Longtime Nintendo fans take to social media to voice their disappointment at Chris Pratt's Mario voice for Illumination's upcoming The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The film is an adaptation of Nintendo's iconic video game franchise, with Pratt being cast as the Mushroom Kingdom's heroic plumber. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is set to release on April 27, 2023.
A close collaboration between Nintendo and Illumination Animation, The Super Mario Bros. Movie will bring the worlds of the Mushroom Kingdom to the big screen once more for the first time since 1993's critically panned Super Mario Bros. Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, the film gathers an all-star celebrity cast to take on the roles of some of Nintendo's most iconic characters, including Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, and Seth Rogen. However, the film's celebrity cast has been the subject of controversy, and following The Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer's debut, audiences have taken to social media to voice their thoughts on Pratt's take on Nintendo's iconic mascot character.
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Taking to Twitter, dedicated Nintendo fans have shared their reactions to the new trailer and their first impressions of The Super Mario Bros. Movie's cast. While many praised the film's animation and Black's performance as Bowser, Pratt's Mario voice has drawn criticism from audiences, with many stating that his voice for the character sounds too close to the actor's regular voice. Others have questioned why Pratt was cast over a professional voice actor. Check out the responses below:
Can Chris Pratt's Mario Make A Comeback?
While audiences had joked about Pratt's Mario portrayal prior to any footage being released, first reactions to the actor's take on the character highlight one of the issues surrounding The Super Mario Bros. Movie. While Pratt is no stranger to voice acting through his portrayal of optimistic construction worker Emmet Brickowski in The Lego Movie, his castings as Mario and Garfield in Sony's upcoming animated movie have been cited as examples of stunt casting, where studios aim to use the actor's appeal as a celebrity over whether he can capture the character vocally. With Black and Key's portrayals of Bowser and Toad in The Super Mario Bros. Movie earning a positive reception, it is clear that audiences are willing to embrace a celebrity cast if their performances are handled well. However, with Pratt already being the subject of much criticism surrounding voice-acting and audiences being unimpressed by the first impressions of his Mario, it is certain that his voice will be the subject of much scrutiny.
While The Super Mario Bros. Movie's first poster and trailer have given audiences a glimpse of Illumination's vivid and grandiose 3D take on the Mushroom Kingdom, reactions to Pratt's Mario voice have dominated the discussion surrounding the film. Despite a faithful art style that captures the character's original video-game design, Pratt's voice may prove to break viewers' immersion, with it sounding too close to the actor's regular voice rather than what they may expect from the Italian plumber. While other aspects of the trailer may be warmly received and ease audience concerns, it is clear that The Super Mario Bros. Movie still faces an uphill battle regarding its cast.