In spite of the attention surrounding Chris Pratt’s vocal performance as Mario, Donkey Kong’s voice is actually Super Mario Bros.’ greatest challenge. The release of the trailer for Universal’s Super Mario Bros. movie featured the Guardians of the Galaxy star’s first line as the titular plumber. And so far, Pratt’s Mario voice has not been well-received.
Ever since Chris Pratt’s casting, there’s been a great deal of interest in how the actor would approach the role and Mario’s Italian accent, especially since Charles Martinet’s take on the character is so iconic. Even so, making Seth Rogen’s Donkey Kong voice work in the movie promises to be a more difficult task. While Mario – like most Nintendo characters – admittedly says very little, he does at least have a few famous catchphrases for the movie to build from, including “It’s Mario time” and “let’s a-go!” Donkey Kong, on the other hand, doesn’t speak at all. There are some exceptions of course, such as his animated 1990s show, but his role in the lesser-known cartoon isn’t associated with his image in Nintendo’s games. In giving Donkey Kong a voice, Super Mario Bros. will be forced to take liberties with a traditionally silent character and in turn risk delivering an inaccurate portrayal of a beloved Nintendo hero.
What To Expect From Donkey Kong in Super Mario Bros.
Details on Donkey Kong’s role in Super Mario Bros. have yet to be revealed, but the decision to cast Seth Rogen amounts to a clue at what their approach will be. Rogen’s acting credits and comedic chops suggest that Donkey Kong’s primary purpose will be to provide comedy relief. In the games, Donkey Kong is often nagged by the grumpy grandfather figure in the franchise, Cranky Kong. Since Cranky will be in the movie as well (and voiced by Fred Armisen), it could be that this is where some of the humor related to D.K. will stem from in Super Mario Bros.
For now, it’s hard to say exactly how the movie will bring the two members of the Kong family into Mario and Luigi’s story. Apart from crossover games like Mario Party, Donkey Kong typically doesn’t coexist with Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and all the others, as he occupies a completely different world. It’s possible that it’ll introduce him by sending Mario and company on a journey that takes him out of the Mushroom Kingdom and into Donkey Kong’s jungle, which would of course be unchartered territory for the main characters.
How Super Mario Bros. Can Do Donkey Kong Justice
While the nature of his character and his relationship with Cranky Kong in the Donkey Kong Country games does allow for some humorous moments, it’s important that Universal avoids turning him into a joke character, and instead ensures that he lives up to the reputation of the muscle-bound gorilla who saved his island from King K. Rool on so many occasions in the Donkey Kong franchise. In short, Super Mario Bros.’ Donkey Kong, not unlike the video game character, needs to be a hero who feels worthy of being the protagonist of his own story.