A Minecraft Movie: Charming or Poorly-Written?

 In an oversaturated era of live-action adaptations of beloved franchises, the mere concept of A Minecraft Movie (2025) seemed doomed to fail—a notion that was quickly proven wrong. Since its release, A Minecraft Movie has seen immense success, pulling in over $917 million worldwide. Yet, despite its success, the film isn’t particularly strong; it falls in line with any other generic video game adaptation, falling back on stereotypical character tropes. Regardless of the movie’s popularity, especially on social media, it is painfully clear that A Minecraft Movie’s writing wasn’t nearly as well thought out as its marketing. 

The movie follows the story of five characters—Steve (Jack Black), Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Jason Momoa), Henry (Sebastian Hansen), Natalie (Emma Myers), and Dawn (Danielle Brooks)—who each find themselves stuck in a cubic world. At the beginning of the movie, it’s established that Steve is already in the Minecraft world, Henry and Natalie are siblings, Garrett is a former video game champion, and Dawn is Henry and Natalie’s neighbor and real estate agent. Their convoluted entrance into the Minecraft realm involves combining the “Orb of Dominance” and the “Earth Crystal” (both of which are not actual items in Minecraft), which leads them to the portal to the cubic world: the Overworld. Once they’re in this Minecraft world, the crew is constantly chased by the underlings of the Piglin Queen Malgosha of the Nether (Rachel House), who tries to steal the orb so she can control the overworld. 

The movie doesn’t take itself seriously whatsoever, which fits the playful nature of Minecraft. However, the humor itself is slightly generic and reminiscent of an average children’s movie’s humor. Most jokes revolve around Black saying a word in an amusing way—a style of humor quickly grows old; there’s only so many times you can listen to Black say “FLINT AND STEEL!” or “THE NETHER!” before it loses its humor. Fortunately, some of the humorous side plots land well, including that of the romance between Henry’s principal (Jennifer Coolidge) and a villager—a non-verbal, human-adjacent Minecraft mob. Beyond Coolidge’s charm, this storyline works since it is nonsensical but not lazy. 

Overall, Black’s performance was fun and entertaining. However, his portrayal of Steve felt similar to his other roles, with his trademark over-the-top physical comedy. The majority of the main cast suffered similarly; their performances were entertaining but shallow, especially in terms of character development. Brooks’s portrayal of Dawn felt especially lacking. Mostly consisting of silly facial expressions and a sarcastic tone, Brooks’s performance depicted Dawn as nothing more than a comedic device—a character only known in relation to others. Hansen, on the other hand, was able to elevate his role as Henry through his expert facial and body language, as well as his evolving stage presence, effectively communicating the journey of a brave but lonely adolescent seeking a place of belonging. 

A mix of practical sets, CGI, and props successfully created the colorful, imaginative world of the film that stayed mostly true to the game itself. Each of these elements worked together seamlessly, brimming with game references, from coveted ender pearls to the wonders of redstone. The mobs (creatures), however, differed from the game’s depiction, with the film leaning towards realism. This decision was effective in preventing the issue of audience boredom and storytelling issues that would have arisen if the mobs maintained their signature, static facial expressions. That said, the more realistic graphics seemed to detach the movie from its source material, leaving much to be desired for a true cinematic Minecraft experience. 

 Overall, A Minecraft Movie was entertaining, but it certainly lacked in particular areas. The main issue of the film was its writing. While it contained an abundance of jokes—albeit very cliché —the lack of innovation in the script led to a movie that felt both tired and incomplete. The absence of genuine characterization, for example, inhibited the actors’ performances and the ability of the film to connect emotionally with its audiences. What could have been a nostalgic and moving film about finding a place to belong fell incredibly short. The caliber of its visual world-building and internet presence saved the film by making it a sought-after experience. As a whole, A Minecraft Movie did not fail: it was intended to be a movie for fans, and the film did just that. That being said, it is a shame that the filmmakers did not reach for more in terms of film quality. As a result, A Minecraft Movie is now one of the many subpar blockbuster movies that will likely be lost to time.