Chloe McDermott

Early yesterday evening I felt deeply stuck. Stuck is really the only word for it. That feeling of being utterly weighed down by daily tasks and trying to continue forward when for whatever reason the voice inside your head tells you that it’s all pointless.

 I started to cry in front of boyfriend. I don’t often cry even when feeling low. His attempt to comfort me was unique. It involved him picking out a random assortment of DVD’s and I was to choose one. Which led me to experience this bizarre gem of movie for the first time.

It was when I was at this rock bottom point of shame, despair and nihilism I feasted my eyes upon the infamous live action Super Mario Bros movie. From the minute it started I knew the dark clouds forming in my mind were going to dissipate very quickly. The intro immediately hooked me into its premise with establishing the idea that an alternative universe exists. One where dinosaurs did not get wiped out by a meteorite but instead continued to evolve into creatures that look identical to humans.

We then watch a woman drop off a large egg to a church leaving the nuns to handle it with curiosity and for a “human” baby to burst out of it and for the nuns to react to this an entirely to calm a manner. No freaking out, no frantic calls to an exorcist or heck even a medical professional after witnessing a presumably human newborn hatch from an egg. Just acceptance. This is the kind of movie to expect. Things just happen. Often without realistic reactions or the expected outcomes.  There are many moments like this in the film where the acting, directing or dialogue will make you laugh out loud with its own absurd charm and humour.

I enjoyed several things about this film. Like the scene of the two plumbers trying to rescue princess Daisy and we are first introduced to the aesthetics of alternative Brooklyn. We see these two fish out of water trying to wrap their heads around a dystopic, punk, “Mad max” style city.

The casting in this movie may also delightfully surprise some. I was most delighted in the rather choice casting of Fiona Shaw (Aunt Petunia in the Harry Potter franchise) as the villainous king koopa’s wife. She was a standout in her ability to lean fully into her role and makes for a thoroughly entertaining watch.

Even for small roles the casting made honestly brave decisions for the early 90’s. A woman clad in red leather steals this movies “McGuffin” – a piece of meteorite – off the plumbers. Later when she is found in a nightclub Mario uses his charms to distract her and take it from around her neck. In doing so the movie portrays this plus size black woman not in a mocking light at all. They straight up portray her as not only as an object of desire without it being mocked but one with agency. Even complex enough to show her aid the two plumbers escape the villains even after she realises, they have taken the meteorite back. I was pleasantly surprised at allowing two plus size characters on screen at the same time portrayed as treating each other as attractive and charming. It was bizarre to see it in this movie of all places, but I really appreciate the refreshing choice in diverse casting.

I also really appreciated the unexpected themes that popped up throughout the film. The anti-corruption and anti-capitalist messaging for example were immediately visible. Often the brothers, especially Mario would take any opportunity to take a dig at Scarpelli – massive construction company that takes jobs away from the brothers to the point it has led them to finical trouble. The film outright portrays the police in the alternate Brooklyn as inheritably corrupt as well as portraying Koopa as an evil dictator with absolute power over his world and a desire to take over the human world too. We see this mostly clearly in a scene where he uses his de-evolving machine to forcibly make an outspoken musician, toad into a mindless Goomba to serve in his military to make an example of him to the plumbers but also the other citizens. In today’s world we could perhaps make certain comparisons to certain world leaders that fit this bill.

I was not entirely sure what to expect from this film going into it. I knew it had a legendary reputation at being a classic of the ‘so-bad-it’s – good’ category. However, I would like to state that I think it is certainly that and so much more. I watched it and laughed at its rather quirky film making choices, but I also found hope and joy. Luigi constantly states to his brother that nothing is impossible with throughout the movie and by the end of it all you can’t help but believe him. This film is very clearly flawed, and nobody would try to deny that. However, what cannot be denied is it will entertain you and save you from the tar pit of sadness.