The Minecraft movie trailer was met with what can only be described as a mixed reception. Long-time fans of the game recognized the silliness, as did those familiar with director Jared Hess’ previous work (“Napoleon Dynamine” and “Nacho Libre,” anyone?) Newcomers unfamiliar with the style and tone found the trailer to be much less appealing, and in some cases, unsettling.
That’s understandable enough. Even diehard fans can admit the uncanny-valley-esque nature of the animals and the Villagers could be somewhat creepy — but the public reception left the stars rattled. In an interview with GamesRadar+, Jack Black said he didn’t expect the negative response. “I mean, I was surprised, because I loved the trailer. I was like, “Oh, this is going to go over great. And you know, there’s always so many people that are sensitive to everything you put out there.”
Black continued to say, “I love the movie, but now I’m like, I don’t know. Let’s see what everyone else thinks.” Director Jared Hess said he believes the negative reception “came from a lack of context.” He said too many of the details of the trailer were taken out of context in the film, and that without the surrounding plot it didn’t make much sense.
The team released more trailers — including the one above — to help try and set the record straight.
“A Minecraft Movie” releases in just a few days on April 4 and stars Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Danielle Brooks, Sebastian Hansen, Emma Myers, and Jennifer Coolidge as they navigate the straight, odd world of Minecraft and craft their way out of trouble.
