I put off watching A Minecraft Movie for a week due to all the noise it was making from certain crowds obsessed with the whole “chicken jockey” line before destroying the theater. I regret that decision. This movie - featuring totally on-brand performances from Jack Black and Jason Momoa should have been a DAY ONE viewing, it’s that funny of a movie.
Honestly, I should have known that this one would be swinging for the fences with its whacked out characters and tater tots obsession when I first heard that Jared Hess was attached to direct the movie. Maybe it was because this movie had been in development Hell for so long. I think it was originally announced in 2014 but, either way, sleeping on this film - which it turns out REALLY is the best video game movie - is a mistake.
Especially if you like Napoleon Dynamite.
Momoa plays Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison, a video game store owner and former game champion, who is as pathetic (and laugh out loud funny) as he sounds. He really is a sad, sad clown in his pink fringed jacket parading around town as if it still is 1985. It is by chance that he meets Henry (Sebastian Hansen), a creative kid who gets into a bit of trouble at his new school and his sister, Natalie (Emma Myers), who is Henry’s legal guardian. Theirs is a sad story, yet the movie doesn’t dwell too long on those things. It has bigger stuff to mine.
This is, after all, Steve’s story. Jack Black, who narrates an absolutely engaging 10-minute prologue, gives us all the details we need to clue us in as to just who Steve is, a former doorknob salesman who has spent years living in the Overworld after discovering the Orb of Dominance and the Earth Crystal. Lost? Don’t worry. Black explains all of that as only he can.
Once Garrett, Henry, Natalie, and Dawn (Danielle Brooks), a real estate agent who runs a mobile petting zoo, join him via a portal to a hellish world called the Nether, you will be all caught up on the endless possibilities found within a world which is easily manipulated with cubes.
With wild adventures, comedic gags involving Black riding on the back of Momoa as they fly across a pixelated terrain, and a whole lot of comical songs, A Minecraft Movie comes alive with endless creativity, perfectly mimicking the world of the video game it is based upon. It also features a fun side story involving Jennifer Coolidge and (eventually) Matt Berry which leave your sides hurting as they shake with laughter. To suggest that this comedy is a hidden gem is an understatement.
A Minecraft Movie is a charming fantasy film. It is, in fact, a block above the rest.
MPAA Rating: PG.
Runtime: 101 mins
Director: Jared Hess
Writer: Chris Bowman; Hubbel Palmer
Cast: Jason Momoa; Jack Black; Sebastian Hansen
Genre: Action | Adventure | Family
Tagline: Be there and be square.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Chicken Jockey!"
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Official Site: https://www.minecraft-movie.com/home/
Release Date: April 4, 2025
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Four misfits are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into a bizarre cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home they'll have to master this world while embarking on a quest with an unexpected expert crafter.
