A Minecraft Movie
Writers: Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, Neil Widener, Gavin James, Chris Galletta, Allison Schroeder
Director: Jared Hess
Cast: Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, Sebastian Hansen
Thanks to finding recent success with The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Paramount's Sonic franchise, it seems as though video game movies have finally found their stride. Now, Warner Bros. is looking to keep that streak alive with A Minecraft Movie — a family-friendly romp that's unafraid to get a little silly while also reveling in the massive popularity of its source material.
Black, reuniting with dirctor Jared Hess for the first time since 2006's goofy-yet-heartfelt Nacho Libre, plays Steve, a character obsessed with mining (and the OG lead of the very first Minecraft game). The film opens with his backstory and provides a handy crash course into the lore of Minecraft: Back in the '80s, Steve and his faithful dog Dennis hid a magical orb on Earth to prevent it from falling into the hands of the evil Piglin sorceress Malgosha (Rachel House), who planned to use the bauble to steal all of the gold in the Overworld and end creativity once and for all.
Fast-forward to the present where we meet Garrett (Jason Momoa), a former 1989 video game world champ who now runs a used video game store and scours abandoned storage units in search of hidden treasures. After one such sale, Garrett finds the aforementioned orb.
Meanwhile, siblings Natalie and Henry move to town after the passing of their mother. Natalie (Emma Myers) lands a job as the social media coordinator for the local potato chip factory, while budding builder Henry (Sebastian Hansen) struggles with being the new kid at school. Following a chance encounter with Garrett at his store, the pair decide to combine the two parts of the orb discovered earlier in the film. This inadvertently ends up opening a portal to the mines, setting the stage for an adventurous journey. Garrett and Henry decide to check things out before being joined by Natalie and realtor Dawn (Danielle Brooks) soon after.
It is here that this goofy quest comedy really finds its groove. The 55-year-old Jack Black is as endearing as ever, delivering his signature energy to everything he does. Yes, between the exaggerated words and spontaneous singing, he's basically playing a variation of the same lovable goofball we've seen him portray since Shallow Hal and School Of Rock but, it works! The man brings his A game to every scene and this is only further complemented by the big screen bravado of Momoa's Garrett — who is essentially a synergy of Aquaman and Fast X's Dante dialed up to an 11. I love how well the two actors fed off of each other. While I did find some of the dialogue and ensuing gags somewhat clunky, I will say that their on-screen bromance really helped carry the film and had me laughing far more times than I had initially expected while waiting for the theater lights to dim.
That's not to say that the supporting cast gets overshadowed. Emma Myers, fresh off of her breakout role in Netflix's Wednesday, adds warmth and wit as Natalie, while Danielle Brooks' Dawn brings a refreshing energy that helps keep the story moving. Sebastian Hansen also does a really nice job holding his own among the Hollywood heavyweights, making Henry's journey of self-discovery feel genuine. You can't help but root for him. While the plot is rather predictable, it's also comfortably familiar, packed with themes of teamwork, perseverance and the joy of creation.
However, it's also worth noting that A Minecraft Movie is not going to appeal to everyone. From the moment it starts, it becomes quite clear that this film is tailor-made for fans and players of Mojang's wildly popular sandbox game — of which I am neither. As such, some of the references and jokes may very well go over the head of your average viewer. Luckily for me, my 11-year-old daughter — a devoted Miner who absolutely loved this movie — was more than happy to help fill in the gaps.
Beyond its deep ties to the game, this family-friendly flick is further buoyed by the chemistry of its cast, impressive visuals and Jared Hess' signature absurdist humor. No, it's not as charming as The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Nor is it as visually striking as Spielberg's Ready Player One. However, in this new age of big budget video game adaptions, A Minecraft Movie stands out as being a new kind of 'block buster' that's just plain fun — and isn't that what going to the movies is all about?
Rating: 7.5/10
