Bob Hoskins: Super Mario Bros. was a nightmare

by Justin McElroy { Aug 4th 2007 at 10:30AM }

In a burgeoning film genre like video game adaptations, Super Mario Bros. (it ain't no game, in case you were confused) should be considered sort of a patron saint. No, it didn't set a great example that those who came next could follow, but it did set a bar for future video game movies that was so low they could trip over it. Now, thanks to a new interview in The Guardian, we learn that Mario Mario himself, Bob Hoskins, was on the SMB-hating bus before that particular bus was cool.

"The worst thing I ever did? Super Mario Brothers. It was a f***in' nightmare. The whole experience was a nightmare. It had a husband-and-wife team directing, whose arrogance had been mistaken for talent. After so many weeks their own agent told them to get off the set! F***in' nightmare. F***in' idiots." See what we mean? Let's see another video game movie engender that kind of hatred from a distinguished British actor. It can't be done! The bar is simply too low.

[Via Cinematical]

Tags: mario, movies, supermariobros

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

comtar @ Aug 4th 2007 10:45AM

The Super Mario Bros movie was insanely awful. But that being said, I wouldn't mind own a little wind-up Bob-omb. I'm surprised with all the little Mario and video game toys they've made, they haven't made a little wind-up Bob-omb. I'd buy that in 10 seconds.

The Jaded @ Aug 4th 2007 11:02AM

The Mario Bros. movie is pretty much the perfect example of enjoyable retro-camp. The sheer amount of smack-your-head what-were-they-thinking moments and the outright hilarious terribleness of the whole thing are highly enjoyable in a way that most bad movies, even ones most people say are "so bad they're good" aren't.

jimy @ Aug 4th 2007 11:05AM

I give him props for coming out and saying this.

phattie @ Aug 4th 2007 11:09AM

SMB and Street Fighter are up there in the worst video game to movie adaptations... and maybe DOA as well. Its hard to rank when they are all mostly bad.

RE was a decent movie.

jorojoserojas @ Aug 4th 2007 4:35PM

I liked the first Mortal Kombat movie a lot. I thought it was exponentially better than Street Fighter (though, I guess that's really not saying much).

James @ Aug 4th 2007 11:18AM

That's a strange coincidence. I only watched this yesterday, first time since I saw it at the cinema.

I think the films great. One of them uber-naff films you watch to laugh at the production team. It's hilarious, crap, enjoyable, entertaining, whimsical and retarded all at the same time.

PSN: ummfada @ Aug 4th 2007 11:20AM

Mario framed Roger Rabbit!

whosmav @ Aug 4th 2007 11:40AM

Bob Hoskins is the man! Who Framed Roger Rabbit? is classic.

Yes the Mario movie was tragic. But it is enjoyable now.
I mean, like, trainwreck funny.

http://www.gamernewz.net

Patrick @ Aug 4th 2007 11:40AM

i loe this movie

HotShotX @ Aug 4th 2007 11:43AM

I give this thread to 20 comments until another Uwe Boll comment is submitted:

"The wasn't low enough for Uwe Boll to DIG a hole under it."

~HotShotX

HotShotX @ Aug 4th 2007 11:46AM

"The *bar* wasn't low enough for Uwe Boll to DIG a hole under it."

Damn my typos.

~HotShotX

Borat @ Aug 4th 2007 11:48AM

F*** you Joystiq for reminding me of this nightmare! I had finally buried this away in the corners of my mind...

blooh @ Aug 4th 2007 11:57AM

i loved this movie as a kid

and that princess was hot :)

i always liked bob the most in Hook as Smee

Reapz @ Aug 5th 2007 7:26AM

Yeah man, as a kid I watched this all the time. Absolutely classic, but as kids, who nitpicks films like this? Samantha Mathis was also very hot.

Captain Jody Anthony XVIII @ Aug 4th 2007 12:01PM

i loved the movie myself. daisy was hot as hell

mr nimblewick @ Aug 4th 2007 12:47PM

I thought the movie was great. Sure, they didn't stick closly to the material, but it was a fun reimagining. Can you imagine what the movie would have been like if Bob was jumping on turtles and mushrooms with eyes?

License to ill @ Aug 4th 2007 1:36PM

That movie sucked monkey balls...

Mike @ Aug 4th 2007 1:46PM

Fantastic interview. Bob Hoskins sounds like he'd be the coolest grandpa ever.

Maestro @ Aug 4th 2007 1:52PM

But the saturday morning cartoon...now that's gold!

BPM @ Aug 4th 2007 1:54PM

As bad as the movie was, I still loved it. In a sort of campy, B/C-movie quality.

Quaddw @ Aug 4th 2007 2:17PM

Liked the movie as a kid and I would still probably watch it now as well lol. Still have it on VHS.

Dave @ Aug 4th 2007 2:34PM

If this movie were re-released on Blu-ray, I just might buy twenty thousand copies. Worst movie ever, but quite possibly my favorite. I'd love to see it in HD.

Rob Accomando @ Aug 4th 2007 4:37PM

I hated this movie on day 1 of its release.

Mindbleach @ Aug 4th 2007 5:26PM

It's always possible to lower the bar, especially while Uwe Boll is still alive and greedy. For example: Hugh Laurie in a three-hour-long festival of slow-paced and long-cut scenes, dry-run dialog, and horrible digital backdrops... Anachronox, as directed by Kurt Wimmer.

thescorpion @ Aug 4th 2007 5:30PM

i love the mario Movie

musenik @ Aug 4th 2007 5:54PM

SMB movie is one of my guilty pleasures! It's one treasure of an unintentional cult film.

ForceUnleashed @ Aug 4th 2007 10:17PM

I guess I'm in the minority but I actually liked the movie...it was okay for the time period it came out in.

But that aside Michael Bay deserves to go to Heaven for giving the world Transformers. I literally cried at the end of the movie. It was that awesome and that beautiful. That's art. Thats a movie that stays as true to the history and identity of a show as humanly possible. The graphics, plot, dialouge, the actors...just perfect.

I can't wait for the sequel.

WillTheSecond @ Aug 5th 2007 4:08AM

You thought Transformers was a good (i.e. non mediocre, usual Michael May tosh) film? Not only a good film but a *great* film!? No wonder you don't have a problem with Super Mario Bros...

I'm with Bob on this. The only video games that could actually be made into decent films have as of yet not managed to get made (Zelda, Second Sight, Halo).

Cody S. @ Aug 4th 2007 11:22PM

I too, liked this movie ages ago. There are plenty of movies that are worse...

ssuk @ Aug 5th 2007 3:56AM

The film wasn't THAT bad. For a kid growing up off-of the NES/SNES, the Mario Movie was alright. Looking back, yeah, it is pretty bad. And by the looks of it, it was directed poorly too.

But heh, Hollywood, arrogence? Gee, new concept there...

Jason Anderson @ Aug 5th 2007 5:44AM

It's nice he finally admitted it, but I still think SMB is one of the best video game movies I've ever seen. And I've seen Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat.

nick @ Aug 5th 2007 1:26PM

This movie is an absolute mess, and pretty much unwatchable.

32_Footsteps @ Aug 5th 2007 1:42PM

Looks more like he says thejob itself was a nightmare, not so much the movie itself.

It had its charms, like how Nintendo gleefully tried to shoehorn in as many Nintendo references as possible (here, make the bad guy's ultimate weapon be a Super Scope!). Oh, and that awesome end theme, "Almost Unreal," by Roxette. But beyond that, it's one of those things that you enjoy because you know it's bad, but yet endearing.

Also, it was the movie that showed once and for all that Bob-ombs wear British Knights.