Gavin Vondercrone
Editor-in-Chief
The highly anticipated film “A Minecraft Movie” hit theaters across the world this past weekend. With the grandiose of meme culture hype surrounding it, the newest blockbuster video game adaption drew in the eyes of millions from across the country.
It’s definitely a movie, made by a studio and directed by a director.
It’s viewing experience creates an interesting paradox, as watching its events unfold feels like a sensory overload, but by the end of the film, it feels like absolutely nothing has happened.
The film takes a “Wizard of Oz” like approach with its story, as the main cast of characters are transported into a new world (The Overworld) and led by an all-knowing guide (Steve) during their quest to return home.
While the writing for this film isn’t necessarily bad, the plot is about as dull as one can possibly get. Most of the characters have one-note personalities and predictable arcs, while the story itself just borrows from other fantasy tropes and adds in a Minecraft twist.
The fever dream qualities of this piece of cinema radiate at their strongest through the pure comedic absurdity it carries. If it isn’t a random musical number or strange noise from Jason Mamoa, then Jack Black’s overwhelming energy and ironically hilarious exposition will likely transport the average viewer into a state of hilarity.
Speaking of which, if you’re a fan of Black and his previous performances, then you’ll likely enjoy this film. The manic energy he brings with his performance as Steve contributes greatly to the uncanny vibe this project brings to the table.
If there’s one thing this acid trip of a film succeeds at, it’s creating some genuinely excellent visuals.
Most of the creature designs from the game are translated exquisitely into the animation format, as the iconic blocky designs are blended perfectly with a more textured, realistic style. The landscapes and set pieces are also very well done thanks to a combination of good prop design and computer generated images (CGI).
Unlike other notoriously bad film adaptations, “A Minecraft Movie” pays its fair share of respect to the game and community it represents. Cameos and references of significant figures in the Minecraft community are spread out across the film. The writers also demonstrate a basic understanding of the game and its lore as well, very rarely messing up during any of Black’s “Minecraft 101” explanations.
While these are positives that any movie of this nature would want to have, they don’t even come close to taking this movie out of the “so bad it’s good” sphere. In fact, they only help bolster that placement.
In a way, “A Minecraft Movie” perfectly sums up the current mindset of Hollywood: Take a beloved franchise, throw in some A-list actors and hope something sticks. There is no originality from a story perspective with this film; It’s generic as generic can be.
The only thing that makes this movie stand out from the rest of its bland contemporaries is the sheer mind-numbing absurdity that comes with its viewing experience. “A Minecraft Movie” truly is one giant, Hollywood fever dream.