By John Corrado
A Minecraft Movie is the recent box office phenomenon based on the popular video game from Sweden’s Mojang Studios, and it’s one of those films that is basically critic proof.
For fans of the game, it’s loaded with Easter Eggs and references, with director Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre) and a small committee of writers turning it into a colourful, hyperactive comic adventure.
This is undoubtedly a film made for Minecraft fans, and keeping up with it can be a bit exhausting for those who don’t already know the game. But the film’s party-like atmosphere, and game performances from Jack Black and Jason Momoa, enliven it, and make it somewhat easy to just go along for the ride.
The story centres around a cast of characters from Chuglass, Idaho who get sucked into an alternate dimension, that is essentially the world of the game. Black stars as Steve, the main character from the game, who also serves as our narrator and main exposition provider.
In this version, Steve fulfills his childhood dream of going into the town’s mine, where he discovers a square orb (the “Orb of Dominance”) that, when combined with the “Earth Crystal,” opens a portal to the Overworld. Steve takes up residence here, building whatever he can imagine out of blocks, and befriending a blocky wolf named Dennis. But there is another, darker dimension called the Nether, ruled over by piglin queen Malgosha (Rachel House), who wants the orb for herself.
The film then goes back to the small town in Idaho to introduce us to another group of humans who will eventually end up in the Overworld. There’s Garrett (Momoa), known by his nickname The Garbage Man, a washed up gamer who is still living like it’s 1989 when he won a video game championship; nerdy, creative kid Henry (Sebastian Hansen), who moves to the town with his older sister Natalie (Emma Myers); and their real estate agent Dawn (Danielle Brooks).
As someone who has never played Minecraft, and only had cursory knowledge going in of how it even works, it’s hard to fully judge A Minecraft Movie on anything other than its own merits as a piece of live-action family entertainment. The story itself is purely paint-by-numbers – there are elements that feel borrowed from the Jumanji sequels, which also starred Black – with Hess instead letting the creative production design and outsized performances carry it through.
Despite this being a big, IP-driven studio product, Hess does manage to put a bit of his own stamp on things. He works in a surprising amount of nods to his scrappy 2004 debut Napoleon Dynamite (there are tater tots, a llama, and even a character stuck in the 1980s), while also re-teaming with his Nacho Libre star Jack Black, who is back in a similar over-the-top mode.
For many casual viewers, A Minecraft Movie will be defined by watching Jack Black and Jason Momoa running around having fun. Momoa seems to be enjoying the freedom of playing a dumb, immature oaf, while Black is, well, Jack Black, in his full, dialled-up-to-eleven, being goofy and entertaining the kids mode. They are enough of an amusing tag team to keep the film mildly entertaining, even if their sketch-like characterizations never go beyond being one-note.
The same could be said of pretty much everyone else in the cast. Hansen does a decent job as main kid player Henry, but the film’s attempts to offer a heartfelt backstory are little more than narrative window dressing. Jennifer Coolidge also appears in a small, characteristically funny part as the school principal, who ends up meeting a rogue villager from the game world.
It’s hard to get fully invested if you haven’t played the game, but A Minecraft Movie has proven to be a formidable force with viewers, and the film does provide some intermittent entertainment value. For the less initiated, the movie became known for its social media trends, with kids shouting lines and throwing popcorn in theatres at key moments (chicken jockey!). Again, none of this makes much sense if you aren’t already a fan of the game. But it does suggest that A Minecraft Movie played well to its target audience, and will continue to do so.
Furthermore, the 2160p resolution on the 4K disc offers a fine showcase for the film’s vibrant colours and textures, and provides the most compelling viewing option for fans, backed up by a pretty solid array of featurettes on the production.
Film Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)
Bonus Features (4K Ultra HD):
The 4K disc includes five bonus featurettes, nearly an hour’s worth of content in total. A digital copy code is also included in the package, which ships with a slipcover.
• Building the World of Minecraft: Block Party (14 minutes, 18 seconds): A fairly interesting look at how the filmmakers and original game developers worked with legendary Lord of the Rings production designer Grant Major to bring the cubic, low-resolution world of the game to life, through a mix of practical sets and visual effects.
• Creepers, Zombies and Endermen Oh My! (13 minutes, 17 seconds): Expands on the previous piece to focus more on bringing the game’s blocky character designs and iconic creatures into a live-action world.
• A Minecraft Movie: Pixel Pals (13 minutes, 56 seconds): Looks at the dynamic between the actors, including the “bromance” between Black and Momoa.
• A Minecraft Movie: Block Beats (9 minutes, 5 seconds): Looks at the musical elements in the film, from Jack Black’s songs to the video game-inspired score by Mark Mothersbaugh.
• Marlene + Nitwit (5 minutes, 12 seconds): Looks at the subplot involving the relationship between Coolidge’s character and a dimwitted villager
The Joy of Movies 