A Minecraft Movie follows in the footsteps of Barbie and The Lego Movie as a popular IP that will undoubtedly entertain the multitudes who are familiar with the material. It has an impressive visual style that is also faithful to its video game counterpart, combined with performances that match its jolly energy level.
However, the movie fails to craft a story worthy of its visuals. Instead, it borrows heavily from other franchises and cliches to compensate for its lack of narrative focus.
Jack Black stars as Steve. When we first meet him, he’s a little kid who stumbles upon a mine thanks to a couple of little devices known as the Orb of Dominance and the Earth Crystal. By doing so, he enters a land called the Overworld.
Steve is able to build his own city out of blocks, but he also discovers another world called the Nether, which is inhabited by pig-like creatures. Their ruler is Malgosha, who forbids creativity due to her painful past and is bent on destroying the Overworld.
Jason Momoa costars as Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, a video game champion in the 1980s who is now facing financial troubles. He lives in a small town in Idaho and enters an auction to win stuff that unknowingly belongs to Steve. He comes across the Orb and Crystal.
Emma Myers and Sebastian Hansen play a brother and sisters who move to an Idaho town after their mother’s death. There, they meet Dawn (Danielle Brooks), a real estate agent with a petting zoo. (Apparently, the real estate game is not what it is cracked up to be in this world.)
The four of them, through a series of contrivances, stumble upon the magical devices that lead them to the Overworld, and when they do, this is where the movie’s energy kicks into high gear. Its target audience will marvel at the colorful spectacle and will not be disappointed.
I wasn’t expecting a whole lot from A Minecraft Movie, for better or worse. Where it lost me was focusing too much time on the rules of its world and not enough time blending it into a cohesive story with real stakes.
Black and Momoa play their roles with enough camp factor to be a distraction and they are very likable as characters. They’re the perfect foils to the more low-key cast members; in that case, the casting is done well.
The movie dazzles with eye-popping special effects, but leans too heavily on fan service. Visually impressive, it ultimately lacks the depth to match its stunning appearance.
A Minecraft Movie will entertain and will undoubtedly spawn a franchise if successful, but it needs more than just special effects at its core.
Grade: B-
(Rated PG for for violence/action, language, suggestive/rude humor and some scary images.)
