A Minecraft Movie

The teaser trailer for A Minecraft Movie is cut to a remix of the 1967 classic “Magical Mystery Tour.” From deep in The Beatles’ psychedelic era, this song is a prime choice for a film that presents like some bewildering drug trip through an 8-year old’s favourite video game. While the film’s teaser trailer from last week has gone viral, criticism of the film’s concept and choice of Jack Black as Steve has been pouring in.

The teaser begins with a single high register piano note ringing out, but within a second it has begun to warble and “detune.” On screen there is a small single bright green square. The chorus hook of “Magical Mystery Tour” fades in at 0:02 and the green square slowly transforms into a door-shaped portal. The editors take The Beatles’ experimental production style up a notch here, adding extra echo effects and panning that sends Paul, George, and John’s voices spinning back and forth from left speaker to right speaker.

At 0:08, once the camera view has taken us through the portal and into the Minecraft universe, a circus announcer type of voice shouts “step right this way!” We hear this same voice sample repeat later at 1:14, functioning as sonic bookends for this teaser.

At 0:09, we hear orchestral instruments droning sustained chords under slowed-down Beatles voices from the chorus of “Magical Mystery Tour.” In the background, large cinematic drums pound out some ”trailer triplets” for good measure, as four confused travellers walk into this Minecraft world. We cut to musical silence at 0:21 as a furry square pink sheep bleats loudly at the travellers.

We swoosh back to another adaptation of the “Magical Mystery Tour” chorus at 0:24, now a cover version with non-Beatles vocalists singing the words in a slow and plodding manner, and at 0:26, Mad Max inspired flying square pigs are pounding out trailer triplets synched to the beat. Even the square wolf howling at the square moon at 0:28 is on beat and on key with the song.

Jason Momoa (known for his role as Aquaman in the DC films, and in this film playing a garbage man) learns the minecraft skills and hammers some chained buckets into life, synched to the music at 0:31. A few seconds later the final chord of the “Magical Mystery Tour” chorus hangs in the air amidst the mayhem and destruction wrought by an army of fire-eyed square pigs. But at 0:40, in his role as expert crafter Steve, Jack Black has his grand fire-blazing entrance which of course warrants a cut to musical silence.

The Beatles cut back in at 0:55 with “Magical Mystery Tour,” and now they have the original guitars and drums and the song is back to its normal upbeat tempo. The song plays for 9 seconds as the Minecraft title card is CG-animated into life out of building blocks.

It’s a comedy, so we end the trailer with a final scene where a clueless, noisily cud-chewing square goat manages to avoid a stampede of square pigs. A Minecraft Movie explodes into theatres on April 4, 2025.

— Jack Hui Litster