A Minecraft Movie 

Review by Ryan Michael Painter

I don’t have to tell you that the history of video game adaptations is littered with uninspired attempts to cash in on the popularity of franchises. There’s also a landfill filled with cartridges of Atari’s E.T. adaptation. It works both ways.

Minecraft is radically different from most video games in that it doesn’t have a traditional narrative. You collect resources and build structures while fending off a variety of murderous mobs. Any quest that the player embarks on is of their own creation.

A Minecraft Movie (Warner Bros.)

141 Minutes, Rated PG
Directed by Jared Hess
Written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, Neil Widener

Synopsis:

Welcome to the world of Minecraft, where creativity doesn’t just help you craft, it’s essential to one’s survival!  Four misfits—Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, Henry, Natalie and Dawn—find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination.  To get back home, they’ll have to master this world (and protect it from evil things like Piglins and Zombies, too) while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve. Together, their adventure will challenge all five to be bold and to reconnect with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative…the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world.

There is lore scattered within the game. I’m by no means an expert. I’ve spent many hours playing the game but only to unwind after a long day at work. I wasn’t on a hunt to discover the secrets of the “Ancient Builders” or the depths of the Nether or the End. I bult simple structures with robust gardens.

I can tell you that A Minecraft Movie incorporates some of the established lore, but most of its story has less to do with the game and more to do with its newly created characters.

The story begins with Steve (Jack Black) discovering how to open the portal to Minecraft’s Overworld but quickly hands the narrative reigns over to Henry (Sebastian Hansen), a young teen who has just moved to a new town with his sister, Natalie (Emma Myers), following the death of their parents. Henry is incredibly intelligent and skilled at building things. He’s also socially awkward. Through a series of unfortunate events, Henry and Natalie, along with Dawn (Danielle Brooks), their relator, and Garett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Jason Momoa), a former video game champion who runs a retro-gaming store, find themselves sucked through the Minecraft portal.

The rest of the film sees our displaced characters trying to find a way to get back home.

I’m going to tip my hat to Legendary Entertainment who clearly handed over the screenplay to director Jared Hess, best known for his debut Napoleon Dynamite, with their blessing to make an incredibly strange movie that features all his trademark eccentricities. The story begins in a small town in Idaho, features tater tots, wrestling, ninja skills,  llamas, stylistic obsession with the 1980s, and outlandish characters. There’s nothing subtle here.

Black and Momoa chew the scenery until there is nothing left. This leaves Hanson, with a little help from Myers, to ground the film. Neither are given much backstory beyond the recent death of their parents, but it is enough to quickly win over the audience’s sympathy. There’s plenty of game-accurate material throughout the story. It’s more amusing than you might expect. I could have done without the Jennifer Coolidge side story. It pulls the viewer out of the narrative and adds little, I f anything, to the story.

All of that said, I don’t think the film will reach beyond those who love the game or Hess. The fan-filled audience enjoyed it. Reactions to the Sonic and Pokémon films was more enthusiastic but there was still a buzz in the theater.

A Minecraft Movie could have been an absolute disaster. Instead, it’s something of a curiosity. I think that’s a win.

A Minecraft Movie arrives in theaters this Friday, April 4, and stars Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, Sebastian Hansen, Jennifer Coolidge, and Danielle Brooks.

Please don’t forget to LIKE, SHARE, and FOLLOW us on:

And please, if you like what we do, consider helping us keep on entertaining you. You can use this handy link:


Or, you could check out the merch in Our Store:

VSMP Merch Store

Not only will you be helping us out if you pick up some merch, you get cool stuff to wear around (including the coveted WTFWT? logo!)

You may manage your subscription options from your profile.

Share this:
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,