Written by Blythe Avery
Photos by Blythe Avery and Rob Speed
When the first trailer for the A Minecraft Movie was revealed to the public, fans of the best-selling game of all time were consumed by a strange mixture of emotions– mainly apathy, disgust, and disappointment.
Nobody assumed that this film would be successful, much less that it would become strangely beloved in the eyes of general audiences. Reportedly, even the studio behind the film, Warner Brothers, expected nothing but a flop. Yet, despite its bad standing in the eyes of most, the film has become something of a worldwide sensation.
Throughout the duration of the film’s marketing campaign, the public’s attitude has gradually shifted from “Who would watch this?” to “We need to watch this.”
Since the film’s initial release, cinemas have been overrun by hordes of megafans, some in full costume, united in the drive to both experience the film as a community and earn their fifteen minutes of fame. These cinemagoers have been primitive, to say the least– wildly applauding and cheering, yelling lines from the trailers, throwing popcorn and soft drinks, and, in some cases, shooting fireworks at the screen and bringing live animals into their showings.
The A Minecraft Movie McDonald’s collaboration has also been a smashing success, with locations across the US selling as many adult-oriented A Minecraft Movie Meals as the restaurants can pump out. Action figures of Jack Black’s character Steve, once assumed as nothing but bargain bin fodder, are currently sold out in retail stores across the US, with scalpers selling both the four-inch and twelve-inch toys online for exorbitant prices.
Needless to say, these A Minecraft Movie fanatics have left minimum-wage employees speechless. Critics, committed to seriously assessing the film, are baffled by the film’s deranged success. However, the A Minecraft Movie was never meant to be taken in earnest, and the game’s fanbase has accepted and embraced this to the nth degree.
A combination of self-aware writing and unexpected laugh-out-loud comedy from director Jared Hess, borderline insane line delivery from Jack Black and Jason Momoa, and a passionate romance subplot between Jennifer Coolidge and a Minecraft villager have all conjoined to make this film genuinely enjoyable (as long as you remember to “turn off your brain,” as suggested by one of the film’s television spots).
With the A Minecraft Movie’s masterclass marketing and promotions, widespread social media influence, and untamed fan enthusiasm dripping with irony, this uncertain, confusing era of 2025 will surely be morphed into a beloved, nostalgia-filled memory for all who have had the pleasure of joining in the experience.
Several members of The Triangles’ initial reactions to watching the film
