“Minecraft” is a popular game that attracts players worldwide. As an open world game, it gives us the opportunity to either survive in the wild with resources or go crazy with our imaginations by building wild contraptions and breath-taking buildings. To put it simply, “Minecraft” was made to encourage our constant need to let loose and have fun. So why not have a movie to capture the imagination we experienced in the game? It would be the ideal route to go for a game like “Minecraft.”
Since I was in second grade, I have been a long time fan of “Minecraft.” I never got the chance to own a desktop computer or a PC, so I turned to the next big thing: an Xbox 360. As soon as I got home, I would run to the game room in my house and immediately start playing. My hand-eye coordination was hard at work while trying to build a massive house made entirely out of diamond blocks (I was one of those kids). I would make creations like an army of wolves turned dogs, a rollercoaster, underground bunkers and a whole fortress complete with armor, weapons and resources that took my brother and I more than two years to build. Over time, I would eventually learn how to play “Minecraft Lite” on my iPod Touch since we gave away the Xbox 360. This also led to me playing it on my iPad, a failed attempt to boot it up on my Macbook Air and eventually resorting to playing it on my Switch.
I was also vaguely familiar with the YouTube content that goes along with “Minecraft.” I used to watch YouTubers like DanTDM, ExplodingTNT, ItsJerryandHarry and StampyLongNose (now renamed to stampylonghead). I eventually drew away from that content around 2016 when I took on other interests. However, I did not shy away from the latest “Minecraft” news, like the updates that gave us bees, turtles and Illagers. “Minecraft” was always a substantial part of my childhood.
So with the announcement of the “Minecraft” movie almost a decade ago, fans like me were ready with excitement following what was to come. There were endless possibilities for what the movie would bring, with speculations of it being completely animated with well known “Minecraft” YouTubers as voice actors, to other rumors like the movie being fully animated and likened to the original “Minecraft” style. After many setbacks with the production and the conflict of the COVID-19 pandemic, the trailer was finally released recently on Sept. 4.
Despite so much anticipation, the trailer was met with mixed reactions, with some criticizing the movie for its unusual story approach. According to Forbes, many took to social media to voice other concerns, such as pointing out how unrealistic the CGI and characters felt compared to the game. To longtime “Minecraft” fans, it seemed like the animation didn’t live up to their expectations. When I first saw the trailer, though, it seemed exactly like how I thought it would be, but better. To me, this was well worth the wait.
I think the animators and producers who worked on the movie did a great job considering what they were using as a blueprint. The game itself is a block world, with squares making up the main component for how “Minecraft” is supposed to look. The realistic visuals of the characters, most notably the llama and Piglins, were done fairly well. While I personally didn’t expect the movie to be animated (in a way it is, but with realism), we do already have “Minecraft” projects that are also animated, like “Minecraft Story Mode,” a visual novel video game. I think we needed something realistic to be done to represent how “Minecraft” is, and this exceeded my expectations. Although the story could be reworked in a way, I feel that we need to see more of the movie in order to fully understand its capabilities. Remember, this was only a trailer. The “Minecraft” movie has the potential to become a great and memorable film. Give it a chance, and wait and see!
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