addy reacts to the minecraft movie trailer *emotional*

"i am steve." no you most certainly are not.

I realize I am not alone when I say the A Minecraft Movie trailer looks completely awful. In fact, I’m one of the many sheep (perhaps pink and blocky) herded into a state of anger when watching it. I dearly apologize, this will be rather informal and not very thought-provoking. I just really like Minecraft.

Here it is in case you haven’t watched it. 

A Minecraft Movie | Teaser

I’ve always loved Minecraft, from the age of six years old when I first clicked on a Stampy Cat video. Soon after, I installed the mobile edition on my mom’s phone. The idea of its limitlessness enthralled me, and I was hooked. It’s a game that truly grows with you because of its sheer possibility. I could go from building a house purely of diamond blocks as an elementary schooler, to building a fun town, or playing mini-games. It’s a game I’ve played with my friends throughout my life, and I have so many perfect memories due to it. During COVID, my friend and I would wake up and play until the late hours of the night, just to repeat the next day. 

I suppose those are my credentials for critiquing the Minecraft movie trailer. Take them how you please. 

As the viewer is seemingly sent through a blindingly blue portal, we are invited to “step right this way” into this beautiful Minecraft world. Except as it comes into view, I and many others were disappointed. I can certainly acknowledge that Minecraft doesn’t have the most beautiful graphics of any video game ever, but its blocky simplicity is its own. It’s so dearly recognizable and nostalgic to so many who grew up playing. But in the opening shot of the movie, apart from the square-shaped blocks, is unrecognizable. I wasn’t expecting them to not elevate the look, it is in fact a major movie. But hyperrealism is not the way to elevate the Minecraft art style. It destroys what is wonderful about it in the first place. The realistic water and the trees with lifelike-looking leaves seem out of place. It almost seems like instead of adapting the art style faithfully, they kept trying to one-up the amount of CGI they could use. 

And then it shows the live-action characters, who’ve just entered from the bright blue portal. Excellent! This is a Jumanji-esque movie. How original in the realm of video game-related films. I dearly do not mean to offend, but what an odd-looking group. Are they meant to be friends? I think the most major flaw of this film (as I can see from the trailer) is the choice of using living, breathing people as the protagonists. It’s the final straw to taking you out of the blocky immersive nature of Minecraft. 

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

Was that alarming to you? It certainly was to me upon my first viewing. It also confirmed something to me. This movie is, unfortunately, going to be very unfunny, chock full of the jokes that the Hollywood higher-ups think appeal to children. I personally believe children are much more intelligent than they believe, and they can comprehend funnier things than this pink sheep baa-ing out of the blue. 

It also somewhat irks me that the movie is so clearly aimed at young children, when Minecraft has such a broad fanbase. The video game was first released in 2009 as a test, and then officially put out in 2011. So many people have grown up playing the game that are older now, and could potentially be a large percentage of people watching the film. Sure, you grow out of your interests, but something you love never really leaves. The game means so much to so many people, and the majority are not children. 

Despite what I think of the trailer, I will be lining up to watch this in the cinema with my friends. Besides me enjoying a good hate-watch, Minecraft was an integral part of us growing up, and I am excited to experience this with them. Maybe after we watch we could play together, kind of how we used to.