A Minecraft Movie

★★ 1/2 out of ★★★★

A Minecraft Movie (2025)

Runtime: 101 minutes

MPAA: Rated PG for violence/action, language, suggestive/rude humor and some scary images.

Firstly, a word. I have fond memories playing Minecraft growing up, from building anything that came to my mind in creative mode, to exploring terrains, structures and fending myself against hostile mobs in survival mode. There are also servers where players can interact with each other, play custom-themed maps and do so much more. Minecraft was and is still prevalent in media; funny videos do occasionally pop up when I'm browsing the internet. Minecraft gave you a sense of wonder and inspiration. It also united people together.

A Minecraft film adaptation has always been in the works, and it kept getting delays, shifts in directors, producers and writers, until all anticipation slowly died down. Well, for me at least. Until director Jared Hess and a team of five writers (Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, Neil Widener, Gavin James, and Chris Galletta) picked it up and completed the project. Someone who's never played the games before wouldn't be bugged out by this, but there was definitely a sense of discomfort in me as I audibly pointed out the various inaccuracies and logical inconsistencies throughout the movie, like how elytras cannot accommodate multiple players, does not provide infinite flying time, and that firework rockets do not make you spin uncontrollably. I could also go on about how a minecart cannot accommodate two people, piglins are not generally hostile unless provoked or not wearing gold armor, hostile mobs do not have that much of a conscience, given that they're essentially NPCs (non-playable characters), or that certain crafting recipes are just illegal, but you get the gist. It's not a faithful adaptation.

Despite dedicating a whole paragraph to pointing out inaccuracies, I'm fine with these changes so long as they justify it with meaningful development, innovation or exploration of themes. Which makes a little sad to report that A Minecraft Movie largely plays it safe. There's something inherently off about the deliberate structure that contradicts the nature and intent of the game, while its cookie-cutter formula, from perfunctory arcs to predictable beats, don't fully honour the anchoring theme of creativity that it so heavily emphasizes. It's also strangely devoid of any directorial quirks or stylistic choices, but it does have some personality and effort that saves it from being a (sorry) shipwreck. I can feel its heart, but it's just not beating loud enough.

Steve (Jack Black), whom players know as the original default player of the game, narrates the opening by sharing his boredom as a doorknob salesman, eventually pursuing his childhood dream of mining. He combines items called the Orb of Dominance and the Earth Crystal, creating a portal that transports him to the Overworld, a terrain which is made of cubes, most of it which can be easily mined and placed in any location. He befriends a dog and names it Dennis, then the two stumble upon an alternate world called the Nether, accessible by a 4x5 obsidian portal which is activated by what he literally shouts "FLINT AND STEEL". The Nether is a hellish landscape, filled with piglins and a ruler named Malgosha (Rachel House), who wants the Orb and Cystal to rule the Overworld. Steve is imprisoned, while Dennis runs out of the Minecraft world to Steve's house, hiding these items under his bed.

In what basically is a repeat of Jumanji, we're introduced to Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison (Jason Momoa), Henry (Sebastian Hansen), his sister Natalie (Emma Myers) and Dawn (Danielle Brooks), characters from the fictional town of Chuglass, Idaho, whose lives somehow intersect as they are pulled into the Minecraft world. Garrett is far from his glory days, facing financial insecurity, Henry is bullied for expressing his creativity, Natalie is coping with the loss of her mother and being overly protective of Henry as he's her last family, and Dawn, well, owns a mobile petting zoo and has some funny animals. At an auction, Garrett acquires an Atari Cosmos box, only to find a random cube and glass holder in it, leaving him disappointed. Henry stumbles across his shop one day, combines these two items, and they get transported to the Overworld, where they meet Steve and all of these come together.

The main source of energy comes from Black and his interactions with the characters, especially riffing off Momoa. Steve has a tendency to over-explain and spell out everything, which is humorous, and I couldn't help but think that we were watching a man in the process of a gradual mental breakdown. He drops dialogue that literally nods itself to the source material, including a two-word phrase "chicken jockey", one that has caused major enthusiastic uproar in theatres across the world. There is some personality which flavours this otherwise bland experience. Everyone else gets their fair share of cake in many other comedic moments too. It's far from boring.

But Steve is simultaneously an asset and detriment to the movie. Minecraft is a game about adventure, exploration and creativity. Steve acts as a tour guide to the characters, pulling us through a standard narrative structure that lacks any surprise or wonder. The player learns about the world through discovery and travelling, but the inorganic and manufactured journey also has the tendency to talk down to its audience, being constantly told how every mechanic of the game works. A Minecraft Movie is also overstuffed, with multiple plot lines that have half-baked developments and raise various themes that are sadly not explored with sufficient depth. As such, it often feels like the two halves, one involving their real-world problems, and them in the Minecraft world, don't integrate with each other smoothly. Despite the displayed character arcs, it's hard to say what truly changed them in the Overworld.

Still, there still seems to be genuine effort put into the production. Placing humans into the simulation may feel a little strange at first, but it's an interesting visual deviation which immerses viewers into this alternate reality. The moments which carry the most weight are when conflicts arise, characters argue and their ideals get challenged, given that the movie raises these topics. There is an emotional core here that would have worked alongside a rousing, unpredictable adventure, one that doesn't necessarily need to have clearly defined villains but just pure exploration, personal growth and test of morals. The critic in me can continue dissecting the many other tiny cinematic aspects of it, but the fan in me wishes it was truly as eye-opening as the game was and still is.