“A Minecraft Movie,” directed by Jared Hess, marks the best-selling game of all time’s first big-screen adaptation attempt. Adapting “Minecraft” for the big screen seems like an intense feat considering the game’s sandbox nature. The story follows a gang of heroes, led by the game’s iconic lead character Steve (Jack Black), who find themselves lost in the cube-like world and dragged into a ploy to save the Overworld from the Nether’s evil creatures.
To put it simply, “A Minecraft Movie” features a horrendous script. The writing feels like audiences are witnessing a plot with events drawn from a hat and dialogue written by an executive boardroom that neither played “Minecraft” nor cares how good a kids’ movie is due to the automatic success the IP carries.
Hilarious moments appear, given the star power at Hess’s disposal. Additionally, many decisions made by the director showcase the style and flair that fans of his work love, but overall, the film remains a mindless leap into a world that deserves much more care than it receives. The film displays multiple plot holes, like Steve’s final motivation to leave the Minecraft world, where he quickly changes his mind despite showing his desire to stay in the Overworld the entire film. There’s also a paper-thin motivation for the main villain’s motivation to overtake the Overworld, which is a desire for gold and disdain for creativity, are paper-thin motivators. These examples only scratch the surface of the script’s narrative issues.
Despite the incredibly sloppy script, some shining gems break through the chaos. Several Minecraft references appear in the film, such as tributes to the content creators who helped popularize the game and inside jokes such as the Chicken Jockey. The film’s art direction feels lively. Audiences may be skeptical to see the film take the live-action approach to an adaptation of a game that’s primarily made of pixels, but it comes together quite nicely and gives many of the mobs and environmental set pieces the justice they deserve. The cutest model comes in the form of the bee, as its many little hairs make it stand out against the other less colorful and intimidating mobs. Most of the mobs in the film, like the Creeper, have the addition of hairs, but this approach works best with the bees. Items such as swords, pickaxes and TNT also carry over from the game to the real world quite nicely. Even the creepily large noses of the villagers do the in-game models justice.
“A Minecraft Movie” is a weird film. The script stands among the worst in recent memory, yet the vibes are immaculate and leave room for fun with the right audience. Watching this film in a full theater and with zero brain power is the best combination, as watching this on-demand at home would show just how many flaws there are. Ultimately, what makes the movie worth watching is the actors’ commitment to the lunacy, Jared Hess’s comedic directing and the beautiful attention to detail from the art department. Hopefully, when this film inevitably gets a sequel, a better team of writers will do this beloved game justice.
2 Chicken Jockeys out of 5
