3.0 out of 5.0 stars
“A Minecraft Movie,” directed by Jared Hess, is the film adaptation of the formative video game. The film released April 4 and was highly anticipated despite the trailers receiving backlash from fans. However, the movie’s initial reception did not affect its performance, with it grossing $157 million domestically on opening weekend. Good comedic writing and some strong performances help to make up for the poorly developed characters and questionable plot.
The movie follows Henry (Sebastian Eugene Hansen) who moves to a new town with his sister following his mother’s death. He meets Garrett Garrison (Jason Momoa), a former competitive gamer who is now experiencing financial struggles. Together, they discover a portal to the Overworld, a place where one’s imagination is the limit to their creativity. There, he comes face-to-face with Steve (Jack Black), a character based on the default avatar in the Minecraft video game. Henry and Steve team up with a group of unlikely friends from Earth to defeat Malgosha (voiced by Rachel House), an evil ruler who hates all forms of creativity.
The screenplay, written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer and Neil Widener is one of the movie’s greatest strengths. It is an expert blend of jokes that appeal to all audiences, making the movie a fun watch for any age. The movie’s humor takes from pop culture, with the inclusion of many inside jokes from the game, like the “chicken jockey” and “flint and steel” that fans will appreciate.
Undoubtedly the best performances of the movie are from Black and Momoa. The two have excellent chemistry, portraying a comedic rivalry between their characters by constantly trying to outdo one another in fights and challenges. As the movie progresses, however, they slowly build a friendship and learn to help one another instead of trying to be the best.
Henry’s sister, Natalie (Emma Myers), isn’t given much material to work with, despite having one of the most interesting character angles in the film. Natalie had to take custody of her brother at a young age after the sudden passing of their mother, leaving her to feel like she had to grow up too quickly to raise Henry. Her conflict isn’t prominent in the second half of the film, leaving it feeling unresolved. While the movie certainly wasn’t aiming for many emotional moments, the introduction of this plotline built hope that it would be followed through in a better way, but it was dropped before it could establish itself.
One of the movie’s biggest problems is its failure to establish relationships among the characters. Before being transported to the Overworld, Myers and Hansen have about a minute of screen time together, which does not give the viewer much insight as to how close their connection is. Later on, when the siblings argue, there are almost no emotional stakes for the audience because the conflict arises out of nowhere and there isn’t much understanding as to why they are arguing. This issue continues with a conflict between Hansen’s and Momoa’s characters, where Henry is upset with Garrett and calls him the worst friend in the world despite having only known him for a few hours at that point.
The CGI work in the movie was high-quality, including designs for the Overworld characters that breathed life into many classic Minecraft figures. Considering the constraints of creating characters made entirely of cubes, the animators did a great job of making the animals move naturally. The world of Minecraft was animated in a realistic and thoughtful way that fully immersed the viewer in the world.
The movie also featured an entertaining subplot where Marlene (Jennifer Coolidge), a high school vice principal, hits an Overworld villager with her car and proceeds to fall in love with him. It was a very small portion of the plot, but its ridiculous humor and memorable moments made it the perfect way to showcase Coolidge.
One of the biggest surprises to come out of the film was the four original musical numbers performed by Black: “I Feel Alive,” “Steve’s Lava Chicken,” “Birthday Rap” and “Ode to Dennis.” While brief, the songs did a great job of showcasing Black’s voice and provided the means to display different creatures and aspects of the Overworld realm in an unexpected storytelling device. They fit the style of the movie with jokes geared more toward younger audiences. Black even co-wrote “I Feel Alive” alongside Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, utilizing his songwriting skills as seen in earlier projects of his like “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”
The movie’s biggest weakness was its villain, who did not matter much to the plot. The heroes’ main priority throughout the film was getting back to Earth, not defeating Malgosha. The final battle sequence is well done, with good effects and challenges that tested the new skills such as combat and building that the characters had built over the course of the film. However, Malgosha’s character as a whole felt unnecessary and the main conflict could have been the protagonists’ desire to return home and their journey to get there.
Ultimately, the film’s lasting message of uplifting creativity and imagination, especially in youth, will resonate with viewers and even adults who grew up playing the game. With a post-credit scene that teases a sequel, we may not have seen the last of the Minecraft universe.
