A Minecraft Movie

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When it comes to the worldwide sensation that is the open-world sandbox of 'Minecraft,' it was just another massive trend that I didn't manage to get into for one reason or another. It just didn't hit for me, even though I love it conceptually. It's all about creativity and imagination and what kinds of amazing things you can build with no limits, often compared to Lego, which is something I am a die-hard fan of, even in my 40s ("afol," look it up, people. We're everywhere).

If I had to narrow it down, my lifelong love for Lego is probably why I never got into Minecraft. Lego offers much more variety in building a physical structure than a series of cubes on a computer screen. But don't get me wrong - I greatly respect the game and what it provides to its fans. Creativity and imagination are essential in my books, and 'Minecraft' does a fantastic job of lending itself to such things. However, aside from the game's creative aspect, I know nothing about it. So, as a non-fan, how is the film?

We start with a feisty character named Steve (Jack Black), whose backstory involves fulfilling a childhood dream to mine. Luckily, it doesn't drag out; Steve eventually wanders into a mine and finds the "Orb of Dominance" and the "Earth Crystal." Combining them, Steve is transported to the "Overworld," a land made entirely of pixelated cubes that can be broken down to create all sorts of cool stuff. Or, in layman's terms, he essentially enters the Minecraft game, but here it seems more like a parallel dimension.

When Steve stumbles into another portal, it transfers him to a sort of hellscape known as "The Nether," where he is taken captive by a "piglin" mob led by Malgosha (Rachel House) but manages to give the Orb and Crystal to his pet wolf, Dennis, who escapes into the real world and hides them away from Malgosha, who could potentially use the Orb of Dominance to... well I mean it's in the name. Sometime later, gaming champion Garett "The Garbage Man" Garrison (Jason Momoa) stumbles on the Orb and Crystal, though he doesn't know what it is.

Cutting to the chase here, when siblings Henry (Sebastian Hansen) and Natalie (Emma Myers) enter the picture, moving into town after their mother's untimely death, along with their real estate agent, Dawn (Danielle Brooks), all eventually find themselves in the Overworld after Henry combines the Orb and Crystal. Malgosha learns of the Orb's return and sends her hoards after the group, while Steve breaks free from her captivity and helps the group fight off her armies of piglins, and other dangers like "Creepers" and try to get home.

As a non-fan who, at the very least, has respect for the game of 'Minecraft,' I can safely say that this was far more made for true fans. The film struck me as having quite a bit of inside jokes and gags, and the parts to do with the game overshadow a lot of the actual story. For example, we get that Henry and Natalie have no parents, but there's not much more on the subject. Instead, the film delivers a LOT of Jack and Jason going over the top for laughs that often fall flat. Most annoyingly, Momoa has this scream that is meant to be humorous against his rough exterior, but it happens far too frequently throughout the film and gets irksome.

As a movie, it reminds me almost too much of 'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,' except that I'd argue the characters here are far less likable, on the whole. However, I believe the game's fans could still have a good time with it, especially if they're kids. It works fine for what it is and is certainly not without a bit of fun. But it's another one that isn't quite for me, lacking in decent character development and having a very plain story that, again, has been done before, but with the big name of 'Minecraft' slapped on it. It's passable, possibly even good for fans, but this one didn't hit that hard for me.

3/5

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