A Minecraft Movie Review
Making a movie based on a popular video game is like playing Russian Roulette. If a studio pulls it off right, it can be beloved by millions of people. If it’s not done right, then fans will go out of their way to ensure it’s buried in the deepest pit in the world. Let the fate of Ugly Sonic, the Assassin’s Creed film, and the 90s Mario Bros movie attest to that. Thus, when the world saw the first teaser for A Minecraft Movie, people were quick to call it cringe. The combination of live-action actors and nightmare fuel-inducing animals was a massive turn-off for Minecraft players. The film seemed destined to be another victim of the curse of bad video game movies. Yet in defiance of critics expectations, the film’s already made double what they expected. How is it pulling this off?
Simple: because the movie is cringe.
A Plot that Doesn’t Need too much Digging
The plot of A Minecraft Movie isn’t that deep or original. A group of four misfits who are unhappy with their lives find a magical artifact that transports them to the world of Minecraft. There, they meet Steve, the default character players use in the game, and learn that they weren’t supposed to bring said artifact back. Thanks to that, an evil pig overlord from the Nether threatens to conquer their part of Minecraft called the Overworld. Thus, they have to rely on their inner creativity to save this magical land from becoming as miserable and uninspiring as real-life.
From the outset, the movie likes to beat audiences over the heads with its message on the importance of creativity and imagination. This is one of the film’s problems, though: it’s already been done. The LEGO Movie did that ten years ago with its own story, and unlike A Minecraft Movie, it was largely animated, with the live-action only appearing near the end. That movie could’ve easily been a soulless cash grab, yet it managed to stay true to the heart of what makes LEGO so beloved. A Minecraft Movie tries to do this, and it succeeds at times. When it’s fully embracing the creativity of the game and all its silliness, it’s great. However, it’s hard to notice this at times due to Jack Black and Jason Momoa drawing most people’s attention.
Jason and Jack Work Well Together
Since the film decided to have the main characters played in live-action for some reason, Steve and former gaming champion Garret draw most of the audience’s attention. The reason why is because they’re each played by Jack Black and Jason Momoa. Both are actor’s who naturally draw people’s attention when they’re onscreen. Once they’re working onscreen together, though, they form a singularity of attention-grabbing power that makes people forget about everything else. That’s not a bad thing, mind you; the two manage to play off surprisingly well against each other. The main problem is that it makes the more cringe-worthy parts of the film more noticeable when they’re not onscreen.
If you’re wondering what, exactly, can be called cringe about this film, it all boils down to the plot. It’s a very bare-bones story and, like I said, one that The LEGO Movie already told a decade ago. Add in the fact that Minecraft players have managed to create incredibly deep and immersive stories through the game, and the shallowness only becomes all the more apparent. Any hardcore Minecraft fan who was expecting a story on-par with the Dream SMP is setting themselves up for disappointment. So, again, why is this movie doing so well?
Again, the answer is because the movie is cringe.
Yes, there’s a Good Kind of Cringe
Believe it or not, there’s actually a kind of cringe that can be considered “good.” It’s the kind of cringe where you look at somehow you know is bad or weird, and you ask yourself “why am I watching something like this?” Yet, despite thinking that you should watch something else, you can’t help but continue looking at whatever it is you’re looking at. Then you slowly start to like it, want more, and before you know it, you love it. A Minecraft Movie is that good kind of cringe.
Yes, the plot is nowhere near as creative or imaginative as it could have been. Yes, the cast should’ve been animated once they arrived in the Overworld. But, while it’s not going to be taking any awards home, you can tell that the people behind this movie did try and bring the game to life. And they actually did a good job of making the animals look less nightmare-inducing and more entertaining. Plus, Jack Black and Jason Momoa’s onscreen bromance proves to be very entertaining. Considering Jack’s a comedic actor while Jason’s best known for playing strongmen like Khal Drogo, Aquaman, and Duncan Idaho, they’re that odd pair that just works together. They could cut out the rest of the main characters, and I would still watch the movie just to see the two together.
Technoblade Never Dies
Another reason why the film’s going to succeed is the fact that it’s Minecraft. People have managed to take the act of playing the game and made it into their entire careers. Some of the biggest names on YouTube are Minecraft players. While the film could’ve done more to include them in it, they do pay tribute to the players in a small, but meaningful, way.
To the uninitaited, that pig with a crown may seem completely random. However, many Minecraft players will instantly recognize it as a tribute to the late Technoblade. He was a legendary, known as one of the best players in the history of the game, and ever since his untimely death in 2022, his legend has ony gotten bigger. The filmmakers didn’t need to add that tribute, but they did it, anyway. It’s a nod of respect to the players who helped make Minecraft what it is, and that alone is worth the price of admission. And if you have any freetime, you should look up any videos that have to do with him. He is every bit as hyped as people say he is.
This might be one of those films where I wind up going to see it again in theaters.
