Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo bring the famous Nintendo video game to life – But can two Brooklyn plumbers save the world from going down the drain?
Italian American brothers Mario (Hoskins) and Luigi (Leguizamo) follow kidnapped palaeontology student Daisy (Samantha Mathis) into an alternative universe – “Dinohattan” – populated by humanoid dinosaurs.
Turns out that Daisy is the long-lost Princess of the other dimension and is descended from dinosaurs herself!
The ensuing film-long chase sees the evil Koopa (Dennis Hopper, who looks bored or embarrassed, or both) dispatch two brain-dead minions, Iggy (Fisher Stevens) and Spike (Richard Edson) to retrieve a magic meteorite fragment capable of uniting the dino kingdom with the human world.
The result is a loud, frantic and largely empty affair that is heavy on computer-generated special effects but light on wit – though Koopa’s pin-headed enforcers, the “Goombas” – imposing soldiers with goody shrunken heads (rocker Mojo Nixon among them) – have their amusing moments.
Mario Mario
Bob Hoskins Luigi Mario
John Leguizamo Koopa
Dennis Hopper Princess Daisy
Samantha Mathis Iggy
Fisher Stevens Spike
Richard Edson Lena
Fiona Shaw Daniella
Dana Kaminski Toad
Mojo Nixon Anthony Scapelli
Gianni Russo Big Bertha
Francesca P. Roberts The King
Lance Henriksen Angelica
Desiree Marie Velez Narrator
Dan Castellaneta
Director
Annabel Jankel
Rocky Morton
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