The 30th Anniversary Edition of Super Mario Bros. is up for grabs at Amazon. Released in 2024 by Umbrella Entertainment, this commemorative edition includes a 4K remaster of the infamous 1993 live-action film. The two-disc set also comes with a newly restored alternative cut of the film as well as a bevy of fresh bonus content. It’s a bit surprising to see the 30th Anniversary Edition in stock at Amazon, as it sold out alongside the pricier collector’s editions last year. Plus, the 4K Blu-ray release was limited to 3,000 units, and the 1080p Blu-ray was limited to only 1,500 units. Both versions are shipped and sold by Amazon and include a numbered slip cover.
The 4K remaster is available for $56, and the 1080p remaster is $45. If you live in the Midwest or a different qualifying region, you might see a 30% coupon on Amazon’s listing that will drop the price to only $31.50 at checkout. Note: Umbrella Entertainment is an Australian distributor, but the 30th Anniversary Edition is a region-free release, so the discs play on US Blu-ray players.
The 30th Anniversary Edition being in stock at Amazon is probably partially related to its poor visibility. It’s easy to miss it due to the many different Blu-ray listings for the movie on Amazon. The most popular Amazon store page for Super Mario Bros. has over 8,000 reviews and includes a listing for the 30th Anniversary Edition on 4K, but it sold out a long time ago. In comparison, the store page where you can buy it only has 58 customer reviews and has at least partially been buried due to incorrect labeling.
Amazon accidentally marked the 4K Blu-ray edition as standard Blu-ray, making it appear, at first glance, that both options are the same product at different prices. But that’s not true. The more expensive option comes with 4K and standard Blu-ray discs–the in-depth product description correctly notes this–while the cheaper option includes two 1080p Blu-ray discs.
Take a closer look at the Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary Edition below.
$56 | Limited to 3,000 units
As mentioned, this two-disc set comes with the numbered sleeve shown above (1 to 3,000), which makes it a pretty cool piece of Super Mario history and a unique display piece. Disc 1 is the original theatrical release remastered in 4K. In addition to the new 4K remaster, you can watch the newly restored workprint in HD on the 1080p Blu-ray disc. Exclusive to the 30th Anniversary Edition, the workprint cut is the full movie with numerous changes to select scenes throughout the 105-minute film.
Both discs play in 16:9 aspect ratio, and the image ratio for the remaster is 1.85:1. Along with the noticeably improved viewing experience, the audio experience benefits from 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio.
The 30th Anniversary Edition comes with previously released special features as well as a bunch of brand-new bonuses that add to the overall experience, especially if you’re curious about how this fascinatingly weird movie was made. Here’s a full list of special features, which includes multiple audio commentaries, restored deleted scenes, storyboards, and more. Outside of the last four bullet points on Disc 2, all of the bonus content is exclusive to the 30th Anniversary Edition.
Super Mario Bros.: The Movie – 30th Anniversary Edition
Disc 1 (4K Blu-ray, 2160p)
- Audio Commentary with screenwriter Parker Bennett
- Audio Commentary with co-producer Fred Caruso and production designer David L. Snyder
- Audio Commentary with makeup artist Jeff Goodwin, special effects crew member Mark McCoy, and production assistant Craig Edwards
- Audio Commentary with Super Mario Bros. (1993) archivists Steven Applebaum and Ryan Hoss
- Newly restored deleted scenes
- Newly restored trailer: Ain’t No Game trailer
- Newly restored trailer: I’ve Got The Power
Disc 2 (Blu-ray, 1080p)
- Newly restored workprint in HD
- Storyboard to Screen animatics
- Newly restored music video: Spike & Iggy Revolutionary Rap with new music from Richard Edson
- Music video: Anti-Koopa Protest
- Japanese trailer archival collection
- Commercial archival collection
- Academic Featurettes
- Katabasis of the Lost Girl
- Anarcho-Dino-Sado Chic: The Fashion of Dinohattan
- The Hero Moment: Super Mario, Superhero
- (D)evolution, Dystopia, and Trusting the Fungus
- This Ain’t No Video Game Featurette (55 minutes)
- ‘Making Of’ Featurette (25 minutes)
- Original press kit with cast interviews and behind-the-scenes footage
- Galleries: Stills, storyboards, and concepts
$45 – 30% discount (if eligible) | Limited to 1,500 units
The other Blu-ray option on this under-the-radar Amazon listing is actually the 1080p Blu-ray. This two-disc edition was limited to 1,500 numbered units. Once again, you get the collectible slip cover with the cool artwork shown above. I ordered a copy from this listing the other day. It arrived in its shrink wrap without any dents, creases, or tears in the cardboard sleeve–it looks mint.
The standard Blu-ray edition comes with the same on-disc content across both of its discs. And while you miss out on 2160p resolution, it still offers an improved viewing experience compared to earlier Blu-ray (and DVD) releases. That’s because the Blu-ray edition was created with the 4K remaster, so you’re still getting the overarching benefits, just scaled down from 2160p to 1080p.
As such, there’s no reason to list the bonus content here again. Disc 1 has all of the same audio commentaries and other features outlined above, with the only difference being the resolution (1080p Blu-ray). Disc 2, meanwhile, is the same Blu-ray disc regardless of which version you buy.
Heads up: If the store page defaults to a third-party seller, click “Other sellers on Amazon” and choose the option that is sold and shipped by Amazon (with Prime shipping). Given its limited availability, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the 30th Anniversary Edition disappear soon.
Nintendo let the film’s producers use the Super Mario Bros. license without any creative restrictions. This freedom ultimately led to the creation of a very weird live-action comedy with some bonkers plot points, dialogue exchanges, and character backstories.
Super Mario Bros. was widely panned by critics and was a box office flop back in 1993. But like many “bad” movies, it has has gained a cult following over the years. Personally, I loved the film’s wackiness as a kid, and I still think it’s a rather fascinating piece of Nintendo media that I appreciate for its boldness. It takes a lot of risks, and while many don’t work all that well, the commitment to the unexpected makes it a memorable watch. If you want to check it out for yourself without dropping over $40, you can get Super Mario Bros. on DVD for only $7.33 (was $13) at Amazon.
The film was directed by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel. Bob Hoskins played Mario opposite John Leguizamo as Luigi. Other key roles included Samantha Mathis as Princess Daisy and Dennis Hopper as President Koopa.
As the first live-action Hollywood movie based on a video game, its failure became a cautionary tale for Nintendo as well as the video game and movie industries at large. Over the next two-plus decades, the majority of video game adaptations were either critical or commercial failures (and often both). But the tide has shifted over the past five years or so thanks to massive commercial hits like Pokemon Detective Pikachu, Sonic the Hedgehog, A Minecraft Movie, and, of course, The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Nintendo waited three decades before bringing the Mario Bros. back to theaters. The 2023 animated adaptation produced in collaboration with Universal Pictures destroyed box office records. At over $1.3 billion at the box office, it’s the highest-grossing video game adaptation ever made. It’s in the top 20 highest-grossing films period and pulled in approximately 35 times more than the 1993 adaptation. As of this moment, the animated Mario Movie is the only game adaptation north of $1 billion, but A Minecraft Movie might soon be the second.
If you want to display collectible versions of the two extremely different Mario movies side by side, the new Walmart-exclusive Steelbook Edition of The Super Mario Bros. Movie is available for $28. Released in March, this 4K Blu-ray edition comes with a yellow Question Block case. Walmart also has the Power-Up Steelbook Edition that launched in 2023, but it’ll cost you $50.
The 1993 film wasn’t the first time live-action Super Mario Bros. appeared on screens across the US. The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, the first TV series based on the franchise, aired in 1989. Super Show offered a mix of live-action segments and animated scenes based on the first two Mario platformers for NES. Nintendo dropped the live-action segments in the two sequel series based on Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World. You can get all three series as well as The Legend of Zelda: The Complete Series–which was the animated segment in Mario Bros. Super Show on Fridays–for cheap on DVD at Amazon.
