Sonic the Hedgehog, Five Nights at Freddy’s, and many other video games have been adapted into movies, and joining this club is “A Minecraft Movie.”
Based on the 2009 video game Minecraft, “A Minecraft Movie” loosely adapts many aspects of the famous game while telling a story unique to the film.
The film follows a group of humans who find themselves trapped in a mysterious land known as “The Overworld.” Creativity is king in this strange new world, and anything you can imagine can be made. The Overworld follows most of the same rules as the video game, which makes for lots of fun Easter eggs for fans.
Fans of the game and those immersed in the Minecraft community will get the most enjoyment. References to the YouTubers who built brands around Minecraft, like DanTDM and a heartwarming tribute to the late Technoblade, make this film a love letter to all who grew up with Minecraft.
The film is somewhat of a letdown when it comes to the story it chooses to tell. There were many possibilities for a story in the Minecraft world, such as a more developed version of the game’s story or an adaptation of “Minecraft: Story Mode.” Still, instead of this, it chooses to adopt the same type of story as so many of these video game movies, in which normal people find themselves transported to an extraordinary world and have to save it from impending doom so they can return home. While this is not the story many fans hoped for, it does offer interesting characters and a fun adventure.
The main cast of characters is somewhat underdeveloped, but they all have so many quirky qualities that make them memorable, and some of the most enjoyable parts of the film. This is most exemplified by Jason Momoa and Jack Black’s portrayals of Garrett and Steve, whose friendship blossoms across the course of the film, leading to some of the most memorable lines delivered throughout the film. Emma Myers and Sebastian Eugene Hansen also do a fantastic job of making the audience believe they are siblings who have spent their entire lives together by the way they bicker, fight, and joke with each other.
The highlights of the film are the visuals, the small secondary plot, and the music. While the camera work is nothing unique, the character designs of the film are the perfect mix of the fantastical visuals of Minecraft and hyperrealism, which bring these iconic monsters and designs that were such a large part of millions of people’s childhoods to life.
Aside from the main plot, the film features a small side plot where a villager finds his way into the real world and meets and falls in love with a human woman. While this story does not add much to the main plot, it allows for many good laughs throughout the film and allows for a change of pace and scenery every so often.
The film also contains a few very short musical sequences, which are some of the highlights of the film. The films would have greatly benefited from leaning into the musical aspects because these songs are extremely memorable and catchy.
Two of the film’s most significant flaws are its tendency to use narration to explain things to the viewer instead of showing them, and its inability to show restraint when it comes to humor. If the film were just extended by a small amount of time, this would leave space for it to build upon what the film sets up in its narration.
The film’s reliance on comedy is the other great flaw. Many scenes can evoke real strong emotions within the viewer, but instead, these opportunities are used to work in jokes that offer very little to the plot at times, and can damage the experience at times.
The best aspect of the film was the theatre environment: there was not a dull moment in the theatre. Everyone was either laughing or cheering, which created such a fun in-theatre experience that proves the film is meant to be enjoyed with others. Many scenes and lines became popular across social media, and when those portions came up during the film, the audience would yell the dialogue along with the characters and cheer as they did. The audience clapped throughout the entire credits, and as I left the theatre, many people were already quoting the film and showing how much fun they had with it.
“A Minecraft Movie” succeeds in bringing the world of Minecraft to the big screen with impressive visuals, fun Easter eggs, and an unforgettable theatre experience that will resonate with fans of the game and the wider Minecraft community. While the film’s story may feel familiar and somewhat uninspired, it still delivers underdeveloped yet memorable characters and a heartwarming and entertaining adventure with a few standout moments. The mix of humor, unforgettable music, and charming characters adds to the enjoyment, even though the film occasionally struggles with over-reliance on narration and jokes that undercut emotional moments. Despite its flaws, “A Minecraft Movie” offers a nostalgic and immersive journey that captures the essence of the game, making it a fun and light-hearted experience as well as a love letter to the inner child of those who grew up with the game, best enjoyed with a group of other Minecraft lovers to share the whimsy with.
