“A Minecraft Movie” title scene The Xavierite
Jared Hess’ “A Minecraft Movie” premiered April 4 and has since been met with mixed reactions. As a longtime “Minecraft” fan myself, the child in me loved this movie, but as an adult I cannot ignore its pitfalls.
Be advised there are spoilers in this article, if you do not wish to be spoiled I highly recommend watching the movie first.
“A Minecraft Movie” is by no means meant to be a cinematic masterpiece, but I can’t help but feel a bit sour by its deep dive into brain-rot meme territory. It’s funny, yes, but it sacrifices what could’ve been otherwise rich characters.
I saw this film in theaters a day after its release and to this day what I remember the most is Jack Black singing about lava and chicken, and referencing “Minecraft” memes every other scene.
The pace was entertaining but at times it felt off and too focused on appealing to meme culture than the story itself. Though, considering how on the nose the memes are, this was likely the intent.
Frankly, I hold no attachment to any of the characters in this movie. Other than Steve (Jack Black) and Garett Garrison (Jason Momoa), none of them had much depth (though Steve and Garett hardly have any either).
Meanwhile, Henry, played by Sebastian Eugene Hansen, felt like a character meant to be vague enough for young boys to see themselves in. This is a choice that works wonderfully marketing-wise, but solidifies this movie’s isolation of the game’s female audience.
Henry as a character has a great potential and I do wish he could’ve been explored further, I think the story would’ve benefitted from his character playing a larger role.
The female characters in this movie were absolutely abysmal, truthfully. I was rather disappointed at the characterization of both and felt they were underutilized.
It felt as if they were tossed in in order to somewhat appeal to young girls, but it falls flat. Instead it seems to reinforce the tired narrative of female gamers not being able to keep up with their male counterparts.
I can see the areas where the writers try here and there to give both Natalie (Emma Myers) and Dawn (Danielle Brooks) a stronger impact towards the end, but it does not feel authentic to me.
Dawn in particular leaves a sour taste; Danielle Brooks is an incredibly talented actress who could have added so much to this story. Instead, the writers gave us another tokenized support character at best.
The most enjoyable female character I saw in this movie was Jennifer Coolidge, who as always was playing herself. She was absolutely hilarious and had the most standout scenes among the female cast.
I truly wish there were stronger female characters in this movie, though. Appealing to both sides of the game’s audience could have benefited this movie’s success and helped push past the ‘games are for boys’ notion.
I do have some hope of a strong female lead with talks of Alex (“Minecraft’s” default female skin) potentially joining the film’s cinematic universe. Of course, this will be dependent on how she is written and woven into the storyline.
Returning back to our lead, though, I did not particularly enjoy Jack Black’s interpretation of Steve towards the end of the movie. In the beginning I found his wacky humor enjoyable, but by the end I really just wanted him to shut up.
Jack Black makes fun characters and can liven up a movie, but for some reason it just doesn’t really work here. I forgot I was supposed to be watching Steve, guiding the group.
Instead, it felt more like I was watching Jack Black make his own version of an Adam Sandler type “Minecraft” skit called Jack Black and Friends.
The plot funnily enough reminds me of Adam Sandler’s “Little Nicky,” but in a less campy way; though, I think “A Minecraft Movie” will follow “Little Nicky” in becoming a cult classic.
In comparison, “A Minecraft Movie” is not nearly as interesting. The villain, Malgosha (Rachel House), is boring and easily defeated. I think she could have played a bigger role or been scrapped for a greater overarching villain.
Even if the movie is meant to be meme-filled and fun, I think adding true elements of danger and potential destruction could’ve made it far more compelling.
There are movies, as mentioned above that lean into that wacky, nonsense type humor but still create an engaging narrative. I don’t think there’s any good reason that “A Minecraft Movie” had to sacrifice storytelling to create a goofy movie. Both can coexist.
More frustratingly, unlike other game to movie adaptations, Minecraft gives far more leeway for storytelling. It’s a sandbox game filled with rich fan lore and theories. There’s an endless possibility for stories.
If we look further in the kids movie genre, the Lego movies are a great example of bringing something meant for kids to play with and bringing them to life. They’re fun and offer so much humor and meme-able moments.
Despite its downfalls, it does serve its purpose well in being a brain-rot meme filled fan service movie. Hopefully Minecraft can get a good quality adaptation in the future, though. The potential is truly unlimited.
I would give “A Minecraft Movie” a 2 out of 5 quality wise, but it is a fun watch if you’re looking for something completely unserious to watch with family or friends.
“A Minecraft Movie” is currently showing in most theaters.