The Minecraft movie's been making some bold calls, and the way it shows the villagers is definitely one of the oddest.
In the original game, villagers are known for their simple, blocky designs that match the pixelated world of Minecraft. From the looks of the trailer, the filmmakers went for a hyper-realistic approach in the movie, and it's clear this wasn't what fans were anticipating. The villagers' new look is unsettling, to say the least.
They sport exaggerated, oversized foreheads and massive unibrows, features that make them look far more human than Minecraft fans are used to. Those pink noses, so big they nearly hide their faces, are another odd design choice. They give the characters an otherworldly vibe, like something you'd see in a bizarre sci-fi tale, rather than the quirky beings players encounter in the game.
There's even a child villager in the background who looks just as freaky. They look like they came out of a weird, hyper-realistic science experiment, and not in a good way. The reaction has been nothing short of wild. Fans have been comparing them to a human version of Squidward from SpongeBob, and honestly, that's about right.
Others have just gone all-in with the nightmare fuel talk, saying kids will be having bad dreams after watching this. To be fair, it's hard to blame them. The charm of Minecraft has always been in its simple, blocky look. Turning these villagers into hyper-realistic creatures just doesn't work.
Fans have been vocal about how off-putting the design is, calling it straight-up creepy and wondering how anyone could think these characters would actually fit into Minecraft's world. Video game movies and character design criticism go hand in hand, apparently. Remember when Sonic's creepy look almost had the movie axed? After some redesigning, they managed to fix things.
However, with the Minecraft movie, it's hard to see how these villagers could be saved. The game's whole vibe is simple and fun, and this realistic redesign feels like it's taking things in the wrong direction. Despite all this, the movie does have some big names like Jack Black voicing Steve, so maybe it won't be all bad.
The hope is that once we see these villagers in motion, they might not be as freaky. The movie is coming out on April 4, 2025, and there's some tension surrounding whether it'll actually deliver. For now, it looks like the villagers' eerie look will be one of the most unforgettable—if not the most talked about—parts of the film.