Nintendo has released the official trailer for the forthcoming Super Mario Bros. animated movie, giving us our first look at Chris Pratt as the iconic portly plumber.
Pratt, of Guardians of the Galaxy fame, is the new voice behind Mario and the trailer released on Thursday is the first time we’ve heard his spin on gaming’s most beloved character.
And the results are? Well, not all that great. Pratt had prefaced the trailer by revealing the voice would be “unlike anything you’ve heard” and he was correct. Probably just not in the way he intended.
You can judge for yourself below, but to us it sounds like Pratt’s actual voice fed into one those AI text-to-speech tools from TikTok, which attempts to sound like actual sentences are being pronounced. Where’s the “it’s-a-meeee” exagerrated Italian accent?
Before the trailer was even launched, people were up in arms about the absence of Mario’s trademark rear-end in the poster, and the internet is similarly upset now. However, the presence of Jack Black as Bowser is the joy you’d expect it to be. You can see the trailer below:
Had you wondered whether this was necessary, following the disastrous 1993 outing featuring Bob Hoskins as the red-suited brother? Well, back in 2020, a survey of 2,200 Americans showed almost half were ready to offer Mario’s movie career a redemption in a live-action adaptation. The survey asked users which of the games they were “very” or “somewhat” interested in. 44% of those surveyed were “very interested” in Mario Bros, topping the poll. They get their wish next April, albeit in an animated film.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
