5: Mario Warfare (2015)

With virtually no budget, no license, a monkey suit, and a whole lot of earnest action energy, Micah Moore and a team of guerilla martial artists put together a Mario fan film. Split into eight episodes and released over the course of several years, the crew put together an action stunner that hits as hard as its martial arts cinema influences and has a blast with its cartoonish videogamesploitation affect. With Shyguy grunts, militarized Koopas, and a megalomaniac mob boss Bowser running up against monkey suit Donkey Kong, plumbers in grubby overalls, and a lethal incarnation of Princess Peach who learns the art of kung-fu like a diligent disciple, it's high caliber, microbudget action at its finest. Join Jack and Vaughn as they jump into the world of YouTube choreography, rises to Hollywood action, Toad as Morpheus, a violent stuffed Pikachu, and so much more.

We’ll be back next week to chat about Sammo Hung's action romcom masterpiece Dragons Forever (1988) – but until then, for more words, thoughts, and action adoration, find us all around the internet.

Vaughn on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, Twitter, and Bluesky.

Jack on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, Twitter, and Bluesky.