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Is it actually possible to adapt a video game into a profitable 
film? What about a good one? This is “Movie Night”!

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*theme song plays*

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Hello, and welcome to “Movie Night.” I'm your host, Jonathan Paula.

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Over the past two decades, nearly 30 features have been produced that were based 
on video games. Some were good, some were just plain terrible.

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But our first movie tonight is the granddaddy of them 
all, the original, from 1993, "Super Mario Bros."

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Starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as the title brothers, 
this live-action film is a disappointingly unfaithful...

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and off-beat adaptation of the classic Nintendo platformer 
from where it gets its namesake.

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That being said, though, this film isn't all that bad. The 
late Dennis Hopper is featured as the primary villain, Koopa...

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a bipedal lizard resembling a human who has evolved from 
dinosaurs over the last 65 million years.

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His existence, including the kingdom he rules over, is thanks to a parallel dimension, 
where his species wasn't entirely wiped out by an asteroid collision.

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When our protagonists, Mario and Luigi, two bumbling plumbers from Brooklyn, 
New York, accidentally find a portal to this dimension...

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while looking for Luigi's recently kidnapped girlfriend, that's when 
things really start to get interesting.

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Perhaps trying to milk the franchise they're already in the process 
of destroying, the film desperately attempts to work in...

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as many references to the iconic game franchise as possible, no 
matter how ridiculous or pointless those references may be.

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Toad appears as a street performer who is then later de-evolved by the evil 
Koopa into a small-headed henchman this film refers to as a "Goomba."

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Throughout Koopa Kingdom, there are subtle references to the game, 
like a sign for Bullet Bills and Thwomps...

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and Mario even dispatches the help of a miniature 
Bob-omb at the end of the movie.

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Mostly, though, these classic Mario baddies only appear in name, and never in any 
capacity that would feel familiar to fans of the original game itself.

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In that respect, "Super Mario Bros." is almost disrespectful to its source material, 
and really one of the worst "video game films" ever made.

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However, if you completely disregard this poor adaptation and focus 
merely on the film itself as a stand-alone production...

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it is surprisingly creative, original, and filled with some impressive visuals.

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And although resembling nothing like the Mushroom Kingdom from the 
game series, the parallel dimension portrayed here...

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is vividly detailed and explored, a truly unique world that blends ‘80s counterculture 
with an Orwellian society of oppressive police and limited free speech.

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Our plumber heroes are loveable and well-developed, making their 
bizarre exploits easier to root for.

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The action and special effects are pretty well-executed here, too, 
especially for a film nearly 20 years old.

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If you completely ignore the title, the movie isn't 
half-bad. Sadly, though, it isn't half-good, either.

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"Super Mario Bros."- "Disappointingly unfaithful, but still enjoyable."

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Well, that was my review. Now, let's read 
some of yours from the YouTube comments.

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Here's the Rate-o-Matic now, to show us how 
we both scored "Super Mario Bros."

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A “4” and a “3”! As a Mario film, this movie is patently terrible. As a 
sci-fi action/adventure movie, though? It's actually pretty watch-able. I thought it was "meh.”

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The majority of you were decidedly unimpressed with this movie, but some of you 
did think it was alright. Your scores averaged out to a "bad.”

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Our second video game-turned-movie tonight is 2001's "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider."

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Starring Angelina Jolie in the title role that made her a 
household name, “Tomb Raider” is about Lara's quest...

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to solve an ancient mystery before some evil bad 
guys within the Illuminati get there first.

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It's a very simple archeology/adventure plot that bears incredible similarity to the “Indiana 
Jones” films, as well as the more recent “National Treasure” series.

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Although not terribly original or groundbreaking, "Lara Croft: Tomb 
Raider" not only spawned a successful sequel...

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it also holds the distinction of being the most successful 
video game adaptation, based on domestic box-office gross.

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The original Sega Saturn platformer/puzzle game was released in 1996, and this film does 
a decent enough job of staying faithful to its limited source material.

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Much to the fanboy's delight, Jolie's chest size also stayed 
relatively faithful to its almost unworldly CGI counterpart.

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Like all good exploration/adventure films, Lara spends ample amounts 
of screen time globetrotting around the world...

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while director Simon West makes excellent use of the 
environments of Cambodia, Venice, and Siberia.

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Jolie's real-life father, Jon Voight, shows up in a limited, dream-only role as 
Lara's father, seemingly lending a bit of credibility to a film...

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that deals with 10-foot robots, magical sword-swinging statues, and time travel.

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With exposition that is hastily delivered in an almost insultingly obvious way, 
"Tomb Raider" often goes ten or more minutes of time...

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without any significant dialogue delivered, relying entirely on its 
action sequences to captivate the viewer.

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Luckily, most of the action in this movie is exciting, with the characters 
making clever use of their environments in many of the scenes.

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When the bad guys break into Lara's mansion early in the film, she 
happens to be in the middle of some trapeze-like acrobatic training...

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suspended from the ceiling from two giant bungee cords. 
The ensuing fight sequence that takes place...

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with Lara flying around the room and running up the walls while choking the intruders 
with these ropes, is not only original, but also incredibly fun to watch.

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With plenty of gunfire and ancient statues coming to life, the film 
relies heavily on its visual effects in many scenes.

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Unfortunately, the film's use of low frame-rate, slow-motion shots just look 
amateurish, and ruin an otherwise impressive visual effects sequence.

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If you're a fan of Jolie's bosomy physique, or the 
“Indiana Jones” series, this film definitely won't disappoint.

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"Tomb Raider"- "Exciting adventures with a hot chick."

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Well, that's what I thought about this film. Now, let's see what 
you had to say about it in the YouTube comments.

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Once again, the Rate-o-Matic, to rank "Tomb Raider.”

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A “6” and a “7”! This movie is far from being a masterpiece of cinema, but it delivers 
with some good popcorn action that doesn't fail to entertain. I thought it was "good.”

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Most of you agreed, praising Jolie's beauty in the title role, even if 
the film wasn't terribly amazing, otherwise. You thought it was "cool.”

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Well, that does it for tonight's films. So, now, let's take a look 
at what currently playing in theaters, with some Tweet Critiques.

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Remember, if you're going to the movies this week, make sure to submit your Twitter 
review, using the #JPMN hashtag, to have it featured on an upcoming episode.

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Thanks to your suggestions on Facebook and Twitter, next week, we'll 
be taking a look at two classic "disaster" films...

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the first of which is the Academy Award winner for Best Visual 
Effects in 1996, "Twister," starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton.

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Our second film is the preposterously laughable sci-fi film from 2003, 
"The Core,” starring Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank.

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As always, I encourage you to buy, rent, or download these films, and then let me know what you 
think about them by voting in the polls below, or by leaving me a comment review.

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Once again, my name is Jonathan Paula. Thank you for watching “Movie 
Night.” I hope to see you right back here next Friday!

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*end credits play*

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*Click on episode #272 to see why Rapunzel thinks orange is a safe color!*