Super Mario Bros. will be out on Blu-ray in a steel case – in the UK

British-based pop-tech site, Zavvi, is releasing the “Exclusive Limited Edition” of Super Mario Bros., the movie, on Blu-ray this February. Needless to say, the movie did not receive many positive reviews. In fact, the late Bob Hoskins (Mario), reportedly said he hated making the movie. Contrast that with John Leguizamo (Luigi) who said he “grew to love it”.
Given all of that, it’s easy to see why this movie is not out on Blu-ray in the United States (yet). Still, if you haven’t seen the movie and you’re terminally curious, rent it, but be warned (and in short): Super Mario Bros. is not a good movie. It is also the reason Hollywood continually turns video game movies into a joke, with Assassin’s Creed being the latest.
Worse, it’s not region-free: it’s restricted to Region 2 which means you’ll have to live in Africa, the Middle East, Southwest Asia, most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and/or their dependencies to get it. Technically, you can import Region 2 Blu-ray players if you like, but why go through all that trouble just to get a terrible movie?
Other than the steel case, the only good part about it is it will have Bonus Features such as “Making of”, the Original Electronic Press Kit, and Behind the Scenes/Storyboard Galleries. Yet it has no multiple languages, even in the age of Blu-ray.
Why is it being released? Who knows? Perhaps it’s Zavvi’s way to earn a quick buck (or Euro, in this case), but the case does look presentable, which makes it look like a collector’s item. If you enjoy the movie and live in the Region 2 area, then by all means pre-order it. Otherwise, you’re better off staying away.