Packed with cotton candy sheep, bipedal pigs and cubic zombies, “A Minecraft Movie” isn’t a film for critics or cynics. It’s an unabashed tribute to a generation that grew up playing the best-selling sandbox game and, in the process, cultivated peculiar tastes.
In the run-up to its release on April 4, 2025, “A Minecraft Movie” stirred a mix of excitement and concern. How would director Jared Hess adapt a video game known for its lack of plot, minimal characters and signature blocky graphics to the screen? Could he replicate the box office success of “Sonic the Hedgehog,” “The Super Mario Bros Movie” and “Detective Pikachu”? The early returns indicate a resounding yes: despite its flaws, “A Minecraft Movie” has already broken records, boasting the best opening weekend for a video game adaptation in history.
The story follows Henry (Sebastian Hansen), a creative and intelligent kid who feels out of place in his small rural town, and his overly responsible older sister Natalie (Emma Myers). Joining them are Garrett Garrison (Jason Momoa), a down-on-his-luck former video game champion clinging to his confident, “macho” persona, and Dawn (Danielle Brooks), a compassionate realtor who dreams of opening a zoo. The movie’s anchor is Steve (Jack Black), the iconic “main character” from the Minecraft video game.
The film begins with Steve’s narration of past events: his discovery of a magical artifact, the Orb of Dominance, which opens a portal to the Minecraft Overworld, and his subsequent travels to the Nether, where the sinister piglin sorceress Malgosha (Allan Henry) is plotting to conquer the Overworld and outlaw creativity. Although Steve is captured, his dog escapes with the orb and delivers it to the small town of Chuglass, Idaho. There, Garrett—nicknamed “the Garbage Man”—discovers the orb in an old Atari box. The plot kicks into gear when Garrett, Henry, Natalie and Dawn are unexpectedly pulled through the portal. When they arrive in the Minecraft Overworld, the magic crystal enabling inter-world travel is accidentally destroyed, launching the group on a daring quest. Together with Steve, they take on Malgosha’s minions and race to recover the Earth Crystal and reunite it with the Orb of Dominance in order to return home.
For those whose viewing choices hinge on cinematic merit, let me be clear about my critical assessment: “A Minecraft Movie” is not good. The plot is convoluted; the characters are surface-level and their development is forced; the graphics are charming but clunky and the themes, while thought-provoking, are painfully heavy-handed. Objectively, it’s a 5/10 film at best. And yet, I loved it.
Despite its cinematic shortcomings, “A Minecraft Movie” delivers an undeniably enjoyable experience. I approached the film anticipating silly, lighthearted entertainment and it delivered precisely that. While not every joke hits the mark, the misses aren’t frequent or extreme enough to undercut the overall humor. Several scenes had the audience laughing out loud or applauding particularly clever references. The film is peppered with amusing nods that are guaranteed to make any Minecraft fan smile.
The colorful, blocky world is just shy of too vibrant, offering a visual spectacle that captivates without overwhelming. The soundtrack is sufficiently close to the video game’s to be obvious to fans without feeling copied and pasted. And the themes of the power of creativity and the importance of valuing the real world over escapism, though perhaps too on-the-nose, resonate with impact, effectively referencing the core message of Minecraft itself, as outlined in the game’s haunting end message.
What truly sold the movie for me was its unwavering commitment to the bit. Throughout the film, it was evident that the writers, actors and animators all appreciated how ludicrous it was, yet they poured themselves into their work. The actors, in particular, delivered wholehearted performances in every scene. Had the movie been less self-aware, it might have come across as juvenile or unpolished. Because it was played so straight, it instead felt fun and engaging.
When I entered the theater, I worried that “A Minecraft Movie” would be yet another in a long line of soulless, mind-numbing cash grabs so prevalent in Hollywood today. Yet, despite its commercial aspirations and achievements, “A Minecraft Movie” is bursting with genuine soul and passion. It may not redefine cinema or inspire profound introspection, but if you find yourself with a few spare hours and want some simple, straightforward enjoyment, you could do far worse than spending them on “A Minecraft Movie.”
