BUZZ SCALE 7/10
Among other categories, video game movies carry an infamous reputation, typically noted for their lackluster abilities to meet game expectations and poor quality of general plot. Shining through this smokescreen of negative connotations, however, A Minecraft Movie shed its surprising light on video-game-to-big-screen adaptations and placed itself as a notable film and an iconic movie in 2020’s pop culture.
The movie stars Jack Black as Steve, the protagonist of the Minecraft video game and a noteworthy icon of 21st-Century gaming. Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, Sebastian Eugene Hanson, and Danielle Brooks co-star as fellow Earth natives who find their way into the Overworld. The film follows the group’s journey to retrieve a crystal capable of sending them back home, facing monsters, chicken jockeys, a plethora of netherworld foot soldiers, and other perilous situations along their journey.
Though met with initial criticism preceding its release due to casting choice, as well as controversial realism and potential plot, the movie quickly caught on, gaining exponential traction from the TikTok community as well as other social media platforms due to several viral scenes from various teasers and trailers. The social hype surrounding its release served its purpose adequately as the collection of catchy musical pieces, as well as the vast appeal to meme culture, sparked a massive explosion in cultural popularity.
Though the movie became a household title in a short span, it still lacked canonical logic in certain areas and left some to be desired. There were overworld entities that crossed over into Earth, for example and did not gain any human reaction despite the vast difference in appearance and notable cubic shape. There was also a fairly minimal amount of building and a disappointingly low amount of crafting in the film. There were also a lot of shots, scenes, and reveals ruined by the over explanatory teasers and trailers, which took away from the majority of the anticipation value of the movie.
Though it faced some canonically confusing details and moments spoiled by consumer hype and over-virality, A Minecraft Movie still proceeded to deliver an entertaining title that brings video game and cinema fans alike together in a surprisingly pleasant blend of comedy, action, adventure, and game-like whimsy that entices viewers to buy into the world of Minecraft.
