The controversy surrounding The Super Mario Bros. Movie is repeating a similar problem that Sonic the Hedgehog faced back in 2019. Initially, Sonic’s design in that film was very different, upsetting audiences due to its inaccuracy. Eventually, the character was updated to look more like the source material, but the issue was never forgotten. With the Mario movie’s impending release in April 2023, the biggest problem is its star Chris Pratt voicing the titular character.
Sonic the Hedgehog’s first design looked terrible, but that was arguably the only thing holding it back from being an entertaining movie. Ugly Sonic got audiences talking about the live-action movie for a long time, and Pratt voicing Mario has created a similar circumstance. Younger viewers may not understand the “Ugly Sonic” problem and how it’s being repeated with Mario, but older audiences will comprehend it perfectly due to the new Super Mario Bros. trailer revealing more examples of how Pratt’s Mario voice will sound and how inaccurate it really is to Mario’s trademark Italian caricature speaking style.
Mario Can Show What Would Happen If Sonic’s Design Didn’t Change
When the Super Mario film releases, it will give viewers a glimpse as to how Sonic the Hedgehog would have turned out had the initial design for Sonic not been altered at all. The difference with Mario is that Chris Pratt will not be recast, as it’s too late into production to do so. Thankfully, the character design already looks remarkable as opposed to the original Sonic look. What’s going to factor into the film’s impact and reaction is Pratt’s performance and if his portrayal as the plumber is accurate or not. The potential is already there for the Mario movie to be one of the better video game films in recent years, especially with the Rainbow Road Mario trailer reveal that was recently shown.
Why Fans Dislike Chris Pratt’s Mario Performance
There are a flurry of reasons as to why Chris Pratt’s Mario performance is widely disliked by audiences, but the most controversial reason by far is his take on Mario’s voice. Pratt’s accent sounds mostly unchanged from his natural tone and doesn’t closely encapsulate how the Italian protagonist should sound. What’s more, there has been a lot of Chris Pratt overexposure as of late, as he most recently wrapped up his run in the Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy franchises. Pratt has also starred in The Lego Movie films and will voice Garfield the Cat in Garfield, adding to Pratt’s repertoire as a voice actor.
A general dislike of Chris Pratt has grown over the last few years due to intolerance of his alleged personal beliefs. While the Chris Pratt backlash likely won’t hurt Mario‘s box office, it won’t be entirely ignored due to the current social climate. Pratt may be labeled as a movie star, but the actor’s alleged beliefs and sensitive comments that he has made throughout his career are still relevant enough. Because of these growing problems, it’s left the impending legacy of The Super Bros. Movie suffering from controversy just like Sonic the Hedgehog.
