What is there to say about “Minecraft?” One of the highest-selling video games of all time and a bonafide internet phenomenon, what started as a small independent video game has grown into a juggernaut franchise, with more video games expanding the universe of the games and, of course, merchandise galore. But a cinematic prospect has always seemed out of reach for the franchise.
Since 2014, Warner Bros. and Mojang (the developers of “Minecraft”) have tried and failed and tried again to get the movie off the ground, but it never seemed to get on its feet until the arrival of Legendary Entertainment. No stranger to video game adaptations (creating “Warcraft” and “Pokémon Detective Pikachu”), Legendary Entertainment was finally able to launch “Minecraft” to the big screen.
“A Minecraft Movie” is the first cinematic foray for the franchise and stars an eclectic group of outsiders (Danielle Brooks, Sebastian Hansen, Jason Momoa and Emma Meyers) who are transported into the “Overworld,” where they team up with Overworldian veteran Steve (Jack Black) to stop the forces of evil from taking over the Overworld.
The most impressive feat the film accomplishes is highlighting the fantasticality of the world of “Minecraft,” bringing the audience first-hand into the odd-yssey of the “Minecraft” game. The visual effects do an incredible job adapting the creatures and features of “Minecraft” into the movie, making them seem fantastical yet realistic, from the leathery skin of the evil Piglins to the mossy texture of the notorious Creeper to the hellish Nether. The film also has a respectable commitment to practical effects, with faithful representations of the game’s tools and items. However, even with the effects, they feel bogged down by a story that does not do justice to the production design.
The story, penned by five (count em’: five) writers, does not dare broach the depths of a deep mine shaft but would rather be content with up in the grassy plains of the Overworld. If the metaphor is too complicated for you, the story’s weaker than a Zombie in the sun (they’re not getting any better, are they?). The film attempts to tell a story of how creativity is the most powerful thing ever to exist and uses possibly the least creative story to get this theme across, a simple tale of good vs. evil and saving the world from an irredeemable force of bad. It’s cliché, it’s boring, which feels especially insulting for a game as popular and ubiquitous as “Minecraft.”
To be fair to the committee of screenwriters, “Minecraft,” as a game, has no story or objective. But there could have been something more interesting. Perhaps a survival-type story starring Steve? Or a competition to build the best house that has ever been built? But the story seems more interested in pointing out references to the game rather than telling its own story, which is rather disappointing considering all that it could have been.
Out of the cast, Jason Momoa and Jack Black are highlights, playing up their characters to their natural extremes. Their dynamic helps ignite (Flint and Steel, anyone?) a rather dull cast who attempt sincerity in a movie built upon the absurdity of its own universe. In fact, the only plotline that feels appropriately absurd is a minor subplot involving a love affair between a recently divorced school principal, played by an always-over-the-top Jennifer Coolidge, and a Villager. The only issue with this subplot is that there’s not enough.
“A Minecraft Movie” is a weak first showing for the franchise. A few fun performances and great visual effects are besmirched by a bog-standard script that would rather bore you than show you the creativity of the “Minecraft” world. If you want to feel inspired creatively, just buy and play the game. It’s about the price of a theater ticket, anyway.
RATING: 2/5
