Finally, the first trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which confirmed early criticism of Chris Pratt’s voice for the character. Although little could be heard from the film version of the beloved figure of the video game, something was clear. To the concern of many fans, Pratt is just repeating a few lines without any effort to celebrate the character’s identity..
Mario’s voice has become iconic within pop culture. Particularly, as a crucial point to define his long lineage and heritage in the world of video games. During the production of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, there was direct criticism of the fact that Pratt performed the voice of the character, rather than an actor with Italian descent. However, production company Illumination assured that the film would retain the spirit of the source material.
But in advance Pratt’s performance is even worse than expected. Despite the brief example of what his vocal performance will be like, it is noticeable that she makes no effort to mimic Mario’s recognizable voice. In other snippets, he seems to be attempting a New York drawl, but with such poor execution as to be generic. In the end, it became clear that Pratt is repeating the mistake he made in voice-over roles he’s played in the past. He uses his own voice no matter what character he plays.
The controversy around a beloved character
Considered one of the most popular video games in history, the animated version, The Super Mario Bros. Moviehas been a source of critics for months. In particular, due to the skepticism of the fans, who are not entirely satisfied with the choice of voices that will be part of the cast.
The trailer ended months of waiting and showed a general tour of the world that the film will travel. Among numerous recognizable characters from the franchise, there was also a first look at the villainous Bowser. The character, played by Jack Black, was also a point of debate. But apparently, it passed the litmus test of debate among fans of the game.
The most insistent complaint regarding Pratt’s work is how recognizable Mario’s voice is as part of the saga to which it belongs. The essence of the character is a fundamental piece of the universe that sustains. Either because it is an integral element in the imagination of an entire generation or because of its emblematic character. Mario’s way of speaking is one of the threads that sustain his identity inside and outside the video game console.
What do you need The Super Mario Bros. Movie to be a success?
The voice of the character could be the difference between the success and failure of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. This is a point to keep in mind to demonstrate the production’s ability to capture the tone of the source material.
This year, sonic 2 the movie achieved the feat of bringing a traditional video game saga to the general public. And also turn it into a box office phenomenon. The secret? Respect the identity of the wacky story it comes from and accept criticism from the audience. As much as to essentially modify the appearance of his central character to make him much more similar to his best-known version.
can The Super Mario Bros. Movie do it? For now, the trailer left more concerns than relief. It only remains to wait until next year to see the full development of the project and the way in which Pratt built the character’s identity.