Score: 2.5/5
Go watch A Minecraft Movie in theatres. Yep, that’s it. That’s the review.
Just… don’t go into the theatre expecting an amazing movie, because this live-action adaptation of the hit video game Minecraft will almost certainly leave you disappointed. As a film, it’s very, very flawed.
As I anticipated in my skeptical analysis of the film’s first trailer, the visual style of the live-action Minecraft world — arguably the most important part of a film attempting to adapt a game with an incredibly unique look — really isn’t up to par.
For starters, the creatures inhabiting the world of Minecraft are creepy and unsettling.
Cute blocky sheep have been transformed into terrifying vomiting monsters. Innocent in-game villagers now have lifelike human skin. The “piglins” living in the Nether dimension are now hairy and have fat, flabby stomachs.
None of it is visually appealing, and in some ways, it feels strangely insulting to the charming style of its source material. While the Minecraft game feels like its visuals are crafted with love, its movie adaptation almost seems to make a joke out of it. As a longtime Minecraft player, the movie’s look really didn’t resonate with me.
This disappointment is only sustained by the performance of Jack Black as Steve, the closest thing Minecraft has to a protagonist. Black was tasked with an undoubtedly difficult role in this project, considering the in-game version of Steve is a player avatar without any personality whatsoever beyond his structural role as the player’s avatar for exploring, building and mining as they please. He’s meant to become whatever the player wants him to be which prompted the question: How can you bring the role to life in a satisfying or resonant way through a story-based movie?
You can’t. Or, at least, you can’t do it well.
Oftentimes, Jack Black feels as though he’s simply playing himself rather than any specific movie character. He brings his signature charisma and sense of humour to the role, but this all amounts to his character simply feeling like Jack Black rather than someone who genuinely lives in the world of Minecraft. The film’s designers didn’t even do anything to alter his visual appearance; instead, we have regular old Jack Black wearing a teal shirt, complete with his unshaven, scraggly beard.
Again, none of this can really be described as the actor’s fault, considering the in-game version of Steve doesn’t have any explicit character lore to work with in a story adaptation where he can talk. It’s just unfortunate that it feels like there wasn’t an attempt to make a unique Steve at all; it constantly feels like we just have Jack Black running around having fun in the movie’s blocky world.
But back to the plot, Steve, who has lived in the world of Minecraft for some time, is eventually joined by a quartet of misfits once they stumble upon the “Orb of Dominance” and the “Earth Crystal,” which, once combined, open a portal to the world of Minecraft. It’s a bit disappointing to see the film use the rehashed “real-world people enter video game world” plot, which was also used in the likes of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and The Super Mario Bros. Movie — both of which, coincidentally, also featured Jack Black in major roles. It’s not like the film is breaking any new ground.
Compared to Black, I vastly preferred Jason Momoa’s performance as Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison. His character was quite funny throughout the film, and despite Black’s character not being up to par, the chemistry they experienced on screen was palpable. One scene in particular, in which Steve and Garrison squeeze their bodies into a “man sandwich” to fit through a tiny hole, was especially funny.
Sebastian Hansen took on the role of Henry, a creative boy who finds himself at home in the world of Minecraft, where he can finally use his imagination without limits. The young actor has some nice moments with Black and Momoa, with him forming a friendship with the latter that feels especially sincere. Henry exploring the world of Minecraft with a sense of wonder, as so many children have while playing the game in real life, was a highlight throughout the movie.
Unfortunately, the two leading women were quite underutilized. Emma Myers’ Natalie and Danielle Brooks’ Dawn both showed signs of interesting character building, but ultimately didn’t appear too much throughout the movie. It would have been nice for the film to further explore their characters and motivations, and give them more screen time to shine.
Surprisingly, many of the movie’s jokes land in stride. Jennifer Coolidge excelled in her role as a principal who falls in love with a Villager and was consistently funny every time she appeared on screen. She took a silly premise and made it delightful to watch, especially during a mid-credits scene that explores her relationship with the Villager further.
Other than that, the film is pretty standard not-great-kids-movie fare, complete with an underwhelming story and generally subpar writing. A Minecraft Movie is probably better than what I had expected, but it’s still nothing to write home about.
Why, then, am I strongly recommending you see this movie in theatres?
It’s because there’s something else to A Minecraft Movie than the film itself: the magic that the movie has brought to life in theatres.
See, the movie’s existence has become somewhat of a meme online, with particular lines from the trailers (“I… am Steve” and “flint and steel!” especially) having gone viral. This has led to an unusual sensation in which theatres break out in clapping and cheering anytime one of these lines is spoken on screen, and it’s the most hilarious moviegoing experience I’ve ever had.
There’s something so strangely magical about a theatre full of kids, teenagers and twenty-somethings bursting into joint applause when Jack Black shouts “chicken jockey!” that is hard to describe in a written review. It’s something that needs to be experienced to be fully understood.
See, when people start cheering, they’re not really celebrating the movie in a serious way. It’s an interesting dynamic where the movie is something to laugh at rather than laugh with, but that doesn’t make it any less hilarious.
I strongly recommend that you go to the theatre and watch this movie on a busy evening, because the experience of attending A Minecraft Movie is unparalleled. I can confidently say that taking part in this meme-based movement makes sitting through A Minecraft Movie entirely worth it. It’s probably not worth watching after the movie leaves theatres, so I suggest you take part in the experience while it’s still relevant.
So yes, you should go watch A Minecraft Movie — not because the movie’s any good, but because of the cultural phenomenon it’s awakened in everyone who goes to see it.