Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, The Super Mario Bros. Movie has turned into a massive success thanks to its fantastic cast, hilarious script, and colorful world. And considering the movie’s giant box office haul (it made $377 million in its opening weekend alone), it’s safe to say it’s already the most popular movie of 2023 and that we’ll likely have more Mario movies coming our way in the future.
This was a much-needed win for the video game movie genre as well since films adapted from video games often turn into critical failures and box office busts. But perhaps this is the start of a new era where video game movies are serious business in Hollywood. In the near future, we’re going to see adaptions of popular games like Borderlands, Firewatch, and Five Nights at Freddy’s, and players are hoping they can all live up to the games that inspired them.
But gamers already have a few must-watch movies out there adapted from video games. Some are genuinely good, while others are so bad you can’t help but watch and feel captivated by the sheer disaster of it all. If you loved The Super Mario Bros. Movie, you’ll love these five films as well.
Super Mario Bros. (1993)
Long before The Super Mario Bros. Movie, everyone’s favorite mustachioed plumber had his first film adaptation back in 1993 with Super Mario Bros. Starring Bob Hoskins as Mario and John Leguizamo as Luigi, the movie took a drastic turn from the bright and colorful video games. The fanciful Mushroom Kingdom had instead been turned into Dinohattan — a gritty, underground world that oozed ’90s punk vibes.
The human world (Manhattan) lives parallel to the dinosaur world (Dinohattan), until one day when Mario and Luigi accidentally discover a way to enter the other dimension. In the movie, Yoshi is now a raptor and the Koopas are giant, towering soldiers with little tiny dinosaur heads.
The movie was, to put it nicely, totally crazy. Naturally, like most misunderstood films, it was bashed upon release. Siskel & Ebert even said at the time, “It doesn’t work at all. This movie isn’t either high- or low-tech enough … it doesn’t have a compelling story or fresh characters.” Super Mario Bros. turned into a box-office bomb and was considered one of the worst movies ever made for decades.
But in recent years, many viewers rediscovered the film and have come to embrace its campy charm and bonkers concept. The movie was nothing like the video games and instead offered up a whole new crazy world to experience — one filled with humor, action, and excitement. Nowadays, Super Mario Bros. has become a cult favorite and is finally getting the love and recognition it deserves.
DOA: Dead or Alive (2006)
You didn’t know Dead or Alive had a movie adaptation? Well, you’re not alone … most people have no idea this movie exists. Thanks to a tormented production and a butchered release schedule, DOA: Dead or Alive ended up having many of its screenings in Europe and Asia, with only a very limited release in America that came with virtually no press at all.
Why? Because the movie is what most people would describe as absolute garbage. In the film, a group of fighting experts from around the world are brought to a mysterious island to compete for $10 million. The contestants all come from different backgrounds — martial arts, pro wrestling, espionage — and have no idea the real reason they’ve been brought to the island is so a nefarious old man can learn all their moves to become the greatest fighter in the world thanks to his special pair of sunglasses.
Surprisingly, the movie is incredibly colorful and highly saturated. The costumes are elaborate, the cleavage is ample, the settings are striking, and the whole thing feels over the top. It’s like the movie was made by a horny, angry 14-year-old boy who teamed up with a theater director obsessed with pageantry. It’s bombastic, but it’s also a lot of fun.
It’s not supposed to be super childish and funny, but it absolutely is. And that has made the movie incredibly fun to watch. Besides, what else would you expect from a movie adapted from DOA, a fighting franchise most famous for its jiggling breasts, skimpy bikinis, and beach volleyball?
