An extended cut of the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie has been released online, adding 20 minutes of footage back to the film. The footage has been restored by Super Mario Bros. The Movie Archive, which has been working for years to find and restore it. Now, Super Mario Bros: The Morton Jankel Cut has been released, and it’s also free to watch on the Internet Archive. Viewers can tell which scenes have been newly added, as there are timestamps located at the bottom of the screen. Devoted fans can now get a glimpse at these sequences restored to the film!
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For those unfamiliar with the Super Mario Bros. movie, the film stars Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as Mario and Luigi, respectively, with Dennis Hopper in the role of President Koopa. The plumbers were born and raised in New York City, and become embroiled in a plot that takes them to Dinohatten, which takes the place of the Mushroom Kingdom. That description alone should give you an idea how much the film deviates from its source material, but some fans argue that it’s enjoyable when looked at as a separate entity!
Named after directors Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, The Morton Jankel Cut of the film adds several scenes that were left on the cutting room floor, including a club scene, and the introduction of a pair of rival plumbers. In May 2019, a VHS containing these scenes was obtained by Super Mario Bros. The Movie Archive’s Ryan Hoss and Steven Applebaum. Artist and editor Garrett Gilchrist was then brought on to restore these sequences, which were apparently in very rough shape.
The failure of the Super Mario Bros. movie resulted in Nintendo avoiding big-screen adaptations of its properties for a very long time. Nearly 30 years after the movie’s release, video game adaptations are in a very different place. Adaptations like Pokemon: Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog have put greater focus on faithfulness to the source material. After all this time, Nintendo is now working on a new Mario adaptation alongside Illumination. Creator Shigeru Miyamoto is apparently working close with the studio, possibly to ensure that this take is a bit closer to his vision!
Hopefully, Mario fans will finally get the faithful adaptation they’ve been hoping for when Illumination’s film releases. However, for those that enjoyed the first theatrical take on the character, there’s now a new way to enjoy the movie! Those wanting to see the film for themselves can check it out right here.
Do you plan on watching the Morton Jankel Cut? What do you think of the original Super Mario Bros. movie? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all things gaming!
[H/T: Kotaku]
