The Super Mario Bros. Moviepremiere was moved by two days, meaning Nintendo fans will pass judgment on Chris Pratt’s performance soon enough. However, that won’t prevent directors Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath from jumping to the actor’s defence of what they see as a “blue-collar hero.”
Ever since the full cast for the newMariomovie was announced, Pratt’s selection became a controversial issue among longtime gamers, and the actor’s first few lines did not exactly quell fears over his suitability for the role. That said, Illumination’sSuper Mario Bros. Moviehas a lot of hypedue to how good all the trailers have looked, with Pratt’s so-called Brooklyn accent being one of the few points of contention ahead of the film’s release next month.
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In a new interview for Total Film (GamesRadar), Horvath explained that Pratt was chosen as Mario partly because he would bring an “everyman” feel to the character, which is how they wanted to characterize Mario in the movie. Horvath also noted that Pratt’s history in similar roles, or what he dubs “a blue-collar hero with a ton of heart,” is perfect for theirtake on the Mushroom Kingdomsince Mario and Luigi will be a couple of very hard-working plumbers “from a family of Italian immigrants” before things go off the rails for them. Both characters always have Mario’s unrelenting attitude at the forefront because “When you play the game, if you don’t give up, Mario will succeed.”
Even before Pratt’s voice was heard, Illumination CEO Chris Mellidandri had jumped to his defence, definingthe Guardians of the Galaxystar’s approach to Mario as a sort of Brooklyn accent. Lastly, Horvath added that one crucial aspect of adapting Mario’s world into an original story was creating “a very authentic Nintendo Super Mario experience,” especially with Shigeru Miyamoto working closely on the project.
Despite all that, every line uttered by Pratt up to this point has left many Mario fans wanting something different, with some even callingPedro Pascal’s brooding Mario fromSNLmuch bettersuited to the challenge. So far, people have heard Pratt give his best shot at Mario’s classic lines, and the response has not been too kind.
Regardless, excitement for theSuper Mario Bros. Moviehas surpassed people’s issues with Pratt’s voice, which is great news. Oncemoviegoers start watching this short Mario adventure, they might change their mind about the actor, or at least put it on the back burner to enjoy the rest of the film.
The Super Mario Bros. Movieis scheduled for release on July 13, 2025.
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