Dinohattan
Dinohattan is the Super Mario Bros. film's equivalent to the Mushroom Kingdom, as well as Dinosaur Land. It differs drastically from both video-game counterparts in history and appearance, though retains some of the fantasy qualities the games are known for.
History
Dinohattan was created when a meteorite struck the planet Earth in prehistoric times and created a parallel dimension. While many dinosaurs were killed off due to the initial impact, some others survived on in this new dimension. Once there, they evolved into humanoid beings with a distinct, reptilian society.
Geography
Except for the city of Dinohattan, the entire planet is harsh desert known as the Koopahari Desert. Very little resources can be found in this environment, compounded by heavy pollution.
Dinohattan itself has deteriorated even further due to crime and pollution resulting from President Koopa's neglect. A thick web of fungus has also spread across the city, disrupting production.
Locale
- Koopa's Tower
- The Boom Boom Bar
- Bullet Bill's
- The junkyards
Government
Dinohattan was originally ruled by King Bowser (unrelated to the character Koopa) and his unnamed wife. However, Koopa, a military officer, staged a coup and de-evolved the King into the fungus that now chokes the city. His chief platform as leader is to conquer the original world, Earth, by claiming possession of a fragment of the meteorite that had destroyed the dinosaurs. However, Daisy's mother fled to Earth with the fragment and her unborn baby, Princess Daisy, to keep them away from Koopa. When she attempts to return to her dimension, she is attacked by Koopa and killed when the tunnel over them collapses. The collapse also prevents Koopa from returning to the original Earth, forcing him to bide his time until the gateway between the worlds would be re-opened.
With the king and queen gone, Koopa set up a a false democracy with him as self-elected "President". He maintained this position for twenty years through false elections and a secret police made-up of de-evolved Goombas that remove political dissenters from the public eye.
After witnessing New York City twenty years previous while pursuing Daisy's mother and the meteorite shard, Koopa became obsessed to recreate the modern metropolis in his own world. However, he was unable to accomplish it and instead created a grotesque parody[1], which deepened his desire to rule Earth instead. While Koopa maintained that his desire to conquer the parallel Earth was meant to return his people to their former dominance, it is implied that he only sought Earth for himself.
Koopa is eventually overthrown by Mario and Luigi, returning King Bowser to his human form and duties as King alongside his daughter Princess Daisy.
Currency
- Main article: Coin
Repeated mention is made to "gold Koopa Coins" throughout the film, suggesting some similarity to the form of currency seen in the games. The name features Koopa's name as well, which implies he renamed it upon taking over Dinohattan. What the currency was known as before is unknown.
Inhabitants
The inhabitants of Dinohattan are humans and human-reptile hybrids that evolved from dinosaurs displaced millenia ago from our world. While most of the population is indistinguishable from mammalian-evolved humans, some do possess reptilian traits such as tails, slitted-eyes, scales, and oviparity-birth.
Typical dinosaurs also appear in the city, yet are treated as pets or wild animals. Koopa himself calls Yoshi a "throwback", suggesting a sense of racial superiority to their ancestors. Other animals, such as real-world lizards and snakes as well as fictional video-game Spinys, are seen or mentioned as food sources to this world's humans. Several typical dinosaurs are also seen eating fungus, suggesting omnivorous or herbivorous behavior.
Notable Inhabitants
Trivia
- The name Dinohattan is a portmanteau of the words Dinosaur and Manhattan, which is a borough of New York City.
- At one point, King Koopa refers to Dinohattan as "this Mushroom Kingdom" in disgust, which references Dinohattan's video-game counterpart.
- David L. Snyder worked as the production designer for both this film and Blade Runner, which heavily inspired the dark and crowded atmosphere.
References
- ^ Comments by the Super Mario Bros. movie's art director Walter Martishius "New York N.Y. It's Another Town," New York Times August 16, 1992.
