The Minecraft Movie was released on April 4th and is still in theaters. The movie was adapted from a video game by the same name. It follows four characters (Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, and Sebastian Hansen) who are drawn into the world of Minecraft by a mysterious portal. There, they meet Steve (Jack Black), who helps them work together to find their way back home.
Some highlights include the impressive CGI. The real-world characters are incorporated seamlessly into the “overworld” or video game world. The animals, villagers, and props look identical to the original video game. The sets use eye-popping colors that represent the fun, unserious spirit the movie embodies.
Jason Momoa also gives a notable performance. He plays the washed-up former video game champion, Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, who finds himself with three strangers stuck in the pixelated world of Minecraft. Jason Momoa steals the show and gives arguably the only memorable performance in the movie.
The Minecraft Movie isn’t horrible in a way that is so-bad-its-good, it’s horrible in a way that is remarkably boring. The low stakes and forced conflict had me nearly falling asleep in the theater. The dialogue gives the actors little to work with, with its cliché jokes and wit-lacking gags.
Jack Black gives the worst performance of his career. Every line he delivers is dialed up so much, it feels as though he is doing a caricature of himself. Meanwhile, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, and Sebastian Hansen are given little to do plot-wise. Especially Danielle Brooks’s character, who has no defining character traits or arcs.
While the movie has more identity and creativity than most nostalgia-reliant film adaptations today, it relates to the larger issue of a lack of originality in the newly released films of the last several years.
Adaptations of books, video games, and musicals have overtaken today’s theaters. They’re joined by endless sequels and prequels that lack ingenuity and creativity. While studios do this because adaptations and nostalgia-based movies are safer bets at the box office, it leaves audiences wanting something more creative and substantial to watch. If studios prioritize giving their budgets to original movie concepts, creativity can become the new normal in theaters again.
I am reminded of movies I watched as a younger kid, like The Princess Bride, that were not only funny but also smart and helped shape who I am today. Kids would be better off with movies like The Princess Bride that seek not just to make money and attempt to get away with poor dialogue and performances like The Minecraft Movie, but to entertain and teach valuable lessons.
