Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored nor endorsed by Warner Bros., Mojang Studios, or any other business/organization. All views are the author's own.
When you think of video game movies, there aren't really that many that come to mind. Many of the times that they were created, they failed spectacularly . (See: the 1990s attempt at Mario.) This thought process changed in the 2010s as more and more studios found themselves able to create such movies without ruining them in the process.
Plus, well, we knew it was only a matter of time before Minecraft of all things became a movie.
The result? Something similar to Illumnination's The Super Mario Bros. Movie. A light-hearted flick worthwhile for an occasion.
Now let's get into it.
No Idea What Minecraft Is?
This can be a fair thing to say if you're not Generation Z… or even a younger Millenial. If you are Gen Z and not know what Minecraft is…
Shame on you.
Regardless, Minecraft is a video game released in 2011 where you are in a world of blocks and you can do nearly anything it. That's the game.
People go in all sorts of directions with it. From building elaborate castles, to minigames, to create drama operas similar to popular Twitch streams. The sky's the limit.
Such a premise with no clear roof means that there were as many options for a film adaptation, which had been in the works since 2014. But because of the typical reasons, it was in development hell in one way or another until April 2022 when Warner Bros. finally got everything together with new writers and directors. The cast started to be formed with Jason Mamoa, with Jack Black joining a few months later. Then everything sort of came into place.
You may be wondering what the movie is about. Well, it's about this guy who found this dreamy world (we call it Minecraft), and one thing leads to another and a ragtag group of explorers to defeat an evil monarch.
Cliche? Yes. That's essentially the definition of the movie.
But don't discount it too much. There are a few noteworthy things that make the movie worth the while.
Acting.
Notice how I didn't put in any adjective before the acting. That's not a mistake, it's because the actors know the absurdity of the movie that they are playing in, so while they're acting, you can see that they are generally speaking enjoying the production. Which says miles about the movie. Many people go into movies as a job, everyone here is in the movie because they wanted to be in the movie. Including some notrworthy cameos! (I'm sure people will recognize at least one person not in the main cast).
In addition to the main cast being goofy, we need to talk about Jack Black. He brings it to every video game role that he's been given. From Bowser in The Super Paper Mario Movie to now Steve in Minecraft, he brings it his all, which makes it amusing given who he is.
Now I also want to give the preface that I first discovered who Jack Black is via his role in The Muppets (2011), so do not use me as your acting critic because my movie selection is flawed at best.
Other than Black, Jason Mamoa character isn't meant to be taken seriously, and quite frankly is a douche, but he does the stereotypical sacrifices that a character of his type would do, and he becomes a lovable icon by everyone.
The sibling duo is nice, albeit forced at times. But the point is to further the plot. If this wasn't a kid-focused movie, I would argue there should be more. But for what it was, Myers and Hansen played their parts well on meaning-well elder sister and imaginative little brother.
Plus we cannot forget their real estate agent/landlord, who has her own moments and helps bring the cast together.
…Oh, and there's Jennifer Coolridge. But I don't want to spoil that part, it's just too good.
Renderable CGI
Many fans of the game and not so much the movie would argue that this isn't Minecraft it's replicating, but a copycat. To that I argue, it's A not The Minecraft Movie. There's a difference. One such difference is the CGI and the backgrounds that is used to portray the world. From a perspective from my own, it looks like shader packs combined with a certain level of realism yet cartoon physics at the same time.
Does that mean it's bad? No! It's almost mesmerizing to look at in its own form. Seeing real-life humans interact with the cube-esque landscape is entertaining unto itself. Plus it's the whole point of the game and movie — interacting with something not like your own reality. It lends itself into the movie magic that Hollywood has oh so prided itself on doing for the past century.
You're Not Here For The Story.
Let it be clear: you are not watching A Minecraft Movie for the plot or story. It's a loose string of events that semble a form of clear timeline. One thing happens then another and another. But that's not the point. You are here because you wanted to see Minecraft take place in a theatrical setting with somewhat of a musical undertone surrounding it. You want to see mob fights and villager interactions just like in the game.
To that, the movie did what it was supposed to do. Be like the game but a movie. Kids and teens and young adults cheered at the lines, and it should be quite clear that you're here for the experience of seeing the movie and saying that you're watching it, rather than the actual content of it.
Looking From The Distance
A Minecraft Movie excels at what it was designed to do. It entertained kids, got more people into Minecraft, sold merchandise, and did so with a jolly cast. The story is eh, the acting is amusing, but that wasn't the point. A Minecraft Movie was enjoyed by its audiences, and that's what mattered most.
Should you watch it? It's a good 80-minute flick. I wouldn't call it a time waster. If anything it allowed me to forget about the world around me and laugh with the cast and the absurdity of their situation. So I think it's worth it.
Plus: there is nothing not funny about hearing "Chicken Jockey" and seeing the audience roar. Having something so unanimous means something, something that few movies can accomplish, but this one, the one about an indie game, did so perfectly.
I finally got around to writing this post. It only took four months, but we still did it!
At this point I'm moving into preparing for Quarter 4. Those who have stuck with us for the past few years may know what's coming. But there will be new content, and I think people will enjoy.
That's all I have for now. Thanks for reading. See you soon!