Donkey Kong (The Super Mario Bros. Movie)

This article is about The Super Mario Bros. Movie version of Donkey Kong, for other uses, see Donkey Kong.
Donkey Kong is a major character in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. He is an anthropomorphic powerful gorilla and is also the son of Cranky Kong and therefore heir to the throne of the Jungle Kingdom. He is also a good friend and friendly rival of Mario after getting beaten by him in a duel.
== Profile ==
=== Physical description ===
Donkey Kong strongly resembles his video game counterpart. being a massive gorilla with brown hair, brown eyes, a tan face, ears, chest, hands and feet, and a dark brown patch around his eye sockets. He only sports a red tie with his initials in yellow text upon it. He also takes a few design cues from Cranky Kong pre-Donkey Kong Country.
Upon obtaining the Fire Flower, his hair turns red with a white head tuft and "sleeves" while his tie turns white with red text.
=== Personality traits ===
Donkey Kong is a bit of a man-child and is arrogant much to Cranky Kong's disgust. He is stubborn, hence the description of his name meaning "Stubborn Ape", as he was not eager to help when Mario seeks his assistance in protecting the Mushroom Kingdom, which changed when they bonded with their issues with their fathers.
Donkey Kong is rather rude as well, as during said fight he constantly makes fun of and belittles Mario for his inexperience and misfortune when getting an unlucky Power-Up. After the plumber defeats him, he refuses to let the situation slide and constantly picks on him throughout the journey, ranging from claiming that he let him win the fight to outright saying that he hates him after getting his kart, showing that he is an incredibly sore loser and very petty.
they start working better as a team after they escape the Maw-Ray's stomach and fight off Bowser's army. Donkey Kong even protects Mario from being killed by Bowser after being sent to Brooklyn and later pulls him into a group hug with the others after stopping him, proving that despite his arrogance and pride, Donkey Kong is a good person at heart.
=== Speech ===
Unlike his video game counterpart, who speaks in monkey ooks, he is able to talk.
== Biography ==
Donkey Kong first appears as he rolls into the Great Arena of Kong as the DK Rap plays. He then smashes two barrels and shows off much to Peach’s discomfort and Cranky’s irritation. Both Mario and Donkey Kong begin fighting with the gorilla getting the upper hand thanks to his size and strength. 
During the battle, DK proves to be an extremely tough opponent for Mario as he shows to be more stronger than the plumber and even blows out a Fire Flower. He even grins sadistically as he sees Mario use the Mini Mushroom.
Mario then uses the Super Bell and became Cat Mario. DK mocks him for using it and says, “Now, you die.” but Cat Mario proves to be agile and faster than DK. Mario uses this advantage to beat DK and the gorilla surrenders.
After the battle, Princess Peach heals Mario with an ice pack and the two have a moment but DK ruins it by kicking the hut door and saying that he let the plumber win. Mario asks him why and DK angrily replies, “It’s MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!” and throws a barrel at Mario.
The two look like they’re about to clash again but Cranky interrupts the fight and he and Peach discuss the plan to ambush Bowser. The Kongs plan to use karts to ambush Bowser and DK gets his kart.
As the protagonists prepare to race, DK whispers to Mario that he hates him. Later on the Rainbow Road, DK catches Mario and Peach flirting and laughs at Mario’s attempt to communicating with her with the offer of getting her a pet turtle if she visits Brooklyn some time. He then says to Mario that a princess would never love someone like him and Toad defends his best friend.
Later on, the Koopa Army ambush the Kongs and Mario loses his kart. As the Koopa General crushes Mario’s stolen Koopa kart, Mario manages to distract Koopa General long enough for DK to fire a rocket and destroy the general’s kart. In a fit of rage, the Koopa General retracts into his shell and destroys DK’s kart in a last attempt to kill Mario. 
Mario and DK fall off the Rainbow Road and he blames Mario for getting them into the situation. As the two fall into the sea, DK gets knocked unconscious by a piece of his kart and Mario saves him by pulling on his tie and back above the water level. DK thanks him but tells him not to tell anyone out of embarrassment. However, the two get eaten by a Maw-Ray.
Inside the eel’s stomach, DK and Mario get into another argument and DK throws a temper tantrum when Mario calls him a “Smash Monkey.” The two then put their animosity aside and escape the Maw-Ray using a rocket. 
The two made it back to the Mushroom Kingdom and used Power-Ups to make it to Bowser’s fortress where Peach was fighting off the turtle’s army all by herself. DK saves Cranky while Mario saves Luigi. 
DK was among many of the parts of the Mushroom Kingdom that was sucked into the warp zone that the Bomber Bill exploded and he appeared in the Human World and Brooklyn. He also was part of the group alongside Peach and Toad who fight an insane Bowser. However, Bowser catches DK by the throat and prepares to kill him but Mario appears with new confidence and the plumber and Luigi use the Super Star to defeat Bowser. 
Peach then force-feeds Bowser a Mini Mushroom and the Koopa king shrinks. DK mocks Bowser for “getting the Blue Mushroom” and brings everyone including Mario and Luigi’s parents into a hug. He was also part of the group picture at the end and was hailed as a hero.
It is implied that people were weirded out by DK’s appearance and the newspaper even described him as “…A giant ape wearing a tie.”
== Behind the scenes ==
=== Voice ===
Seth Rogen portrayed Donkey Kong.
==Quotes==
== Trivia ==
* While Donkey Kong used a Fire Flower to become Fire Donkey Kong, his video game counterpart never used a Fire Flower, or even any power-up.
* Donkey Kong's introduction song is the memetic DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64.
** Speaking of said game, if one looks closely at the crowd during his fight against Mario, there's a Kong in a blue shirt with the number "64" on the front of it.
* This version of Donkey Kong is the first since Donkey Kong Country (The TV series) to speak in fluent English.
* Donkey Kong is similar to Knuckles the Echidna from the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movies; both of them act as friendly rivals to the main protagonists after initially treating them with hostility (Donkey Kong to Mario, Knuckles to Sonic).
* The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, both of which Seth Rogen starred in, came out in 2023.
** Seth Rogen, Donkey Kong's voice actor has also voiced Bebop in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
* Donkey Kong along with Toad, Princess Peach, Kamek and Bowser are the only five characters in the first film to ever visit Brooklyn.
* Unlike his video game counterpart, Donkey Kong doesn't get the chance to kidnap Pauline once in the film.
** Also unlike Princess Peach in the film, Donkey Kong doesn't get the chance to transform into his ice form once in the film.
* Only Donkey Kong's father was shown in the film itself, and it's currently unknown where his mother is. She could either be divorced or deceased, or maybe she lives somewhere else.
* Donkey Kong hugs Mario and Luigi and their friends and parents at the end of the movie, and is revealed that he is shown to be friendly with them, even though no other members of Mario and Luigi's family were hugged by the giant gorilla.
==Gallery==
== References ==
== See also: ==
* Donkey Kong
* The Super Mario Bros. Movie
es:Donkey Kong (película 3D)
fr:Donkey Kong (Illumination)
Category:Characters in The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Category:Male characters
Category:Heroes
Category:Royalty