What to Watch This Weekend – A Minecraft Movie

A Minecraft Movie is a story about a magical land of endless creativity. Steve (Jack Black) is man with a simple goal: to become a miner. With a big imagination and a bucket full of intention, Steve eventually achieves his dream. However, in doing so Steve unwittingly opens a gateway to the Overworld. In this strange, cubic land Steve learns that he can craft anything his mind can conjure. Steve also discovers he’s not alone. An army of evil piglins led by the nefarious Malgosha (Rachel House) seeks to end the whimsy and spread darkness across the world. When Steve tries to hide the key to unleashing Malgosha’s plan, it falls into the hands of Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Jason Mamoa). When Garrison, a washed-up gamer, accidentally gets transported into the Overworld along with a few others, they decide to team up and stop Malgosha.

What works in A Minecraft Movie is the dedication to the ridiculousness. In summary, A Minecraft Movie is a cinematic sugar bomb. It is unapologetically goofy, nonsensical, and weird with a visual volume set constantly to 11. And because director Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre) and his cast go all-in on this approach, it works. The script could have been written by an enthusiastic kid who opens every scene: “wouldn’t it be cool if…?” While that tone may take some a moment to get used to, once acclimated audiences of all ages will succumb to laughter. The wackiness and over-the-performances are a perfect match for this adaptation as the video game encourages out-of-the-box dreaming.

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People who don’t enjoy absurdity as a form of comedy may not enjoy A Minecraft Movie as much as others. This is not a movie where the plot makes sense. The characters are purposely one-dimensional. The barrage of jokes and pratfalls is an assault on the sense that may leave some feeling exhausted. For all these reasons, people may A Minecraft Movie not to be their taste. For those interested a film that feels a bit more grounded may choose another option. An easy litmus test: how do you feel about a movie where all of Jack Black’s lines are either screamed or sung?

A Minecraft Movie is the kind of movie that kids, or kids at heart, will squeal at. There are plenty of easter egg references to the source material to satiate fans, but even noobs will find lots of humor. A Minecraft Movie is a very specific flavor of film. While it might not appeal to everyone, it’s refreshing to see movies that take big risks in the name of entertainment still being made. Highly recommended for fans of the genre and the franchise.

Recommended if you enjoyed: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, Spaceballs,

A Minecraft Movie is available to see exclusively in theaters starting on Friday, April 4^th, 2025.  

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