A Minecraft Movie
April 2nd, 2025
MOVIE: A MINECRAFT MOVIE
STARRING: JACK BLACK, JASON MOMOA, SEBASTIAN HANSEN, EMMA MYERS, DANIELLE BROOKS
DIRECTED BY: JARED HESS
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: PG
RUN TIME: 101 MINUTES
For many people past a certain age (myself included), Minecraft is a mystery—what is it, and why does it deserve a feature-length movie? From what I know, my son loves to watch YouTube videos of others playing Minecraft, and from that, I gather it’s a game centered around virtual building blocks. It’s a digital world where blocky characters roam, build, and create. You craft your universe, and the more you dig and build, the more fun you have. Or at least, that’s how I understand it. A Minecraft Movie taps into the wild energy of creativity and channels it into an adventure that’s silly, fun, and a total blast for the whole family. I didn’t know much about Minecraft before, but now I can’t get enough of it.
The plot is as thick as a Nintendo Switch. We meet Steve (Jack Black), a man who discovers a glowing “orb”—which turns out to be a cube—that opens a portal to a place called the Overworld. Upon arriving in this cubic wonderland, he begins to build and create, forming a civilization with cubed sheep and his cubed wolf-dog friend, Denis. The opposite of the Overworld is the Netherworld, a dark hellscape ruled by the evil pig Malgosha (Rachel House), who aims to plunge everything into darkness. Later, in the real world, the “orb” is found by Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Jason Momoa), a washed-up 1980s video game champ. He teams up with Henry (Sebastian Hansen), a creative high schooler, his sister Natalie (Emma Myers), and their friendly realtor Dawn (Danielle Brooks). When they open the portal, they find themselves in the Overworld, where an adventure unfolds as they try to stop Malgosha before she conquers all. They take on the challenge one cube at a time.
Surprisingly, it’s the laid-back, intentionally silly approach that works in Jared Hess’ film, rather than against it. Viewers won’t be shocked to learn this is the same director behind Napoleon Dynamite, not only because of his quirky humor but also due to the recurring theme of outsiders trying to find their place in the world. Momoa’s portrayal as a rejected WWE wrestler is hilarious, while Black’s bombastic energy is fully unleashed—if you’re a fan of Jack Black (like I am), you’ll get your fill. The film also sprinkles in enough Minecraft references to keep die-hard fans excited to see their favorite game come to life. The Lord of the Rings-esque quest to save the Overworld is the weakest part of A Minecraft Movie, as the plot is fairly standard for video game adaptations—think Mortal Kombat or The Super Mario Bros. Movie—where the destination is predictable, but the fun is in the journey.
While the creativity of Minecraft itself isn’t fully showcased, Hess strikes a balance that works for both hardcore fans and newcomers like me. He adds catchy tunes and a sense of escapism, allowing anyone watching to leave their real-world problems behind. Even if I wasn’t completely enamored with A Minecraft Movie, it’s still a great family film—my son loved it—and the audience I watched it with was cheering like crazy. This makes it a movie that unites people through laughter and creativity, turning A Minecraft Movie into pure gold.
3 STARS
A MINECRAFT MOVIE IS IN THEATERS THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 4TH, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
