The official Minecraft Movie teaser trailer dropped yesterday, and predictably, some corners of the internet weren't happy about it. While some gentle mockery was always expected, I'd like to remind naysayers that this is the Minecraft Movie we're talking about—it was never going to be high-brow, Kubrick-esque cinema, and I'm at peace with that.
Admittedly, the live-action Minecraft Movie probably isn't going to make it into the CGI movie Hall of Fame, but at the risk of sounding like a contrarian, I don't think it deserves such scathing backlash. As a palatable and playful kid's film it seems to serve its purpose, and what more could you want from a film about chopping down trees with your bare knuckles?
The teaser gives us a hearty glimpse at the live-action Minecraft world, which manages to capture the blocky essence of the game without feeling stiff or static. We're introduced to our motley crew of wacky characters (including a wig-clad Jason Momoa), but the star of the show is undoubtably Jack Black as the formidable Steve. The Nether's Piglins seem to be the main antagonists, although I'm slightly disappointed by the lack of Endermen thus far – I need a cameo from those spindly guys ASAP.
The film's main criticisms come from fans who claim that a fully animated movie would've been better suited to the game's style, while others have slated the film's use of CGI. Older Minecraft fans might feel a little alienated by this pristine Minecraft world, as we grew up playing primitive versions of the game back in the early 2010s. While it's a hard pill to swallow, this isn't a film for us – this one's for the zoomers and Gen Alphas of the world. It may not be the film we want, but it's the film we're getting and I have no doubt it will bring the childlike joy of Minecraft to a new generation.
Video game film adaptations have historically proved unpopular – you only have to look at the live-action Sonic character design debacle to understand why. It's not to say that game adaptations are doomed to fail, as Amazon's new Fallout series was a resounding hit with fans. For some behind-the-scenes insight on the outstanding series, check out how Fallout's VFX team made The Ghoul.
