SINCE the announcement that Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt would be voicing Mario in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie, fans of the gaming franchise haven’t shied away from sharing their thoughts.
Despite obvious excitement for the movie, Pratt’s casting as the lead was disappointing for several reasons, including the fact that he was chosen over Charles Martinet, who voices the Italian plumber character in the video games.
In a recent interview with Extra, Pratt urged all fans to give the film a chance before dismissing it, hinting that they might be pleasantly surprised.
“Go watch the movie, and then we can talk,” he said. “I really think that once you see the movie,” Pratt, 43, said before changing his thought and correcting himself by saying, “And you know what, in all honestly, I think you probably need to watch it twice.”
The Jurassic World actor’s remarks came after some fans, including actor John Leguizamo, who played Luigi in the 1993 theatrical adaptation of the gaming franchise, complained that his casting was “unfortunate” for the role of the titular character.
Chris reaffirmed his appreciation for the “devout fanbase” of the game, emphasising that he understands concerns that the film could tarnish the franchise if not handled properly.
“This is the soundtrack to your youth. You don’t want someone to come along and cynically kind of destroy it as a cash grab with the movie. I fully understand that,” he said. “You do not want that to happen.”
He went on to say that there were “so many hearts and souls and minds dedicated to making sure that didn’t happen,” and that the film “honours” the video game in a way fans will hopefully appreciate.
“[It’s] very promising as to what we can expect over the next 10 years – an entire universe of these types of movies. They’re super nostalgic, they’re really fun,” he added.
Fans will be able to form their own opinions about Pratt’s performance and the film itself once it hits theatres this week.