Nintendo and Illumination Entertainment have released the official trailer for Super Mario Bros. Movie, an adaptation of the widly successful video game franchise. As far as movie adaptations of popular video games go, this one looks promising.
The trailer kicks off with Mario, voiced by Chris Pratt, entering an arena to square off against Donkey Kong. The build up is intense, only for it to end in Donkey Kong laying the smackdown on the Brooklyn plumber.
From there, we get into what will be the main story driver for the film. Bowser, who is marvelously voiced by Jack Black, has his sights set on ruling the world, but there's one problem: a mustached human stands in his way. Bowser interrogates Luigi about his brother's whereabouts, while Princess Peach rallies the Toadstools for the impending fight against Bowser. Interwoven between these epic moments are various scenes that showcase Illumination Entertainment's signature brand of humor.
The trailer not only gives us an extended look at the film, but it's also the first time we're really hearing Chris Pratt's voice work for Mario, aside from the single line from the previous teaser. Pratt appears to have taken a much more subdued approach to the character, opting not to do an over-the-top accent.
Not everyone was onboard with Pratt's casting as the iconic Italian plumber from New York, though. Many have criticized his portrayal of the character as bland or lacking energy. But Pratt has also faced scrutiny from Mario fans since his casting was first announced, simply for the fact that it's not Charles Martinet voicing the character. Martinet has voiced both Mario and Luigi in the video games since 1992, and longtime fans believed he should've been brought in for the film.
Casting controversy aside, the film itself looks promising, which is rare for adaptations of video games. From the tanuki suit to the fire flower to traversing an actual 2D platforming environment, the trailer is filled with easter eggs and nods to the video games. But perhaps the most exciting moment comes towards the end of the trailer when we see Mario and company racing around on karts down Rainbow Road (one of Mario Kart's most iconic tracks).
Illumination's Super Mario Bros. Movie is directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (collaborators on Teen Titans Go!, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies) from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel (The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, Minions: The Rise of Gru). The film stars Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is set to arrive in theaters on April 7, 2023.