“A Minecraft Movie” (2025) premiered in theaters on April 4. Jack Black leads the film as the game’s primary playable character, Steve. Jason Momoa, the film’s producer, stars as Garrett “Garbage Man” Garrison. The supporting cast includes Emma Myers as Natalie; Sebastian Hansen as Henry, Natalie’s younger brother who has a knack for mining, crafting and imagination and Danielle Brooks as Dawn, a woman with too many side-hustles to count — most notably a particular talent for communicating with animals. Jennifer Coolidge plays a minor role in the movie, starring as the principal of the school Henry transfers to, undergoing a romantic relationship and evolution with a villager. Yeah, don’t ask.

The film has been in the making since 2014, when Minecraft’s creator, Markus Persson (better known as “Notch”), leaked that it was in the making on his Twitter account. Following the leak, the film underwent years of delays and changes in its creative direction, with several directors and writers joining and leaving the film. 

However, despite low critic reviews, the film has exploded in popularity, grossing a worldwide box office of over $720 million — nearly five times its production budget. The film spurred a popular collaboration with McDonald’s geared toward both adults and children. The movie has also taken the internet by storm with viral over-the-top audience reactions to Black’s “chicken jockey” line, citing debate on proper theater etiquette. 

The Statesman’s Arts and Culture section eagerly anticipated this film since its announcement. They have graciously compiled a multi-perspective review ranging from expert cinephiles and Minecraft gamers to regular pop culture enthusiasts.

Amit:

I love Minecraft. 

I have watched countless hours of YouTubers playing and making content of the game with a world I have played in for years. The game has consistently been a part of my life, so finally seeing its film adaptation was surreal. 

I, like many, had several doubts following this film’s initial teaser trailer, which has amassed almost two million dislikes — more than double its likes. Forbes’ review, calling the teaser “utterly horrifying in almost every conceivable way,” encapsulates my thoughts on it well. 

Details like the piglins being in the overworld despite that not being possible in the game, let alone them turning into the zombified variants, frustrated me since it already became clear the film would be taking heavy creative liberties. Mixed with the strange look of creatures like the pink sheep and regular humans being present in this world, I began gearing myself for a modern horror show. 

However, now that the film is out, I can say this is a “watch with friends and laugh at it” experience that surprisingly shows a lot of appreciation and dedication towards the original block game. 

In an interview with Variety with Legendary Entertainment’s Vice Chairman of Worldwide Production Mary Parent, the film’s director, Jared Hess, explained that the film’s title being specifically “A Minecraft Movie,” opposed to the original name of just “Minecraft Movie,” was deliberate. 

“We’re calling it ‘A Minecraft Movie’ because we’re respecting the fact that there’s no one story that drives the game,” explained Parent. 

This decision is very respectable since watching the film, it is clear it took ideas from not just the original game, with the story being very similar to the spin-off game, “Minecraft Legends.”

Love for the Minecraft fanbase is another commendable aspect of this movie. The film’s inclusion of famous Minecraft YouTubers like Daniel Middleton, otherwise known as “DanTDM,” and Elizabeth Dwyer, known as “LDShadowLady,” showed attentiveness to core parts of the fanbase. However, I will say these cameos were very short and none of these YouTubers were given lines, which was somewhat disappointing when comparing it to other legendary YouTuber cameos such as the ones in “Five Nights at Freddy’s” (2023) for creators like Matthew Patrick, also known as “MatPat.”

Following the release of the film, Oliver Brotherhood, known online as “Mumbo Jumbo,” revealed that besides his small cameo, he was enlisted by Hess for pre-production help. Hess asked the Minecraft content creator to make prototype builds and machines in-game for the film, seeing what could be possible in the game and that could be translated to the film, with moments like the cactus trap coming from Brotherhood. 

A standout moment in the film is the loving tribute to famous Minecraft YouTuber “Technoblade,” whose legal name is kept private. Steve’s referral to a pig wearing a crown, referencing the creator’s icon of a pig dressed in king-like attire, as a “legend,” was very touching for me and many other fans following Technoblade’s passing in 2022. 

Other notable details are Minecraft’s lead designer, Jens Bergensten, briefly appearing in the film as a waiter and the possible Herobrine reference, with Steve’s eyes turning bright white during the enderman trance sequence. Details like these, mixed with the appreciation for Minecraft YouTubers, illustrate a passion for the community that gives this film major points. 

Despite these details, the actual plot is very simplistic with the characters retrieving the film’s MacGuffin, the Orb of Dominance, to return home. What makes the film truly stand out is Momoa and Black’s clear joy and passion they bring to their characters and moments that many other audiences cheer for, such as the classic, “I am Steve.”

However, while I appreciate the liveliness of Black’s performance, this is not a very accurate characterization of Steve, the original game’s character. Like other iconic indie game protagonists, Steve doesn’t have any dialogue; however, down to details like facial hair, this portrayal doesn’t look like the Steve skin in the slightest, besides the blue clothes. 

Video games receiving a film adaptation have a long history of very polarizing results. Films such as the “Super Mario Bros.” (1993) immediately come to mind when a live-action version of a video game is announced, since many aspects of video games that aren’t based in reality pose difficult challenges to directors and studios on how to translate them to reality.

Surprisingly, despite Minecraft’s unique blocky look and diverse cast of monsters, the film’s version of this world looked very good. The film’s version of iconic mobs, such as the creepers and piglins, had an appealing look to them. Issues begin when the film and its actors are edited into this world, with their regular appearance feeling very out of place in this colorful world.

Praise is warranted to the film’s prop department, with many scenes utilizing real versions of items in the game, giving the film a more realistic feel. 

Some released concept art for a film depicting epic battles with the game’s final boss, the Ender Dragon, makes me wonder about an alternate reality with an animated, more genuine adaptation of the film. And while I wish that was what we got, this film and its bizarre nature mixed with details for true fans puts it in a so-bad-it’s-decent category for me. 

6/10 Nether Stars. 

Anna:

Honestly, “A Minecraft Movie” was barely a movie. I don’t even know where to begin to discuss its shortcomings, so I’ll leave it to my co-writers to dive into that. What I will say is I had a great time watching this terrible movie. Feeling the palpable anticipation as every person in that theater waited for Black to say “chicken jockey” was downright magical, not to mention listening to the soundtrack during the car ride to McDonald’s for the Minecraft Movie Happy Meal. 

Score: 1/10 Nether Stars.

Ken: 

There were many routes “A Minecraft Movie” could’ve taken. Having languished in production hell for quite a long time, fans have been given years in advance to imagine what a movie based on a self-guided massively multiplayer online game could even look like. Perhaps it could go the route of 2015’s “Minecraft: Story Mode,” providing a fantasy narrative crafted from the objects and creatures found within the base game. Instead, we got a coming-of-age story nested in the aesthetics of the original game, using it as a foreign setting for its colorful cast to adventure in. It’s well past the realm of overused trope, yet I found myself bizarrely entertained.

To contend with this movie would be to break it apart in the language of a complete film, which the production behind “A Minecraft Movie” assuredly had no intention of being. What Hess had realized was that a good movie isn’t necessarily interchangeable with a memorable one. Whether or not by intention, this movie has hit upon a goldmine of absurd creative decisions that all but tripped and fumbled into dumb glory. Black’s comic over-delivery? An odd C-plot where the principal character is implied to sleep with a villager? Steve flying Garrett using his butt-cheeks as a steering wheel? This is cinema.

“A Minecraft Movie” is laden with a surprisingly upbeat and well-crafted soundtrack (composed by Mark Mothersbaugh) inspired by the game’s iconic score, with additional tracks from artists such as Dayglow, BENEE and Dirty Honey. Certain segments of the film, such as “Steve’s Lava Chicken,” were certainly included just to have an excuse for Black to belt out in song. Black, of Tenacious D and “School of Rock” (2003) fame, has certainly earned the privilege to do so. I enjoyed it so much that I woke up the next day with the lyrics of the song pounding in my head. Good job, movie?

The creative team behind “A Minecraft Movie” was challenged with a seemingly impossible task of translating a world entirely made of blocks and 64-by-64 pixel resolution into an environment that would hold up against a live-action cast. For what it’s worth, they did a commendable job. Far be it from me to say anything in this movie was particularly visually pleasing, it was still satisfying to see the design choices made to reconcile the two worlds. The “real world” still retained the classic Minecraft font and vibrant color palette. The practical sets of the overworld made the interactions between the cast and its environment feel material, while the computer-generated imagery (CGI) translations of Minecraft mobs were an interesting novelty. 

Although I believe it’s worth asking why the zombies weren’t green Steves? 

Just a thought for the inevitable sequel.

While I found myself bored to tears by most of the movie’s cast, Black’s Steve and Momoa’s Garrett stand out as a pair of dynamic comic relief. Midway through the movie, Garrett, a dried-up gamer from the 1980s, inexplicably delivers a monologue about how depressed and unemployed he is — which I can only imagine came from the troubled souls of this movie’s seven screenwriters. However, Momoa delivers these lines with such earnestness that I could not help but applaud both the depth from which these writers chose to instill in a himbo parading around in a pink jumpsuit. Steve, transplanted from the games, seemingly only exists to act as a liaison between the cast (and uninitiated audience) into the world of Minecraft. As a result, Black plays the role with such overdramatic emphasis on every word, to hilarious effect. 

If you know, you know.

There has been a certain trend in cinema’s post-pandemic years, where event movies are determined by virality rather than marketing. “Minions: The Rise of Gru” (2022) gave rise to parades of teenagers dressing in suits to go see a children’s movie. 2023 gave us “Barbenheimer,” the social-media trend capitalizing on the dissonance between the “Barbie” (2023) and “Oppenheimer” (2023) shared release date. “A Minecraft Movie” has hit the perfect generational intersection: being an adaptation of a beloved childhood intellectual property, as well as a viral meme, giving rise to yet another internet classic.

These trends, which have propelled their movies to new box office heights, remind us of our capacity to uplift arguably undeserving films to unprecedented social status. Maybe it’s a good thing for cinemas, whose attendance has been dropping in the post-pandemic age of streaming. Or perhaps there will be larger implications for us rewarding studios who have grown complacent with their ability to turn out creatively bankrupt projects. Whatever the outcome, I’m glad “A Minecraft Movie” exists, to remind us that joy exists in the most unexpected of places. 

Score: 7/10 Nether Stars.

Teagan: 

I did not expect “A Minecraft Movie” to be hailed as peak cinema or be anything of substance, but I expected at least a heartwarming story with a narrative. My hopes were too high because that was not the case. I found the movie to be just a bunch of clips put together that would be deemed “trendy.” I don’t really understand what the screenwriters were trying to achieve with this film. Who was it for? Kids? Minecraft veterans? Who?

 The theme of “bringing your creativity to life in the real world” is quite funny, considering this movie is creatively bankrupt and is just following the trend of making movies based on video games and toys. I think it would be way more effective had this movie gone completely into a fantasy genre and the whole movie been in the “Minecraft” world, or had “Minecraft” the video game existed in the film. But, despite my critiques — having played Minecraft since I was young — seeing the game I spent countless hours devoted to on the big screen was nothing less than heartwarming. 

Score: 1/10 Nether Stars.

Sarah: 

What makes a movie experience entertaining usually relies on one’s anticipation and excitement for the film. Maybe it’s the “hype” film of the year, or a niche or not-so-niche genre that demands emptying my wallet. Every movie is a cinematic experience, and while social media and moviegoers tend to use the word more often than it should, there is no denying that “A Minecraft Movie” is a cinematic experience. 

I’m going to be blunt here: I’ve never played the game, nor do I have any intention of it. Was I roped into seeing this, fulfilling my obligations as one of the habitual movie writers for The Statesman and an enjoyer of fun? Yes. Did I know what was going on? No. Would I do it all over again? Surprisingly, yes; yes, I would.

As a cinephile, I went in hoping to have a good time with laughs, and “A Minecraft Movie” delivered.

The film clearly serves the game’s fanbase — we open with a dire, iconic (as I’ve been told) and ironic opening line of Black saying, “as a child, I yearned for the mines.” The movie signifies its reliance on its source material, and as an avid franchise enjoyer, I appreciated that. I can’t entirely speak to how faithful this adaptation was, but I certainly saw elements of lore in there.

Black’s Steve takes the audience through the human world, the world of mining and crafting as well as the Underworld — the hellish land that piglins dominate — all wrapped up in a story about friendship, creativity and isolation. Oh, and Momoa is there for the ride.

The movie trusts its anticipated Generation Z audience to know the game’s setting and lore, as Steve jumps right into it. We are thrown into the vibrant, pixelated and colorful world of Minecraft, which was surprisingly more authentic than I expected the visual effects could do. The blend of visual effects and physical sets made the film immersive and pulled me out of the fact that I was watching a video game movie. There was some discontinuity with the human characters not being block-like, which I imagined would have been a nightmare for the visual effects artists.

Lore aside, the film’s quality is comical and full of inconsistencies. In their quest to acquire tools, Steve warns Henry to close his eyes should he come in contact with an Enderman, a creature with a squid-like look. During the inevitable confrontation, as Anton Chekhov would say, the camera shows him closing his eyes only to cut to him directly looking at the Enderman and falling under its trance. And while I could’ve ignored the slight slip-up, Henry never uses any of the multiple swords he was tasked to acquire; he uses only one when he breaks out of the trance in a split second and fights with the Enderman.

I was also perplexed by Natalie’s character. We are introduced to her as the head of the family, overseeing herself and her brother according to their deceased mother’s will. Okay. She speaks about taking on a motherly role for her brother and, while expressing admirable love and protection for him, she does not seem to fit the role. For one, the viewers do not know how old she is. All we know is that she had a job as a social media manager, presumably a Gen Z occupation; yet somehow, she knows how to fight very well. Well, here’s the kicker: that isn’t exactly true. 

The action was subpar and underwhelming from the ladies, but the male characters used tools. While I was a bit foolish to allow myself to build hope that Steve would actually fight Malgosha, the creature-on-creature interactions propelled the weight of the final battle enough. The CGI effects and human components of the final fight were questionable, to say the least. Was it worth it to see Steve suited in the game armour? Sure, if you care. What I couldn’t fathom was the logistics behind several unnecessary explosions, odd character tasks and what I would give to have had a scene where the characters decide what exactly they’re going to do. I suppose the part where Henry gets blown up in an attempt to get the Orb was all for Garrett to finally get his hero moment and to solidify the growing uncle-like relationship between the two.

The humor was ambiguous, especially given that this is a children’s film. There are comedic moments: Black singing “Steve’s Lava Chicken,” the widely celebrated “chicken jockey” scene and Black’s “I am Steve” proclamation — which, for the record, all earned rounds of applause. But, there’s also the incredibly chaotic and questionable Black and Momoa flight scene that gets frisky, to say the least. Garrett and the storage man’s oddly sexually-tedious encounter and all the interactions of the piglets, particularly Malgosha’s jabs at her — quite frankly — stupid minions. Other humorous moments, like the portal entry scene into the Minecraft world and Garrett’s continuous attempt to one-up Steve, contribute to the movie’s feeling of being flat. 

What I cannot deny is the interesting exploration of the theme.

The movie attempts to have a premise of the importance of creativity. In the opening scene, Steve abandons the human world for the freedoms of being able to build. Garrett is a former gamer legend on the brink of financial and emotional ruin. Can’t say much for Natalie. Henry, however, consistently expresses his “thinking-out-of-the-box/block” mentality in his classes and creations, though he is often ridiculed for it. However, it is this trait that serves him as an asset, allowing the team’s survival to the very end. 

Additionally, the only context for Malgosha’s quest for ruin is that she was laughed at a talent show for dancing. That is why she has banned art in her world and wants to destroy it once and for all.

However, this notion of embracing creativity despite societal labeling of childishness falls flat as it is drowned in comedic bits. There is an attempt to foster the arts and creativity by its physical and verbal defense. However, it is lackluster and drowned out by the comedy and nonsensical happenings throughout. The theme that does come out predominant is oddly scarce at the very beginning of the movie and overwhelmingly emotional at the end — Steve would rather have the world of free mining and crafting be destroyed than let anything happen to his wolf/dog, Dennis. 

It was sweet and oddly emotional at the end when he sings goodbye to Dennis as the dog decides to go back to the human world and Steve decides to stay in the Minecraft world. At the height of this emotion, Steve makes a last-minute decision to go back to the human world and spread his imagination and creations among humankind, arguably rendering “Ode to Dennis,” which had certain audience members in tears, useless. 

However, this arc of promoting creativity and erasing its child-like connotations is not consistently built upon. We see it in bits and pieces, with Henry being able to build things, and a thirty-second explanation that Malgosha wants to destroy the Minecraft world because she was made fun of for dancing in a talent show and harbored that resentment for eons. There is, however, an attempt to comment on loneliness and friendship through Garrett, who starts the movie near rock bottom (broke, stressed about his soon-to-be withering perfect gamer thumbs and has no friends). He ends up forming a sweetly supportive relationship with Henry and supporting his creative visions, though their relationship becomes strained midway through the film when he blackmails Steve to take a detour through the mines to get diamonds so he can make some money. 

Momoa does a great job at making Garrett annoying and loathsome, until his monologue about being overwhelmingly tired, broke and lonely makes points that relate too on-the-nose to the movie’s main demographic. He gets a chance of redemption first in an unnecessary sacrifice where he “faces death” by a comedically overwhelming amount of piglin TNT, which allows him to have a far more heroic redemption moment by saving Henry in the final fight when he seems to fall to his death after another incredibly unnecessary explosion. 

Despite these plot holes and personal confusions, I took the movie for what it was: a lens into playing the game — nothing more, and nothing less. “A Minecraft Movie” is a sit-down good time for people in need of something light and comedic that doesn’t require too much thinking. 

Final Score: 2/10 lava chickens, purely for “chicken jockey” and the pretty graphics.