Super Mario Bros. is a 1993
science fiction adventure film loosely based on the
video game of the same name and its
entire franchise. The film follows the exploits of
Mario (
Bob Hoskins) and his brother
Luigi (
John Leguizamo) in a comical
dystopia ruled by
King Koopa (
Dennis Hopper).
Super Mario Bros. was originally a critical and commercial failure upon its release in the United States. Harsh criticism was aimed at the film's nature and its inaccuracies compared to the game's franchise. The film was also largely disliked by Hoskins, Leguizamo and Hopper themselves due to the very notorious production problems they faced and having negative opinions about the film's nature similar to critics. Despite its negative reaction,
Super Mario Bros. has received a
cult following for being the first live-action
major motion picture to be based on a video game, a jumpstart of Leguizamo's film career, the film's music video
Almost Unreal by
Roxette, the unreleased music score by
Alan Silvestri and its dark visual concepts mixed with light-hearted themes. The film was nominated for two
Saturn Awards (one for
Best Costume, the other for
Best Make-up). The film's plot, which has a darker tone than the game's franchise, features Mario and Luigi as the main protagonists, with Mario leading the team and Luigi developing a romance with Princess Daisy.