I would love to see a director's cut of that film because it was a victim of massive executive meddling after the fact.
It was directed by Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton, who created and directed both the British and U.S. versions of Max Headroom, which is why it has a cyberpunk look. It was co-written by Ed Solomon, who wrote Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and Men in Black.
And then executives shat all over it.
You also have to remember that in 1993, there was almost no Mario lore. Mario was a guy who jumped on mushrooms and turtles to rescue the princess and sometimes got extra powers to help him. Luigi was his brother who could basically do the same thing. There was really no characterization and plot to speak of. They had a ton of freedom to do whatever they wanted and that freedom was taken away from them.
There is a cut out there done by my friend Garrett Gilchrist, who also restored The Thief and the Cobbler, where he tried to get it as close to Jankel and Morton's original cut as he could, using things like workprints. But we'll never know exactly how good it could have been.
Tank Girl was a very similar situation, but still ended up an okay film.
