I think that SMB is a great movie...campy & fun! I have never seen or played the video game, so I saw the movie with no prejudice as a gamer. Besides, the game has no plot or character development, so how could you even compare it!

Full disclosure, I was a member of the film crew; but it wasn't always the most pleasant production (oy, the strife!), so any fondness because of my participation is negligable.

However, having had that behind-the-scenes view and knowing the technical scope of this film (not to mention the A-list crew involved) makes the movie quite impressive. I suggest that people take a peek at the production research*, then re-watch the movie with fresh eyes and without a prejudicial gamer attitude for fuller enjoyment of the film. Bonus: watch it with your kids!

* I don't believe that a full "the making of" documentary was ever produced, but some video doc clips do exist. You can find them (and lots of juicy tidbits) here: [...] ...If you want the scoop on the location selection and cement factory transformation, you can read "The Making of Super Mario Bros: It Ain't No Game!", here: [...] or on the SMB Movie Archive site.