It may be close to 10 years since I last played Minecraft on my old Xbox 360 (yes, I’m very young), but I’ll never forget the experience of discovering a new world, unleashing your creativity through its endless possibilities, surviving its many challenges, and, most of all, just having fun. And, even if nothing else, A Minecraft Movie definitely delivers on the fun.
The world of Minecraft brought to life on the big screen is a visually pleasing pastiche of CGI that strikes a perfect balance between Minecraft’s graphics and our own 3-dimensional world. Anyone who’s ever wanted a live-action Minecraft film will be hard-pressed to find fault with how its unique art style is colourfully and vibrantly adapted.
It’s equally delightful watching the game’s mechanics play out in real time, with the film’s well-executed choreography elevating even the most basic elements of the Minecraft experience, like breaking and deploying blocks of dirt and wood (it’s fun I swear). Even if you’ve never seen a frame of gameplay, watching the characters interact with the unfamiliar and cuboid Overworld is just plain amusing.
But for anyone who has played the games, it becomes abundantly clear that the creative minds behind the movie have, too. The main characters’ struggle to survive their first night in the Overworld was a perfect representation of every first-time player’s experience, right down to their instincts, tactics and strategy. Avid fans might also notice the incorporation of material from spin-off games as well as the wider lore of the Minecraft universe.
Essentially, the respect and dedication to the source material comes through diamond clear; the minds behind A Minecraft Movie know their stuff.
I just wish–and boy do I wish–that the same degree of care had gone into writing the plot and characters.
Don’t get me wrong, the movie is fun from start to finish. The setting is flawless, the dialogue and banter amusing (though the jokes don’t always land), and the physical comedy carries the action–Jason Momoa especially being great with the slapstick.
Unfortunately, it’s hard not to notice, like Golden Tools in-game, all this fun is driven purely by style and not substance. For starters, Jack Black’s Steve is reduced to a walking wiki, whose main purpose is spouting needless exposition by naming aloud every in-game item that appears on screen and the next place they have to go to, because God forbid any audience member who hasn’t played Minecraft leave the theatre without knowing the name of every object, location, and NPC.
And when Steve isn’t being an insufferable plot device, he’s delivering over-the-top dialogue that manages to seem out of place even in a children’s movie, which is a shame because Jack Black actually manages a charming performance in the scenes where he tones it down.
The other characters are much more tolerable, but equally hollow. Except for Momoa’s, who gets the most screen time, the others are barely fleshed out, making their motivations seem superficial, unclear, or even non-existent. Especially egregious is how much the two female leads are sidelined, at times virtually being relegated to background characters. It sucks even more that they both could’ve been the coolest ones in the movie, given that their unique skills turn out to be fan-favourite features of the games.
The mismanagement of the movie’s rag-tag team unfortunately results in character arcs that don’t come full circle and barely make any sense. Additionally, the emotional scenes feel so forced I doubt even the kids in the audience bought them.
Finally, there might be a fundamental flaw in the plot, in that the motivations of the characters don’t exactly complement the spirit of what a Minecraft adventure should be. This makes it feel, at times, like a film that just happens to take place in the Minecraft world, instead of one that’s about Minecraft. But, I guess, there’s a reason it’s ‘A Minecraft Movie‘ and not ‘The Minecraft Movie’.
Nonetheless, for all its flaws, the film evokes raucous joy and laughter from both children and adults in the audience, myself included. And, as with all messy movies, it’s extra fun to point out its flaws as you enjoy its strong points.
All in all, the A Minecraft Movie is an amusing introduction to audiences new to the franchise, while also rewarding longtime fans who understand and recognise every easter egg. And, for myself, it definitely made me feel like playing Minecraft again.
Review up by Muhd Muhaimin