With more and more video games getting film and TV adaptations, it’s no surprise that a cinematic rendition of Mojang’s iconic survival-adventure game Minecraft has finally arrived. Unfortunately, A Minecraft Movie only impresses at the surface level — boasting a fresh repaint of the game’s block-based aesthetics but containing nothing worthwhile.
The film follows a group of misfits who are transported into the Overworld and forced to help a bearded adventurer named Steve (Jack Black) stop an evil sorceress from spreading darkness across the land. Despite the live-action/animation approach being super divisive when footage from the film was first shown, it’s probably one of the best things about A Minecraft Movie. In some ways, it’s very reminiscent of when Detective Pikachu brought fans into a live-action Pokémon world for the first time. Sure, some redesigns take some getting used to, namely the pink sheep, villagers, and one weird looking chicken jockey. But overall, the Overworld and its inhabitants are elevated to cinematic heights and it’s immensely eye-pleasing.
The zombies and zombie pigmen not only have creepier looks, but are also more intimidating because of their more dynamic movement. Ghasts are somehow more daunting and carry a big-screen presence that adds some good tension. There’s a cool sequence with an Endermen that expands its lore and showcases some impressive visuals with its teleporting. Even better, when the live-action characters interact with the animated world, nothing feels disjointed. It’s awesome to see them build and interact with iconic Minecraft weapons and objects that get stunning visual upgrades thanks to more realistic textures. Seriously, diamond swords have never looked more rad, and the fight sequences are more fun because the blending of live-action and animation is well-handled.
Plus, when that serene Minecraft music is added in, there’s an irresistible, inviting atmosphere. Best of all, while watching this film, you can tell it comes from people who understand and play Minecraft. From how things are built to the way the landscape looks like someone’s been playing in it, the film is detailed in a way that fans will enjoy. However, even for the film’s clear knowledge of the material, there are some elements that don’t hit the same.
The opening over-simplifies Minecraft in a way that immediately waters down the experience. There’s nothing more unenjoyable in any game than a tutorial that over-explains things and takes too long to get through, and that’s exactly what the opening of this film is. It’s also a shame that Creepers and the idea of surviving during the night phase are super limited in this film — especially since the sequences that do feature them are awesome. Worst of all, though, the best elements of A Minecraft Movie are tarnished by, well, everything else.
The batch of human characters this movie throws into the Overworld are a genuine drag. Their personalities are either incredibly bland or sheerly there for comedic purposes, and no one makes a meaningful impact. Not to mention, these performances are wildly lackluster, which is a shame because of who’s in this cast. Emma Myers and Sebastian Eugene Hansen simply have nothing to work with because their characters’ arcs and sibling dynamic are so flat. Every attempt Jason Momoa makes to be zany doesn’t work and ultimately creates a character who never stops using ego-fueled one-liners that only elicit groans or total silence. Danielle Brooks feels as lost as her character does in the film since she’s only there for disappointingly drab comedic relief.
As for Jack Black as iconic avatar Steve, well, he just plays himself. He’s loud, full of energy, but has no real depth to his desires for freedom and imagination. It’s honestly frustrating because Black had great potential to turn Steve from a usually silent protagonist into someone memorable. But that doesn’t happen, and Black becomes so much of himself that there are egregious songs thrown in that try to recapture the spirit of “Peaches” but miserably fail.
It’s honestly surprising that both the characters and comedy fall so flat because this film is directed by Jared Hess, the mind behind Napoleon Dynamite. These are characters that Hess should’ve excelled with and sometimes he does with some interactions or Henry’s (Hansen) high school scenes. But overall, he can’t make the comedy work and it sadly makes sense because the story doesn’t either. For a world bursting with potential like Minecraft, this is a painfully dull adventure that never hooks you.
The locations the characters go to, like a mountain-high mansion or a packed village, are cool but what they do there isn’t interesting. The arcs are shallow and the story, as a whole, has no real heart to it. Plus, the pacing is all over the place, with there being a worthless plotline surrounding a villager interacting with Jennifer Coolidge and a finale we arrive at too fast. For a franchise we’ve seen have great stories in the general lore and within Telltale’s Minecraft: Story Mode, A Minecraft Movie barely tries to create an engaging throughline and it results in a boring narrative no one wants in their movies.
A Minecraft Movie builds a solid foundation visually that fans will love and could lead to more interesting stories down the road. What we get simply isn’t all that special and makes what should be a landmark moment in gaming adaptations barely something that’s worth talking about.
