There may be no greater challenge to nostalgic gamer brain than Nintendo’s and Illumination Entertainment’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Forty years of calcifying ideas over what the plumber mascot should sound, move, and act like will do that. But all preconceived notions will be shattered when the movie arrives next April, and the latest clip for the Chris Pratt-led animated flick offers yet another jolt.
In the clip, which premiered at The Game Awards 2022, Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) introduces Mario to the ins and outs of the Magic Kingdom. They walk through a bustling Toad village (complete with hat shop from Super Mario Odyssey), zip up an elevator platform, hop over a few floating bricks, then in true game fashion, jump into a warp pipe. This is clearly Mario’s first ride as he’s not from around these parts, and as Toad mentions, there’s little time for sightseeing because his brother Luigi “is going to die imminently.” But it doesn’t go very well! Mario slams into the pipe walls, and Pratt gets a chance to oof and aaahh and guuhhhhh in his new Mario voice.
Which… I guess it’s Italian New York? Some Ratso Rizzo energy in this clip.
Who else is voicing this manic reimagining of the Mario crew? Joining Pratt and Key in The Super Mario Bros. Movie are Charlie Day as Luigi, , Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, 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 hits theaters on April 7, 2023.
