Long before Nintendo and Illumination’s record-breaking Super Mario Bros. animated movie, there was the infamous live-action film starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo, which has since gone on to become a cult hit.
Now, to celebrate this movie’s 30th anniversary on 15th September 2023, a 4K theatrical re-release of Super Mario Bros. will be aired across cinemas in Japan. Here’s a look at the promotional poster for this special re-release:
In Japan, this movie was known as Super Mario: Goddess of the Demon Empire. If you are curious to revisit this live-action version yourself to celebrate 30 years, you can always check it out via the digital, DVD and Blu-ray release.
If we hear anything about an international screening, we’ll be sure to let you know. Otherwise, you can always settle with Illumination’s animated movie, which has now pulled in over 168 million viewers at the box office.
Long before Nintendo and Illumination’s record-breaking Super Mario Bros. animated movie, there was the infamous live-action film starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo, which has since gone on to become a cult hit.
Now, to celebrate this movie’s 30th anniversary on 15th September 2023, a 4K theatrical re-release of Super Mario Bros. will be aired across cinemas in Japan. Here’s a look at the promotional poster for this special re-release:
In Japan, this movie was known as Super Mario: Goddess of the Demon Empire. If you are curious to revisit this live-action version yourself to celebrate 30 years, you can always check it out via the digital, DVD and Blu-ray release.
If we hear anything about an international screening, we’ll be sure to let you know. Otherwise, you can always settle with Illumination’s animated movie, which has now pulled in over 168 million viewers at the box office.
When he’s not paying off a loan to Tom Nook, Liam likes to report on the latest Nintendo news and admire his library of video games. His favourite Nintendo character used to be a guitar-playing dog, but nowadays he prefers to hang out with Judd the cat.
This is obviously a teaser for a sequel
Huh, what are you talking about? There is only the one mario movie animated by illumination. What, A Live action mario bros movie? Don’t be silly, you must of been dreaming. Now come on, let’s watch the super mario bros movie!
Sir, the Goombas are dancing again!
I don’t like the Western peoples mindset that only want something realistic from animated / cartoon stuffs.
@WaveBoy For me the new one was a mindless dumb kids movie, but as a Nintendo fan it at least had some cool Easter eggs, stuck to the source material and didn’t over stay it’s welcome. I thought the live action one was just a garbage film without a single redeemable quality. I saw both once, have zero desire to see either again, so I guess it doesn’t matter which one I thought was better. 😆
@WaveBoy For me the new one was a mindless dumb kids movie, but as a Nintendo fan it at least had some cool Easter eggs, stuck to the source material and didn’t over stay it’s welcome. I thought the live action one was just a garbage film without a single redeemable quality. I saw both once, have zero desire to see either again, so I guess it doesn’t matter which one I thought was better. 😆
The best horror movie in 4k.
They made a successful Mario movie….. And now Nintendo wants to acknowledge that the old one exists finally…. After all these years of trying to ignore it
@Anti-Matter
Japan does this a lot, so it’s hardly a “western” thing.
The old Mario movie was such a bizarre oddity you’ve got to appreciate it. Nowadays, studio incompetence and interference gets us bland stuff like Justice League. Back then, it got us the SMB movie – insane concept, production design, and Dennis Hopper.
@Anti-Matter
Japan does this a lot, so it’s hardly a “western” thing.
The old Mario movie was such a bizarre oddity you’ve got to appreciate it. Nowadays, studio incompetence and interference gets us bland stuff like Justice League. Back then, it got us the SMB movie – insane concept, production design, and Dennis Hopper.
The film is also getting a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release in Australia.
And it even has the extended workprint as a bonus. Unfortunately, the workprint will only be VHS-quality 480i or 480p, but the theatrical cut will be 4K HDR.
Speaking of video game movies getting 4K UHD releases, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie is getting one in the US.
The film is also getting a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release in Australia.
And it even has the extended workprint as a bonus. Unfortunately, the workprint will only be VHS-quality 480i or 480p, but the theatrical cut will be 4K HDR.
Speaking of video game movies getting 4K UHD releases, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie is getting one in the US.
I’d watch that in cinemas for a laugh
The US does not have a Blu-ray release.
We still have to import.
I hope this movie gets a 4kUHD release!
This is the BEST Super Mario Brothers movie!
@Hydra_Spectre
The Morton-Jankle cut was supposed to be on the most recent Blu-ray in Australia.
All Umbrella did was put a super low-quality workprint on the disk.
The Workprint was nice and answered a few movie questions I have had for years since the movie first came out.
I would love to see and hear a cleaned up and restored workprint!
Huh, didn’t know the Japanese version had a different title which you can see under the original one in the picture: スーパーマリオ 魔界帝国の女神 “Super Mario Makai Teikoku no Megami”, Super Mario Goddess of the Demon World Empire!
Huh, didn’t know the Japanese version had a different title which you can see under the original one in the picture: スーパーマリオ 魔界帝国の女神 “Super Mario Makai Teikoku no Megami”, Super Mario Goddess of the Demon World Empire!
You do know that film, which is what the original Super Mario Movie was captured on, far exceeds 4K resolution. 4K look good on your TV or monitor, but when blown up to movie screen size… in fact, I’m scratching my head wondering if I’ve ever heard of a 4K theatrical re-release before, and this might be the first (for me, at least).
You do know that film, which is what the original Super Mario Movie was captured on, far exceeds 4K resolution. 4K look good on your TV or monitor, but when blown up to movie screen size… in fact, I’m scratching my head wondering if I’ve ever heard of a 4K theatrical re-release before, and this might be the first (for me, at least).
Not gonna lie, it is the better film IMO.
@Stamina_Wheel I do kind of agree with you on that. While the new movie got better reviews and record-breaking profits for a video game film, I felt the pacing was way rushed. This movie, at least, had those slower moments where the action took a backseat.
Frankly, maybe if it wasn’t a Mario movie, it would have probably been better received (in the same vein as the 1998 American Godzilla movie). Still, it’s an interesting piece of video game history, and one that is still near and dear to my heart.
If it came down to the two movies, I’d rather watch this one over the new Mario movie again. That being said, there IS a third Mario movie: an anime film from 1986. I have not seen that one yet, but I did see the Nostalgia Critic’s review of it. Maybe I’ll check it out one day and see how it holds up compared to the other two.
@Spider-Kev I know Garret Gilchrist did such a remaster with his Morton Jankel Cut fanedit. Combining workprint footage with DVD or VHS footage. Hope they do get the original deleted scenes negatives from Disney or something.
@AstroTheGamosian The OVA is in licensing hell between Shochiku and Nintendo. And it has never been released on home video except for a very rare rental-only VHS back in 1986.
The film and its soundtrack was considered lost media for a long time until a VHS copy was found and ripped in 2007.
And thankfully, a 16mm print was recently restored in 4K by fans.
The VHS tapes are super expensive, as they are some of the rarest VHS tapes in Japan.
There are tons of rare Japanese VHS tapes that have been considered lost for the longest time. Some other ones include an Ace Combat 3: electrosphere promotional videotape with extra lore, the slasher film Cards of Death (an American film but only released in Japan due to extreme gore and sexual content), and the ’60s Japanese horror film Cruel Ghost Legend.
@Spider-Kev I know Garret Gilchrist did such a remaster with his Morton Jankel Cut fanedit. Combining workprint footage with DVD or VHS footage. Hope they do get the original deleted scenes negatives from Disney or something.
@AstroTheGamosian The OVA is in licensing hell between Shochiku and Nintendo. And it has never been released on home video except for a very rare rental-only VHS back in 1986.
The film and its soundtrack was considered lost media for a long time until a VHS copy was found and ripped in 2007.
And thankfully, a 16mm print was recently restored in 4K by fans.
The VHS tapes are super expensive, as they are some of the rarest VHS tapes in Japan.
There are tons of rare Japanese VHS tapes that have been considered lost for the longest time. Some other ones include an Ace Combat 3: electrosphere promotional videotape with extra lore, the slasher film Cards of Death (an American film but only released in Japan due to extreme gore and sexual content), and the ’60s Japanese horror film Cruel Ghost Legend.
I’d rather we just finally get a 3D home release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie (I’m talking about the recent one that’s actually amazing vs just WTF), so I can watch it in stereoscopic 3D in my VR headset. Why hasn’t this happened already.
I’d rather we just finally get a 3D home release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie (I’m talking about the recent one that’s actually amazing vs just WTF), so I can watch it in stereoscopic 3D in my VR headset. Why hasn’t this happened already.
I wonder did the Japanese ever like the original film? It seems other than all the references almost nothing in that film is Super Mario Bros. related.
I wonder did the Japanese ever like the original film? It seems other than all the references almost nothing in that film is Super Mario Bros. related.
@RetroGames It’s available in 3D on Vudu. But only in the US.
Some Paramount films like Mission: Impossible – Fallout and Bumblebee also only received 3D releases in the UK through Sky Media and not physically.
In contrast, some Disney movies only had home video 3D releases in a Russian VR digital movie distribution platform called OKKO. Even weirder is that these came out from Disney AFTER Russia decided to invade Ukraine.
But films like Turning Red and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which were pulled from Russian release calendars due to the war sanctions, are not available there. And Encanto is also not available despite having a theatrical run in Russia, because the Russian home video release was scrapped due to the war.
I’m really mad we can’t see Turning Red or Encanto in 3D because of the war.
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