Chris Pratt Can Do The Classic Super Mario Voice, But Chose His Own Take (And He Makes A Good Point)

Chris Pratt brings up a good point in that Mario barely talks in his video games. He’ll say something here and there, but for the most part, he jumps around and beats up bad guys. While everyone can do a solid “It’s-a me, Mario” impression, the character obviously had to say other things for a feature-length film. And if he had that higher-pitched voice the entire time, it could’ve easily grown tiresome after some time.

With a film where the viewer has no control over the character, Mario has to stand on his own rather than merely functioning as a stand-in for the player. He needs an entire personality and the ability to develop relationships with the other characters. This requires Pratt to create a voice that he can sustain for long periods of time where audiences aren’t distracted by the manner in which he’s speaking and actually take in its content. 

Paris Hilton even seems to be in agreement, saying on “The One Show” how iconic and nostalgic the movie’s going to be, all the while Mario and Luigi will be “sliving,” a combination of “slaying” and “living” Hilton coined that we hope goes the way of “fetch.” And who knows? A generation of kids who have maybe never played a Mario game before could be introduced to the character for the first time through this movie. Pratt’s voice could become their favorite iteration of the character, much like how different actors put their own spin on “Spider-Man,” with no one expecting each new subsequent actor to copy exactly what the previous performer did. 

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” releases in theaters on April 5.