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A Minecraft Movie has just hit screens, and I’m so glad audiences can finally experience the joy this silly, fun-loving film can bring. After months of suffering backlash from its questionable first teaser, social media memes, and, more recently, scathing reviews from adults who take themselves way too seriously, I think we all need to admit that A Minecraft Movie is a goofy escape we all need from our real lives.
Warning, this article contains mild spoilers for A Minecraft Movie, so if you don't want even a single detail spoiled, go and watch the movie – but read our A Minecraft Movie review first.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that this is the film of the year or that it breaks any boundaries in terms of filmmaking. Adults will surely be able to predict the plot from a mile away. But that isn't the point. This is a film for Minecraft fans of all ages, and will make any crafter feel like a kid again.
A trip down memory lane
Now, I’m not sure if it's because I was sitting in a room full of children while watching this movie. Or I was just overwhelmed by seeing the world I have loved for 10-plus years finally come to life, but this movie really made me feel like my 13-year-old self playing the Minecraft game for the first time again. And I think this is largely down to the array of different characters on screen who get to experience The Overworld.
Directed by Napoleon Dynamite’s Jared Hess, the movie follows four real-world humans; teenager Henry (Sebastian Hansen), his protective older sister Natalie (Emma Myers), ex-gaming legend Garrett the Garbage Man (Jason Momoa), and animal-loving real estate agent Dawn (Danielle Brooks), as they get pulled into a magical cubic world where their only chance of survival depends on a strange and smelly character named Steve (Jack Black). Yep, the very same Steve from the game.
Crucially, out of the four, there is someone that any viewer can relate to in some way. For me, I related to Henry, a kid who doesn't quite fit in and uses his creativity as an outlet. Watching Henry enter The Overworld for the first time, build his first house, and experience such joy in crafting, reminded me of myself playing the game for the first time over a decade ago. In this regard, it's obvious that the people behind this film are real Minecraft fans who have managed to bring the in-game experience to life.
A Minecraft Movie for Minecraft fans
The main reason I love this movie is the amount of care put into injecting Minecraft culture and lore into this film – just see our vast list of A Minecraft Movie Easter eggs, references, and cameos for a taster of the sheer amount of nods and deep cuts.
When talking to the cast and director of A Minecraft Movie, it became apparent that the game holds a special place with each of them, with Hess and Black saying they play the game with their children, and Hansen and Myers adding that they have crafted all throughout their childhoods into early adulthood. Even Brooks, who hadn’t played the game before shooting, confessed how honored she is to be a part of the project and hopes to be welcomed by Minecraft fans.
The team even went a step further and got the experts on board by having Minecraft’s lead designer and the Chief Creative Officer of Mojang Studios Jens Bergensten, consulting. Mojang’s Creative Lead Torfi Frans Olafsson also serves as producer. Not only this, but the film also pays tribute to one of the most influential gaming YouTubers, the late TechnoBlade. Now that's called knowing your audience and respecting their culture.
So what are you waiting for? No matter if you’re 12 or 42, you will get something out of one of the funniest new video game movies. Whether you’re a kid amused by Jack Black’s humorous portrayal of Steve, or you’re an adult trying not to laugh too hard in front of your kids at Jennifer Coolidge’s character telling Garrett the Garbage Man that she’d like to bag him up and take him to the curb.
A Minecraft Movie is out now. For more on the film, see our guides on A Minecraft Movie’s post-credits scene and our A Minecraft Movie ending explained, or see our list of the best video game movies.
