A Minecraft Movie

The story is weak, the villain is forgettable, and the humor just doesn't land. I only laughed twice the entire time, and even that felt like a stretch. With five writers involved, you'd expect at least a few clever moments, but instead we get tired, recycled jokes that either go nowhere or get dragged out until they're painful. Jack Black is doing his usual over-the-top shtick, and Jason Momoa feels like he's in a completely different movie, awkwardly bouncing between fake tough guy and loud, screaming goofball. A couple of silly bits might get a smirk, but overall it's an obnoxious, lazy, and tone-deaf adaptation. One of the most forgettable video game movies I've seen in a while.

Jason Mamoa was absolutely fantastic in this movie. To me and my wife he was the highlight. He seriously deserves an Oscar for bringing a caricature to life and making us care about his character. The CGI was also fantastic: vivid, richly imagined, and engrossing. It was remarkable that a majority of the film occurs in the Minecraft world and yet it (and the real human characters in it) felt truly real. Truly outstanding work by the whole production team. There was also a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, and over the top silliness which was a ton of fun. On the way home all of us (me, my wife, and our three kids: 13,10, 8) were sharing our favorite moments and quips from the film. Our kids loved it, and from the engagement I heard of all the kids around us (some much younger than ours), everyone was having a good time. I'd say this is a fun family film anyone from 4 to adult (I'm 47) will enjoy. And thanks again to Jason Mamoa for committing so hard to his character and Jack Black for bringing the music and enthusiasm.

The film is quirky and somewhat stays true to the game. The cast is unhinged to the point where it works. Sure there are some cliches here with the story and then as well as character flaws but the film paces itself well and delivers a well rounded family film. Jack Black does the absolute best with what he is given as well as Jason does. Both of them lead the project with grace. As for some of the supporting characters, they seem to have a few tropes that were heard of before. I've played Minecraft for 10+ years and this is the best version of film we're going to get at this high of budget. Is the film perfect, no. But it is indeed quite enjoyable.

As a longtime Minecraft player, I've waited years for this movie-and while it didn't blow me away, it didn't disappoint either.

The film delivers solid humor and entertainment, backed by impressive CGI. Jack Black and Jason Momoa absolutely shine, but the story falls short with flat character development and a predictable, overly shallow plot that could have been so much more.

If you are looking for peak cinema with in-depth meanings and inspirations, I do not recommend watching this movie.

But if you are just looking for a simple, fun, and enjoyable movie, this might be the one for you.

7/10.

Directed by Jared Hess and written by an astounding six writers, this is obviously an adaptation to a video game that is the last game on earth you would think would have a movie adaptation.

This plot is simple. Four individuals get sucked into a portal that takes them to the Overworld, where they have to find a way out. By video game adaptation standards, this is incredibly straightforward and I'm extremely grateful for that. For whatever reason, so many writers try to over complicate plots to adaptations, which sinks so many of them.

I don't want to spoil much but I will say this is not your typically structured film, which seems very much the intention. It's Jack Black and Jason Momoa teaming up, so there was no way this was going to stick to tradition and that's what makes it enjoyable.

It really doesn't try to deflect from the fun at all. There's not a lot of drama here. It sprinkles a little in, but nothing that's going to suck you in. They want the rest to do that.

The world is big and colorful and really fits the game. The effects aren't perfect by any stretch of the imagination but that sort of fits the game as well, which makes it work.

The cast is wonderful. Everyone is just so committed and into it, which is a joy.

So overall, it's fun period. I'm not entirely sure what most were expecting. Were people expecting the Godfather or something? No, it's Minecraft, it's a simple game that's fun. Anyone expecting this movie to be anything else were raising the bar way too high.