5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Two Brooklyn plumbers, Mario and Luigi, must travel to another dimension to rescue Princess Daisy from the evil dictator King Koopa and stop him from taking over the world.
Starring: Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, Samantha Mathis, Fisher StevensComedy | 100% |
Family | 52% |
Fantasy | 48% |
Sci-Fi | 32% |
Adventure | 11% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Umbrella Entertainment has released two editions of Super Mario Bros. (1993), both of which come as a 2-disc set and feature a Koopa's bounty of gold coins... erm, special features. The 4K edition is certainly the best in terms of video, but only with a slight edge, as it offers more of a first-generation 4K upgrade (sans HDR). This 1080p standard Blu-ray edition is strikingly similar, in terms of highs and the occasional low. But with a more affordable price tag, those without the largest displays and latest, greatest gear won't have to sacrifice much when settling for the regular ol' BD release.
The 1080p/AVC-encoded Blu-ray release of Super Mario Bros. is minted from the same 4K remaster as its 4K counterpart. Colors are strong and lively, with plenty of punch, primary pop and powered up presence. Skin tones are warm, healthy and lifelike as well, while contrast and black levels are vibrant and deep respectively. There are a number of inconsistencies (the same that sneak into the 4K presentation) -- infrequent shots hindered by a hit to brightness, delineation and color-tone consistency, a reduction in clarity and contrast during FX sequences, and a handful of other anomalies -- but all of it appears to trace back to the source, not the encode. Moreover, things like banding and artifacts are completely MIA. Detail is quite crisp and revealing too, even if the 4K presentation takes the prize. Edges are clean and typically razor-sharp, textures are beautifully resolved on the whole, and only a handful of sequences suffer from softness (the culprit being the original photography). All told, there's little to complain about. A better remaster could have presumably been crafted from better source element materials (see my 4K review for a bit more info on that), but not by much.
Super Mario's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track sounds great, with little in the way of sloppiness or underwhelming sonics. Dialogue is clear and intelligible throughout. Lines aren't lost in the Dinohattan chaos (even when a 'splosive third act rips open a box marked "action"), nor is fidelity sacrificed for volume. The rear speakers offer a welcome array of directionally precise effects, hurling across the soundfield from one channel to the next with the slick, smooth ease you've come to expect from proper 5.1 remasters of early '90s films. It would almost be easy to call it remarkably immersive, if it weren't for a bit of spatial separation that the sharpest audiophiles among will notice in conversation-laden, front-heavy sequences. (I suspect another product of the source rather than the mixing of the track on hand.) LFE output is all kinds of fun too, with Bob-omb booms, Super Scope thooms and Koopa-quake roars aplenty. Some flatness does creep into the soundscape, but every instance seemed to me to be a product of remaining true to the original sound design. Dynamics deliver and the mix is both playful and engaging.
The standard Blu-ray edition of Super Mario Bros. delivers a treasure trove of commentaries on Disc One and an entire second disc chock full
of extras, including a rough workprint cut of the film. Bonus content breaks down as follows:
The 4K release is the way to go if you want to squeeze every last bit of value and detail out of the oft-maligned Super Mario Bros, but the standard 1080p Blu-ray edition release ain't too shabby. With a striking video presentation created from the same remaster as the 4K edition, the same excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, the same heap of special features, and a lower price point, the 2-disc regular edition is more tempting than you might expect.
1993
30th Anniversary Edition / Limited to 3000 Copies / Australian Import
1993
1993
(Still not reliable for this title)
2020
2007
2005
2010
2017
2001
2003
2004
Power Up Edition
2023
1997
1993
2016
2005
2022
Lenticular Faceplate
2012
2008
2011
2009
2018
2006-2012