“A Minecraft Movie”, released on April 4, brought a chaotic and thrilling experience to theaters. As the initial teaser trailer was released on Sep. 4 last year, a wave of mixed feelings followed as some fans of the massive game franchise were skeptical about the movie being live-action rather than animated.
Before the first teaser trailer, Markus Persson, founder of Mojang Studios and known amongst fans as “Notch”, revealed that Mojang Studios was in contact with Warner Bros. Pictures regarding the possibility of a movie. Following this announcement, no updates or further discussions were shared regarding the possible movie concept until the release of the teaser directed by Jared Hess.
An aspect of this movie that took many fans by surprise was the casting decision for the iconic character Steve. As the default skin for Minecraft players, the fictional character has grown immensely popular as the game has grown over the past fifteen years since its release. As revealed in the teaser, the actor who portrayed Steve was the iconic Jack Black.
While this casting announcement initially left some fans concerned about Black’s portrayal of such a famous game character, it ultimately had many fans looking forward to the comedic actor’s performance. The rest of the main cast included talented actors such as Jason Momoa as Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, Emma Myers as Natalie, Sebastian Hansen as Henry and Danielle Brooks as Dawn.
As its release drew closer, the film gained tremendous popularity across social media platforms as users created comical predictions about its potential. As a result of the hype surrounding the film and its trailers, on April 4, theaters went wild as fans quickly started trends of throwing popcorn and drinks during highly anticipated moments of the film, such as the scene where Steve shouts, “chicken jockey!”
Theaters were getting so out of hand that, in many cases, as shared online, movie theater employees were required to make announcements forbidding popcorn throwing. I attended this movie two times, once on premiere day, and on both occasions, the theater was packed full of excited fans cheering and shouting for the long-awaited film.
Although filmed in live-action, the film does include its share of CGI, predominantly in shots of the Overworld’s monsters and animals, which were executed decently. The film also features a handful of short musical performances, such as the catchy song “Steve’s Lava Chicken.”
Setting aside its popularity, the film was underwhelming in terms of pacing and plot, both of which felt tacky. While there were a decent number of flaws with this film, many have stated that the theater experience was unlike any other, and the excitement led to the film doubling its 150 million budget on its opening weekend. While “A Minecraft Movie” has its flaws, the film provides a truly unforgettable cinematic experience that I absolutely recommend for fans of Minecraft to watch.
