Is 'Minecraft Movie' trailer the worst nightmare for gamers since a terrifyingly 'realistic' Sonic the Hedgehog? Character Design?
I don't think so. But I'm not a Minecraft fan, and it seems like the fans are pretty upset. Let's see what the problem is.
“A Minecraft Movie” stars Jason Momoa, Danielle Brooks, Sebastian Eugene Hansen and Emma Myers as four misfits who are pulled into the game's overworld and must battle zombies, piglins and creepers, guided by iconic Minecraft character Steve (Jack Black) on their journey back to reality.
Just the title alone makes the film seem unsettlingly unsure. So… ” A “Minecraft Movie”? Reactions to the trailer Over 1 million downvotes on YouTube — Indeed, things haven't gotten better.
Viewers criticized nearly every aspect of the nearly 90-second clip, including the costume choices, the uncanny valley creature designs, the cliché dialogue, Jack Black's casting, etc. One joker sarcastically praised Warner Bros.' courage in not shutting off the comments, as is common with fan punching bags like Lucasfilm and Disney.
The good news is that this isn't a “wake up and be broke” scenario (Jason Momoa's effeminate costumes and makeup aside), but rather appears to be a case of Hollywood trying to please fans and missing the mark embarrassingly.
Maybe the filmmakers wanted to avoid the Sonic fiasco. If so, they Too True to the source material: Square shaped goats and llamas with square eyes and square pupils are the stuff of nightmares.
If Hollywood has learned anything in this age where fans have more power than ever, it's that the audience is always right. The good news for A Minecraft Movie is that, as was the case with Sonic the Hedgehog, the backlash came early and something was done about it.
In 2020, Paramount listened to the criticism and delayed the film's release in order to redesign the character to match his iconic look. The studio's reward was a hit movie, two sequels, and a spin-off series.
The team behind A Minecraft Movie should follow suit and trust that if they treat their audience with respect, they'll respond in kind. Here's hoping the next trailer offers up more character designs worthy of the iconic game — or at least make us look past Momoa's weird bangs and ugly pink biker jacket.
