Warner Bros.
“First we mine, then we craft”
– Steve
Based on the iconic Minecraft game, A Minecraft Movie details the story of how struggling doorknob salesman Steve (Jack Black) discovers the Orb of Dominance and the Earth Crystal and opens a portal to the Overworld, only to be captured by Malgosha (Rachel House), the wretched piglin ruler of the Nether.
To avoid the Orb and Crystal falling into the hands of the greedy Malgosha, Steve sends his beloved cubic pet dog Dennis back to the real world with the powerful artifacts, where they remain hidden and seemingly safe.
Dennis roams the streets of Chuglass, Idaho, sometime after Steve’s capture.
There we are introduced to 1980s video game champion and failing business owner Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Jason Momoa), real estate agent and mobile petting zoo owner Dawn (Danielle Brooks), and Chuglass newcomers Henry (Sebastian Hansen) and Natalia (Emma Myers), who are looking to turn a new leaf after the death of their mother.
True to the adventure movie formula, these misfits unwittingly find themselves in the Nether before long as well, where the motley crew must join forces with Steve if they hope to defeat Malgosha and return to the real world. Upon its theatrical release, A Minecraft Movie garnered attention from mainstream media thanks to the rambunctious screenings where fans caused a ruckus, souring the average moviegoers who had no idea just how devoted the Minecraft fanbase is.
As much as these fans were clearly having a great time interacting with a movie based on their favorite game, it was easy to see why unsuspecting audience members were perplexed by this behavior, and just like there was a vast rift between the two audience segments’ takeaways from screening reactions that went viral, the general viewing experience may also be polarizing based on individual tastes and expectations.
More than enough has already been said about the general ineptitude of film adaptations of gaming content, and while A Minecraft Movie certainly leans into the unique visual style associated with the source material and offers a rich tapestry of references for those in the know, there is very little substance to be found under the bright, cubic veneer for those with little to no knowledge of the game.
Jack Black plays Jack Black and Jason Momoa plays Jason Momoa, something they have both made successful careers of, and they seem to be having a great time along with the rest of the cast, but not even an engaged cast can make the film manifest any sincere entertainment value, as the filmmakers are unable to make the narrative transcend beyond its superficial appeal.
The visual style is at once both overwhelming and bland, the script is a flimsy afterthought at best, its humor falling flat for the most part, and the direction leaves a lot to be desired as the performances are woefully uneven and unconvincing outside any inherent charisma an individual performer possesses, resulting in a shiny, overproduced end product that offers nothing in the way of compelling character arcs or interesting narrative turns.
A Minecraft Movie was always going to have a built-in audience thanks to the popularity of the source material, but just as the fans are allowed to geek out and have a great time, those outside this demographic are also allowed to avoid this movie like a pack of Creepers.
Extras include featurettes.
Verdict: 2 out of 10.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login