Let me get this out of the way: Before I watched A Minecraft Movie, I knew little about Minecraft or how popular the video game is. How could I let this information pass me by? Heck, it would be easy to blame my busy life as a dad to a highly sensitive kindergartner — limited screen time and a Dog Man obsession take up most of our time.
But I’ve only been a dad for six years, and Minecraft has been a global hit for over a decade, so I suppose my fatherhood excuse holds no water. At any rate, I went into A Minecraft Movie with absolutely no expectations. Now that I’m on the other end of it, I finally see what all the fuss is about.
A Minecraft Movie (which is, interestingly, not called The Minecraft Movie) is from Jared Hess, the director of the indie hit Napoleon Dynamite. It stars Jack Black — who led the charge in Hess’s wrestling comedy Nacho Libre — as OG Minecraft character Steve. Joining Black on this absurdist, big-budget, block-building adventure are Jason Momoa as Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, Emma Myers as Natalie, Sebastian Eugene Hansen as her younger brother Henry and Danielle Brooks as realtor/animal caregiver Dawn.
Before I continue, here’s a spoiler warning: If you haven’t seen A Minecraft Movie and don’t want to know certain plot points, turn back now.
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It seems like a no-brainer that Black, who is a bona fide gamer in his own right, would guide the first big-screen adaptation of the world-renowned video game. In the film, he acts as our would-be guide, explaining the rules of Overworld — the name of this pixelated game realm — and how to survive and even thrive there. As nonsensical as things get, Black counteracts the craziness with enduring enthusiasm, which may get tiring for the adults in the audience.
But this movie isn’t really for them.
His energy, along with the cast’s collective performances and everything else that happens throughout the movie’s 1-hour-and-40-minute length, is meant for kids (and kids at heart).
Jack Black is Steve, Jason Momoa is Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison and Sebastian Eugene Hansen is Henry in A Minecraft Movie.
My daughter has never played Minecraft, but she’s spent time watching “let’s play” videos of other gamers building things. Her enthusiasm about something that may feel mundane to out-of-touch adults like me is still justifiably hers. This movie embraces that energy.
While I may not understand the allure of watching videos of someone else playing a video game, I wholeheartedly embrace what the story aims to teach. Themes like imagination, creativity, building something from nothing, community and the power of friendship abound in A Minecraft Movie.
The group ends up sharing a common mission to find the Orb of Dominance (which is actually a cube), which will open a portal to get them back to Earth. Basically, that’s the reason for their journey. In fact, the movie is an exercise in the phrase, “It’s the journey, not the destination.”
It may be thin on story, but that’s OK. A Minecraft Movie is an experience; a vibe.
Thanks to Hess’s signature comedy, which populates the movie in such a way that it feels like a call-back to the off-kilter laugh-fests of the early ’00s, and Black’s infectious chemistry with Momoa, A Minecraft Movie is a step up from the standard family entertainment I’ve seen hit theaters in recent years. The laughs that came out of me were unexpected, loud and frequent.
Two words: chicken jockey.
One thing I have noticed over the past decade as I’ve delved into more and more children’s entertainment is the lack of risk involved in story after story. I don’t mean to sound at all like a wistful Gen X-er waist-deep in a midlife crisis here, or anything. But back in my day, risk and danger in movies I watched with my mother were just par for the course. I mean, they went and killed E.T., Spock and Optimus Prime.
Instead of leaning into the trend of softening a movie’s edges for younger viewers, A Minecraft Movie gives just enough scares and danger to solidify its story stakes. Zombies ride on spiders, there are bloodthirsty giant pigs, there’s a cute-yet-violent chicken jockey (which I learned is totally a thing in the game) and the creatures in the fiery Nether realm sort of reminded me of the Skeksis, the vulture-like villains from Jim Henson’s movie A Dark Crystal, on more than one occasion.
A significant factor in why this movie works is its world-building. If you have a movie that is literally about building worlds, it’d be a crime if everything on screen was CGI. It’s not. The sets and every item the gang interacts with were built from scratch — or, shall I say, forged on a crafting table?
Aside from Black, each member of the cast holds their own, though some characters lack more development. Still, there is so much going on in every scene, I can only imagine the footage left on the cutting room floor.
Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Jason Momoa) makes conversation with a pink sheep in A Minecraft Movie.
And then there’s Jason Momoa. His performance as Garrett is a stereotype-breaker for the action star. Instead of leaning into the brooding, masculine roles that decorate his IMDb page, the actor dove headfirst into the hilarity of bringing this ridiculous man-child to life. Going on this ride requires a lack of fear and a sense of comedic adventure. If there were an MVP of A Minecraft Movie, it’s Momoa.
It’s become clear that parenthood has altered how I consume entertainment. It’s nearly impossible for me to watch movies and TV nowadays without my dad brain constantly getting in the way. It happened the entire time I watched A Minecraft Movie, and thankfully, it was a joy-filled experience from beginning to end.
Like episodes of Bluey, which also encourage kids to be creative and use their imagination, A Minecraft Movie offered a window into my kid’s imaginative view of her world. I can say with absolute certainty that this is the type of movie that will bring generations together.
The story may not have made complete sense, but that’s OK. A Minecraft Movie has a thoroughly enjoyable vibe, and that’s enough reason for me to celebrate. I suspect my kid will have the game and movie on repeat in my home soon enough. Your days are numbered, Dog Man.
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