audio Commentary with Screenwriter Parker Bennett

Audio Commentary with Coproducer Fred Caruso and Production Designer David L. Snyder

Audio Commentary with Makeup Artist Jeff Goodwin, Sfx Crew Mark McCoy, and Production Assistant Craig Edwards

Audio Commentary with Super Mario Bros. The Movie Archivists Steven Applebaum and Ryan Hoss

Deleted Scenes (HD, 20:19)

Ain't No Game Trailer (HD, 1:08)

I've Got the Power Trailer (HD, 1:45)

Disc 3: Workprint –

Super Mario Bros. – The Lasagna Workprint (SD, 1:51:20)

Featurettes –

This Ain't No Video Game! (HD, 55:50)

Making Of Super Mario Brothers (SD, 18:17)

Katabasis of the Lost Girl (HD, 23:05)

Anarcho-Dino-Sado Chic: The Fashion of Dinohattan (HD, 20:11)

The Hero Moment: Super Mario, Superhero (HD, 13:51)

(D)Evolution, Dystopia, and Trusting the Fungus (HD, 21:25)

Raleigh Reunion Panel (HD, 38:55)

LPGE – Movie Props (HD, 5:05)

Behind the Scenes – Interviews (SD, 31:17)

From Storyboard to Screen –

Ice Tunnel Chase (HD, 1:02)

Inter-Dimensional Merging (HD, 00:29)

Koopa's Demise (HD, 1:28)

Lena's Demise (HD, 00:36)

Brooklyn Bridge Climax (HD, 3:22)

Trailers, Videos, and Commercials –

Trailers –

Japanese Theatrical Trailer (SD, 1:36)

Japanese TV Spot (SD, 00:15)

Japanese Home Video Commercial (SD, 00:27)

Music Videos –

Spike & Iggy Revolutionary Rap Music Video (HD, 1:44)

Anti-Koopa Protest Music Video (HD, 3:21)

TV Commercials –

Character ID (SD, 00:31)

Daisy Guard (SD, 00:30)

Event (SD, 00:15)

Koopa (SD, 00:31)

Ultimate Level (SD, 00:13)

Ultimate Level 2 (SD, 00:16)

Jump Commercial (SD, 00:30)

Power Commercial (SD, 00:31)

ERTL Action Figure (SD, 00:30)

ERTL Crash Action Police Car (SD, 00:30)

Photo Gallery

Super Mario Bros. 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Super Mario Bros. has received the ultimate home media treatment with this deluxe "1UP" collectors edition 4K UHD release. The release is everything a fan could hope for in a definitive home release. A plethora of bonus features across three discs with tons of interviews and exclusive featurettes. The collector's edition is housed in gorgeous collectable packaging with stunning art-work, both newly commissioned art, and the original theatrical artwork. The set also includes a plethora of physical bonus items including multiple books.

The Super Mario Bros. 4K box-set from Umbrella Entertainment is one of the nicest sets ever released on home media. There should be no doubt that this is a definitive set and something that any Super Mario Bros. fan will treasure as one of the best physical media releases ever made. For one of the most underrated cult classic films of all time, this definitive Super Mario Bros. release is a must-own and should be considered a testament to the power of physical media.