When it was announced that a Minecraft movie was happening, I tempered my initial excitement. This could either be a burst of nostalgia that takes me back to my own Minecraft-playing days or another video game movie that mainly aims to make a quick buck (i.e. Five Nights at Freddy’s). After seeing A Minecraft Movie some days ago, I still don’t quite know where it lands — and I don’t think they do either.
A Minecraft Movie (2025) is a fantasy adventure film based on the popular video game Minecraft, released by Mojang Studios in 2009. The story follows a motley crew of characters — Henry (Sebastian Hansen) and his older sister Natalie (Emma Myers), Garrett Garrison, aka former game champion “The Garbage Man” (Jason Momoa) and a real estate agent/mobile petting zoo operator named Dawn (Danielle Brooks). These four are pulled into a cubic world called the Overworld and must find their way back to the real world with the help of longtime resident and crafter Steve (Jack Black).
Minecraft is a game with little direction — it allows players to make their own gaming experience, a gaming model that is commonly referred to as a sandbox game. As the name suggests, players mainly mine for resources and craft materials to defend against monsters (or mobs). This is an overly simplistic overview of the game, though; since its release, the game has gone through several updates, and players have used the space to create insane builds.
The movie builds on this now 15-year tradition of crafting with the introduction of Steve and his life in the Overworld. From decked-out roller coasters to his infamous Hot Lava Chicken Shack, Steve shows the endless possibilities in the Overworld while simultaneously attempting to explain the mechanics of the universe to the audience. This moment and the movie overall felt absurd.
For one, the graphics of the Overworld were just slightly off from the original video game, as if there was some sort of visual modification, like a shaders pack, to give it a more realistic look. The graphics did enhance the general scenery, but they made for an uncanny, uncomfortable experience when looking at the different animals and characters. Every time Steve’s pet wolf, Dennis, came on the screen, I could never look at it for longer than one minute because of how different the character looked from the game. I did this double-take-aversion reaction several times throughout my viewing, as if my memory of the game was clashing with the animation choices.
The characterization of the characters and overall plot only added to the general absurdity. I kept asking myself so many questions: What year are we in? What happened to Henry and Natalie’s parents? Do you age when you’re in the Overworld? Why does the main villain Malgosha, a pig-like human sorceress, have a hunchback? What is Jennifer Coolidge doing here?
Though most of my questions went unanswered, I wasn’t upset about it. Honestly, it reminded me that some movies are just fun to watch even if they don’t make much sense.
The niche Minecraft facts easter eggs, the veteran Minecraft YouTuber cameos and the original game’s memes references made the movie something our present generation and younger generations could connect to. Viral clips of people reacting to lines like “Chicken Jockey” cement A Minecraft Movie as a cultural moment for its absurdness but also nostalgic touches.
I can’t say that I would watch A Minecraft Movie again, but I can say that it is a fun, brain-numbing experience for anyone who has played Minecraft at least once.
