THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR “A MINECRAFT MOVIE”, SO PLEASE BE ADVISED!
Most of us are aware of the “A Minecraft Movie”’s existence from several internet memes, thanks to Jack Black in the trailers and teasers. These memes include Jack Black saying phrases such as “The Nether” and “Chicken Jockey,” all of which have circulated well on social media platforms.
So, going into the movie knowing all of these memes, I had a pretty decent expectation of how the movie was going to be. I also went in knowing that I, a college student, was not the key demographic for this film. It was made to be enjoyed by younger kids in approximately the 5-12 year age range. This made me have lower expectations, cinematography-wise, going into the theater.
The main plot of “A Minecraft Movie” is that four highly creative people from the “Real World,” Garrett Garrison (played by Jason Momoa), Natalie (played by Emma Myers), Henry (played by Sebastian Eugene Hansen) and Dawn (played by Danielle Brooks), are transported into the world of Minecraft by a mysterious cube. While in this new world, they meet Steve (played by Jack Black), who explains that the cube is their only way back home. However, an evil Piglin named Malgosha (voiced by Rachel House) is out to steal the cube so she can rule over the Overworld. The five friends must work together to find a missing Earth crystal to complete the now broken cube so they can return home.
Overall, I was genuinely entertained by the movie when I saw it in theaters with my friends and a lot of different audience members. Some were fellow college students and young adults who grew up playing Minecraft, while others were kids and the new generation of players. The whole theater cheered when the iconic meme lines were said and it was a blast. The cameos from Minecraft YouTubers such as LDShadowLady, DanTDM and Aphmau were a pleasant surprise to me and many viewers. It felt like a full circle moment of my childhood.
Story and plot-wise, on the other hand, I felt like the movie fell short in these aspects. I wish the villain were something cooler, like the Ender Dragon or the Wither. I wanted to see more aspects of actual Minecraft integrated into the movie, like how different mobs actually act in-game. I also felt like a lot of the female characters were undeveloped and should have had a bigger plot impact, like Natalie being able to be a kid again instead of having to parent Henry by herself as his big sister. However, I did love the side plot of Vice Principal Marlene (played by Jennifer Coolidge) having a romance with a villager. It felt random, but also so perfect for this movie and Coolidge’s character.
In conclusion, I would give this movie a solid three out of five stars rating. I enjoyed it, but would not call it a peak film of its time.
Katie Germinder is a sophomore majoring in environmental studies and sustainability.
