After 11 years of production hell, “A Minecraft Movie” has arrived. It follows a group of misfits as they stumble into the cubic world of the titular video game and are guided by the pickaxe-toting Steve (Jack Black). Under his leadership, they must … do Minecraft stuff, which in this case generally involves battling Piglins and protecting a magical orb. The actual plot of “A Minecraft Movie” is ultimately beside the point, because it’s flimsy at best and does little to serve the film’s overall purpose of making as much money as possible. In that regard, the movie has been highly successful. It opened to a resounding $313 million in the global box office. Clips of the film have generated millions of views online, resulting in a mass pilgrimage to theaters where young viewers have thrown popcorn, confetti, and even live animals. Though this has caused contempt among theaters (many have banned unaccompanied minors at Minecraft screenings) it is a sign of one undeniable strength of “A Minecraft Movie”; the film is a delight to watch in the cinema. In a crowded room, “A Minecraft Movie” is hilarious, even if that humor is more “I can’t believe I’m watching this” than “this is actually funny.” Hearing everyone in the audience scream “chicken jockey” at the same time is oddly heartwarming.
That said, the film struggles in most areas. There is simply too much to do in too little time: Director Jared Hess has only 100 minutes to explain what Minecraft is, how it works, tell a story about it, and provide satisfying arcs for all five main characters. This turns out to be an impossible task, and results in Jack Black spending most of his time on screen picking things up and saying what they are. This also means that no character is fleshed out or interesting. In particular, the female characters fall by the wayside. The girls (Emma Myers and Danielle Brooks) are written out of the story early on, only to return in the last several minutes, while the male protagonists (Jason Momoa, Sebastian Hansen, and Black) have all the “fun.” This is a symptom of the film’s lazy writing, which is also bogged down by clunky exposition. In her character’s opening scene, Emma Myers reminds her brother “it was mom’s dying wish for (them) to live (there).” Questions of “why?” and “where?” and “who are these children?” remain unanswered because “A Minecraft Movie” doesn’t feel the need to explain.
One of the most interesting parts of the film is how it looks. It was never going to be easy to create a live-action movie based on a game made entirely out of cubes, so an incredible amount of CGI is used. At best, the film’s CGI is passable. At worst, it dips deep into the uncanny valley. The “villagers” are genuinely unnerving; They retain their cuboid anatomy, upon which realistic hair, skin, and wrinkles are placed.
In short, any Minecraft fan wanting to see the film should do so now, preferably with as many friends as possible. While “A Minecraft Movie” makes for a delightful viewing experience in the theater, it is sure to be practically unwatchable alone at home.