Fans Call For French Actor To Replace Chris Pratt In The Mario Movie
It's a-him, Mario. Well, not quite. We always knew the trailer for the Chris Pratt-led The Super Mario Bros. Movie from Illumination Entertainment was going to be divisive, but did anyone expect it to be like this? Don't worry though, the internet has already found a replacement for the Guardians of the Galaxy star.
Alongside complaints that we've nerfed Mario's ass, there were the obvious grumbles that Pratt sounds nothing like your classic Mario. This has led to the usual questions about why the legendary Charles Martinet wasn't asked back to voice him from the video games. While Pratt is about as far away from Martinet as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson voicing Princess Peach, a French dub of the trailer is like watching a whole different movie.
Why Do Fans Hate The Super Mario Bros. Movie?
Confirming our worst fears, The Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer reiterated that Chris Pratt's voice will probably miss the mark for most. Although the first trailer was praised for performances from Jack Black and Keegan Michael-Kay as Bowser and Toad, Pratt has been ripped to pieces on social media. That's just it though, Pratt hyped his role in an interview with Variety. The Jurassic World star said it's unlike anything we've heard before. Well, that's not true - it's the same voice we hear you perform in every movie.
Luckily, if you live in France, you could be in for a treat. The French dub of The Super Mario Bros. Movie is being praised online, as the actor doing the voice of Mario has pretty much nailed it. Pratt's clunky Brooklyn tones jar against the colourful Mushroom Kingdom, but as Mario leaps across the mushrooms at the end of the trailer, the French dub sounds like the classic Martinet voice we've come to love. Some are confused about whether Pratt even knows who Mario is.
There are multiple petitions like one to replace Pratt with Danny DeVito, and one that wants him to re-record his lines with an "exaggerated Italian accent." These will obviously never happen, but that doesn't stop them going viral. How much longer until there's a petition for the French actor to replace Pratt? By the time you read this, there's probably already one in motion.
Fans React To 'French' Mario
Click to enlargeAs the French dub took off online, there was a loyal army of fans calling for Pratt's replacement. One outraged critic fumed, "We can't have Charles Martinet but France has this? We get stuck with Chris 'Mediocre White Guy Character' Pratt. He's practically the same character in everything. He's just using his normal voice with a light occasional NY accent? Feels bad man."
Another added, "Guess we watching it in French then," while a third joked, "What I've learned from my French friends is that French voice acting makes most American stuff look bad." When someone said, "Oh man this one makes Chris Pratt look terrible," someone else concluded, "Chris Pratt makes Chris Pratt look terrible." Unfortunately, as The Super Mario Bros. Movie heads toward its April 7 release, we're stuck with what we've got. Mamma mia!
