In the wake of the box office successes of “Barbie” and “Super Mario Bros.,” it seems the studio behind “A Minecraft Movie” thought, “Hey, Minecraft is popular! Let’s make a movie out of it.” Unfortunately, this adaptation lacks the creative vision necessary to translate the beloved game’s essence to the big screen. The story, involving four misfits navigating the Overworld to thwart the villain Malgosha, is bogged down by uninspired writing and thin character arcs.
Directed by Jared Hess, known for “Napoleon Dynamite,” the film attempts to blend live-action and CGI to recreate Minecraft’s distinctive blocky universe. While the visuals capture the game’s aesthetic, the narrative falls flat. The story follows siblings Henry (Sebastian Hansen) and Natalie (Emma Myers), along with washed-up gamer Garrett (Jason Momoa), who are transported into the Overworld. There, they meet Steve (Jack Black) and confront the villainous Malgosha (voiced by Rachel House)
Critics have pointed out that the film’s plot is chaotic and uninspired, failing to capture the game’s spirit of creativity and exploration. The screenplay, credited to multiple writers, results in a disjointed narrative that lacks emotional depth. The characters are underdeveloped, but Jack Black does his usual schtick here, so if you’re a fan, you’ll enjoy his part. Most of the kids in the theater certainly did. Personally, I don’t need to hear Jack Black sing anymore.
But overall, the performances are hit-or-miss. Jack Black and Jason Momoa dominate the screen but rely on repetitive comedic routines that grow tiresome, while Jennifer Coolidge offers brief comic relief in an otherwise inert narrative. Side characters like Emma Myers’ Natalie are underutilized, providing very little emotional depth to connect with. Ocassionally there are some bright spots, such as Malgosha’s scenes, which hint at the absurdity and creativity the film could have embraced, but these moments are fleeting. Moreover, the film’s reliance on slapstick humor and shallow references to the game does little to engage audiences.
The movie just really struggles to channel any of the creativity of the game, delivering a lackluster adaptation that feels more like a soulless studio product than a celebration of Mojang’s iconic sandbox game. The visuals, while vibrant in concept, suffer from glaring green screen issues and an artificial aesthetic that fails to immerse the audience. Despite some occasional humor and quirky moments, the plot leans heavily on generic adventure tropes, complete with a clichéd beam-of-light climax.
Ultimately, A Minecraft Movie feels like a missed opportunity—an uninspired adventure that neither honors its video game roots nor offers compelling cinema. The movie feels more like a blatant cash grab that prioritized “brand recognition” over storytelling, and missed any opportunity to delve into the imaginative possibilities that the game offers, resulting in a forgettable and uninspired adaptation.
★☆☆☆☆
English (US) · 