Mario Movie Fans Hate Seth Rogen’s Donkey Kong
Universal has revealed the voice of Seth Rogen's Donkey Kong in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and safe to say, the critics have come out in force.
30th Jan 2023 13:52
Sony | Universal
Mario Movie Fans Hate Seth Rogen’s Donkey Kong
Universal has revealed the voice of Seth Rogen's Donkey Kong in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and safe to say, the critics have come out in force.
30th Jan 2023 13:52
Sony | Universal
Seth Rogen has grabbed a pair of Donkey Konga bongos and is kicking up a storm in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Just when we got used to Chris Pratt as the portly plumber, Rogen's Donkey Kong is dividing fandom across the Mushroom Kingdom.
While the idea of a Mario movie was once confined to the disaster of the Bob- Hoskins-led Super Mario Bros. of 1993, there's renewed hope that it'll be second time lucky for Illumination's The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Alongside Pratt taking the star billing, we've got the likes of Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jack Black. Rogen is confirmed as Donkey Kong, but with his voice finally being revealed, not everyone is happy.
Fans Divided By Donkey Kong Voice Reveal
There was a surprise drop of some new footage from The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which expanded that scene from the first trailer where Mario takes on DK in some sort of arena.
As well as showcasing the Cat Mario suit, we finally got to hear Donkey Kong's voice, giving the angry ape another dimension. With Rogen becoming known for his signature vocals and THAT laugh, did you really expect he was going to go out of the box with this one?
One critic said, "Why are people so excited for Donkey Kong's movie voice? It's just Seth Rogen being Seth Rogen. Because these people aren't voice actors. They're just... being themselves."
Another added, "As much as I love Seth Rogen, his Donkey Kong voice might be worse than Chris Pratt’s Mario…"
A third chimed in saying, "I don't understand hiring celebrities to voice characters and the only effort they're bringing to the table is their normal voice? Did Donkey Kong really need to sound like the typical average day of the week, Seth Rogen?"
Someone fell in the middle and concluded, "Seen a good variety of opinions on Seth Rogen's Donkey Kong voice in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Personally, I don't think it's bad. We’re talking about a character that has never been actually voiced in a game, and has only really spoken in like two different cartoon series."
Is Seth Rogen's Donkey Kong Really That Bad?
The problem is, Seth Rogen voicing what's effectively Seth Rogen is the second vocal scandal to hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie. We've lost count of how much damage control the studio has had to do about Pratt's take on Mario.
To be honest, Rogen's vocal performance is less offensive than Pratt's botched take on an Italian stereotype, and among his supporters, there were plenty of hopes that his infectious laugh will make the cut.
When you compare it something like Jack Black's new take on Boswer, and this Rogen-esque DK feels a little lazy. We're judging a performance on just a snippet, so we'll have to wait and see whether the movie's harshest critics will warm to Donkey Kong when The Super Mario Bros. Movie releases on April 7.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
