A fun, charming kids’ saturday morning live-action/animation TV cartoon series with great art-style/aesthetic and perfect castings as Lou Albano & Wells as the legendary plumber-brothers of video game history – despite it being too reliant on references and heavy on the lowbrow cartoons > real set portion. 6.5/10.
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Plot Synopsis: The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! is a 1989 American live-action/animated television series, conceived by Andy Heyward, produced by DIC Enterprises and Saban Entertainment, and distributed by Viacom Enterprises in the United States, airing from September 4 to December 1, 1989, on syndication.
Official CLC Review
The Super Mario Bros. The name is as legendary as it gets – one that instantly evokes passion and G.O.A.T. monikers across the video game history, and has been doing it since the plumber-bros’ debut in 1981.
Pros: love love love the sets nyc pizza parlor feel apt and everytthing about the live action perfect castings great wacky 80s/90s sitcom tone fine gags so good unlike cartoon part which is more strictly for kids this even endears adults /// animation art-style great filled with nostalgic care references to originals creatures villain koopa over bowser backdrops /// soundtrack good including opening rap theme and soundscape overall feels video-gamey while also cartoony by smartly employing its classic video game fx as sound ones /// saturday morning adventures fine kids cartoon often in movie references like goldfinger/austinpowers, star wars, indiana jones, mark twain, aladdin, etc. heck even meta indie classics like 2001 a space odyssesy /// duality both cartoon and sitcom in one
Cons: a screentime/plot imbalance central dilemma – WAY too much time on cartoons that lose steam and are too juvenile to hold the attention of anyone but younger viewers, and not nearly enough time on its best part live-action or castings. plots also not matched up feels like two different shows in one it can’t figure out which to commit too and two somewhat clash feel jarring by there being no overlap and around each other /// acting of course bad overtheatrical but hey thats a commonality across ~all sitcoms of the era /// so juvenile more concerned with child alliteration iconography etc
