“A Minecraft Movie,” directed by Jared Hess, is a comedic thriller that dives deep into the world of the videogame “Minecraft.” “A Minecraft movie” released exclusively to theaters April 4, focusing on a group of characters on an adventure to escape the overworld. The overworld is the map used in the “Minecraft” game and they adapted it to the best of their ability, with an excellent mix of practical and CGI effects. The visual effects were overseen by Academy Award winner Dan Lemmon, who won an Academy Award for his visual effects work on “The Jungle Book.”
A key takeaway from this film is the acting of Jack Black, who gave in my opinion the best performance in this film, while portraying the main protagonist Steve. Black has starred in many blockbuster films such as “Kung Fu Panda”, “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” Throughout this film we see the story of a group of newcomers interacting with Steve. Steve takes on this mentor-like persona, teaching the rookies how to survive in the overworld. Black’s acting throughout the film perfectly captures the comedic tone the film goes for, landing all kinds of jokes alongside Jason Mamoa, who portrays Garett Garrison. The film’s light-hearted jokes appeal to not only the younger audience, but also adults, making it a great film for the family.
There has been a recurring trend on social media about the film. Before the release of the film, a trailer was released where they would reveal the iconic “Chicken Jockey” line for the first time. This short clip caused all kinds of mayhem online leading up to the release of the film, where even more mayhem would be caused, this time in the theater. Due to Jack Black’s comedic line delivery, fans online decided to create a trend to yell and throw popcorn, drinks and other items when this line would be delivered on the big screen. Due to this chaotic behavior, most theaters have put warnings on before the film is played, telling everyone to not participate in the challenge. Because of this, most movie enjoyers who appreciate quiet scenery and non-talkative spaces have come to not enjoy the film in theaters.
The parts of the film I didn’t enjoy were some of the acting from the main cast, as well as the pacing. The pacing in this film is a little too quick for me. At points it feels like you jump from one thing to another with no further explanation and I personally didn’t enjoy that. When it comes to the acting, I thought some delivery was lacking emotion and even character and definitely could have been better.
Overall, “A Minecraft Movie,” besides the chaotic behavior in the theater, is an enjoyable film for younger and older audiences with a unique blend of comedy, action and the overall spirit of the original video game, while capturing the creative and limitless adventures the game offers. It tells a special, engaging story with funny characters and is a must-watch for fans of the game.
I give “A Minecraft Movie” 3/5 stars.
