Written by Andreas Babiolakis

Warning: This review of A Minecraft Movie contains minor spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.

The challenge with adapting a video game into a narrative-heavy medium, like film, is the duty to capture what it feels like to play said game. Now, many video games are already narratively strong which can lend themselves to being worthy of adaptation (The Last of Us) or at least appear ready to be turned into a film or series (Metal Gear Solid, but only in the right hands). However, many video games are ones where we dictate our own stories either via how a latest match went (fighting games like Mortal Kombat) or what team we pieced together and how (Pokémon), et cetera. When a video game is seemingly endless in a sandbox way, the experience truly is about you — the player — determining what the story will be about. For me, Minecraft isn’t about building structures or works of art, simply because I don’t find myself nearly as creative, ambitious, or skilled as many players who have decided that this is how they will play the game. Rather, Minecraft is a zen stroll for me, as I wander endlessly doing whatever I feel like, stumbling upon the creations that others have worked diligently on, and not having any restrictions in sight; should I choose to build something at random, I will give it my best shot. My way of playing is not the intended way, nor is any one specific method. Minecraft allows you to play in any way you desire, at any time, and for however long. It doesn’t ask for much in return. Minecraft’s success for over a decade and with all walks of life is because of how unique and personal of an experience it is to every player thanks to its minimalist design, lack of demanding tasks, and its openness for interpretation on play-style (or even if you choose to change things up that day and that day alone before it’s back to your usual adventures).

How does Jared Hess (director of Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre) turn Minecraft into a film? Well, he and a staggering six different writers (either for story or for screenplay) tried their best with A Minecraft Movie. It’s actually astonishing how so many writers can turn out something that feels like it came out of the “Family Film Cookie Cutter Mold” factory, because you would swear that every single expected note was hit with A Minecraft Movie. Go on. Guess anything that you would find in a family film and it is here, from the obvious (the good guys versus the clear-cut villains, an underdog trying to find their way) to the specific (a character’s fake-out before their timely return at precisely the right moment). Now, I don’t expect a film that is intended for all ages (or, let’s be honest, primarily children) to reinvent the wheel, even with the right components and a crafting table, but I do think that storytellers need to try to at least give us something a little fresh when the cinematic medium is well over one hundred years old at this point. In the day and age of streaming, a film cannot just rely on the obvious to stand out; if we have access to anything and everything (for the most part), isn’t it easier to just flip something of our choice on than to take a risk by going to the theatres and getting something we’ve seen countless times before?

Nonetheless, I think A Minecraft Movie will still do gangbusters because of how successful the property has been and how popular the merchandise surrounding it continues to be. Many parents will be taking their kids to this film and, despite my reservations surrounding how plain and unoriginal it can be at times, A Minecraft Movie is actually otherwise decent. It is a harmless and fun affair that will prove to be a nice outing for families. They will join Steve (Jack Black): the first human from our reality who stumbles upon the “Overworld” (and, subsequently, the Nether, where he is trapped by the piglin leader, Malgosha). Black is nothing like the Steve of Minecraft, but, given that the character in the game is virtually quiet and acts as a tabula rasa for players to inject themselves into the protagonist, we can safely argue that this is how Black decided to play Steve: as himself. Makes sense. Meanwhile, Garrett (Jason Momoa) peaked early in life having been an expert video game player back in the 80s; he is now struggling to keep his video game store afloat. You will also find the young Henry (Sebastian Hansen) and Natalie (Emma Myers), who are new in town and have moved after the death of their mother; they don’t appear to fit in all too well, especially after Henry’s latest invention — a jetpack — doesn’t go according to plan. Finally, there’s real estate agent Dawn (Danielle Brooks) who has always dreamed of having a petting zoo. That’s pretty much it for her character.

*A Minecraft Movie* is a decent attempt at taking the iconic sandbox game and giving it a through-line story (one we may have heard ten thousand times before, mind you).

What do all of these walks of life have in common? They wind up in the Overworld alongside Steve. It may seem nonsensical, but I’d argue that this mish-mash of people is precisely the best part of A Minecraft Movie. What does online gaming grant more than anything else? A space for people of different backgrounds, time zones, and life paths the ability to share this one commonality; in that moment, we are all a part of the same reality. A Minecraft Movie does nail the versatile demographic of the video game at least in tone, and this comradery of drastically different people (or “players”) felt authentic to me. Now, does being a gamer then make A Minecraft Movie a better watch, since those who don’t play video games may not care about that element nearly as much? Sure, and a film should never require you to live a certain way or have knowledge of references in order to succeed: they should stand tall on their own. I still think that A Minecraft Movie can represent how we can all band together to defeat greater evils (a typical sentiment in these kinds of films, but I don’t mind seeing it when the world is experiencing a nosedive as of late: we need that optimism now more than ever).

Now, I will admit that much of A Minecraft Movie is contingent on the viewer knowing how the game operates, as there are many references and Easter eggs that wouldn’t make a lick of sense to the average person. There may be the smallest hint of disingenuous marketability at play here (without revealing how, the film sets itself up for a sequel in quite a not-so-discrete way, so expect Another Minecraft Movie to exist in the near future). Otherwise, most of the film feels like everyone on board actually cared about this project and wanted to deliver something sincere for all of the fans and families across the world. Every cast member clearly has a blast and goes all-in. The world has much life breathed into it (this poses as a little contradictory at times, seeing as these signature, blocky characters and worlds are given textures and fullness when, say, the token sword looks as flat and pixelated as it does in the game). There’s always something going on in the foreground or backdrop, and you will never run out of things to notice. Sure, there may be excuses to do certain things, like have Jack Black sing a song in the film (actually, there are three songs of varying natures) or toss in a Minecraft llama be the punchline of a pivotal joke (I sense this is a Napoleon Dynamite callback). Of course, the film does suffer a little bit from expecting viewers to know the game inside and out (it’ll be far less rewarding if you’ve never played). Having said that, I do think that A Minecraft Movie winds up being a so-so affair: one that isn’t instantly forgettable, but it isn’t exactly groundbreaking or mesmerizing either. Will you feel compelled to play the game right afterwards? Sure, but I can’t tell if that’s out of inspiration or out of you wanting to craft your own story after you watching an honest-yet-flawed attempt.

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.