A Minecraft Movie Review: Advocates for creativity but suffers from a lack of it
A Minecraft Movie(2 / 5)
With no set storyline for the popular video game Minecraft, the sky is the limit for setting up an adventurous plot within its realm. However, A Minecraft Movie by Jared Hess is a colossal mess in terms of storytelling. No amount of technical finesse can lift the film from the flatness of its writing.
A Minecraft Movie begins in a fictional town, Chuglas, where Steve (Jack Black), bored with his regular job, develops an interest in mining—a passion he has harboured since childhood. He realises this dream when he discovers a spot of mine. At that site, he finds a glowing cube-like orb, and it whisks him away to a different universe. This new blocky realm is ripe with mining opportunities and gets him excited. He is accompanied by his wolf-dog Dennis as he seeks to make this newfound world—one he names the Overworld—his home, a place that doesn’t judge or validate anyone’s usefulness. However, things take a dark turn when the Netherworld’s evil despotic ruler Malgosha (Rachel House), a piglin mage, seeks to exploit the Overworld’s riches for her world. She takes Steve captive to further her dark agenda. Sensing danger, Steve sends Dennis back to the real world to keep the orb out of Malgosha’s reach.
Years later, we are introduced to Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison (Jason Momoa), a former video game champion who is now a financial failure, and siblings Henry (Sebastian Eugene Hansen) and Natalie (Emma Meyer), who newly arrive in town in search of greener pastures after the death of their single mother. Through a series of events, the orb ends up in the hands of the trio, joined by Natalie’s employer, Dawn (Danielle Brooks). What their venture into the Overworld holds for them and the world forms the crux of the narrative.
The portrayal of both the Overworld and the Netherworld is faithful to the aesthetic of the video game. So too is the depiction of roles, house-building, and armsmithing mechanics. The film makes an effort to explore themes like self-worth, individuality, and creativity. However, the narrative hits a lull when the scenes shift from adventure to the inner battles of the human characters. Natalie feels the weight of being both sister and surrogate mother to Henry, which robs her of her childhood. Henry is bogged down by bullying at school and is often targeted for being a geek. Garrett is desperate, directionless, and clinging to past glory while hoping for financial success. These are all rich, dramatic threads—but they need proper depth to be effective.
Cast: Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, Sebastian Hansen
Director: Jared Hess
The battle against Malgosha doesn’t organically lead the characters to turn over a new leaf with any renewed spirit. In fact, the core issue is not with them, but with the real world that fails to value them for who they are. Sadly, this reality is never adequately addressed. Nothing substantial changes for these characters beyond the adventure. The action sequences, fantastical creatures, and gameplay-inspired visuals are fun to watch. But it’s just that—fun and nothing more. The dialogue and overall treatment of the film make it clear that it is aimed at kids. Fair enough, given that it's an adaptation of Minecraft. However, there’s a mistaken assumption these days that content made for children cannot also resonate with adults. It can—and it has, time and again.
A Minecraft Movie had a perfect setup to explore human values and moral questions. However, it misses the mark, and the cost of that miss is a lack of lasting impact. Even the characterisation of Malgosha runs out of steam towards the climax. Intriguingly, she too is revealed to have been bullied as a youngster—essentially a parallel to Henry, who might have taken a similar path under different circumstances. An encounter between the two—allowing their worldviews to collide—could’ve made for a compelling and emotionally resonant subplot. Unfortunately, they never even share the frame. Several meaningful themes are flung across the narrative, but none of them are explored in any satisfying detail.
While A Minecraft Movie excels visually and remains true to the aesthetics and mechanics of the game, it falls short when it comes to storytelling and emotional resonance. Its attempt to juggle personal struggles, fantasy adventure, and family-friendly humour ends up muddled, resulting in a film that is entertaining only on a surface level. For a property built on boundless imagination, the film ironically lacks the very creativity it aims to celebrate.