Super Mario Bros Movie Will Address Mario’s Catchphrase
The upcoming Super Mario Bros. movie will address the somewhat delicate issue of Mario’s stereotypical Italian accent and catchphrase, says producer.
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Nintendo’s upcoming animated adaptation of Super Mario Bros. will reportedly address Mario’s catchphrase without focusing on it. The beloved video game character has been a Nintendo staple ever since he first appeared in 1981’s Donkey Kong. Along the way, Mario has taken on a wide variety of personas and appeared in countless games, comics, cartoons and merchandise associated with the Super Mario franchise and Nintendo as a whole.
Yet, despite the success of the character and the extended family of characters seen in the Super Mario games, it’s somewhat surprising that the games haven’t given way to a hit film franchise. The reasons for this are arguably two-pronged in that Nintendo is famously strict about how their licensing rights are granted, but also because the previous time a Super Mario Bros. film was released outside of Japan, it brought disaster. The 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. is still reviled by many even today, and its cast was notoriously critical of the film in the years following its release. But as awful as the film was, it did succeed in making it clear that the next time the game franchise was adapted, the best option would be to tackle the world of Mario and his brother Luigi through animation.
And so, the upcoming Super Mario Bros. film will mark the first time that Mario and co. will appear as animated characters in a theatrically released feature film outside of Japan. However, given that Mario is a somewhat stereotypical caricature of an Italian man, the use of his famous catchphrase “It’s-a-me, Mario!” was bound to be a challenge. As The Wrap reports, the voice of Mario in the new film, Chris Pratt, won’t attempt to mimic the voice previously used by Mario, nor will he use the aforementioned catchphrase. Instead, the catchphrase will be referenced, but it won’t be a major aspect of Mario’s character. Said one of the film’s producers, Chris Meledandri, with regard to Mario and his catchphrase:
“We cover it in the movie, so you’ll see we definitely nod to that, but that’s not the tenor of the performance throughout the film. All I can tell you is the voice that he’s doing for us, and Mario, is phenomenal. Yeah, I can’t wait for people to hear it.”
To hear Pratt already being praised for his work on the film is a refreshing change of pace for some, as the announcement that he’d be voicing Mario brought significant criticism with it. Diehard fans may take umbrage over the catchphrase not being a prominent feature of the character, but it’s worth pointing out that had Pratt gone with it, there would have been every reason to believe that the decision would have ultimately hurt the film. Stereotypical depictions of race, gender or culture have no place in entertainment, and as the Super Mario Bros. film aims to target as wide of a demographic as possible, “It’s-a-me, Mario!” wasn’t something that needed to be carried along with the adaptation.
As for how the catchphrase will be acknowledged without being a focus is hard to say, but it does sound as though Pratt is working to bring the character to a new generation. This could end up causing further disdain for the Jurassic World star’s Mario casting. After all, changing anything about a famed character is a very risky move, and no matter what Pratt comes up with isn’t going to be the same as what’s been in place for over 40 years. At the very least, however, Mario’s famed catchphrase will have some place in Super Mario Bros. Exactly how it will play out could very well help determine the success or failure of the film.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/super-mario-bros-movie-catchphrase-include-response-details/