A Minecraft Movie: A Movie about the Game Minecraft

I watched A Minecraft Movie and wrote about it.

Note: I have a very limited understanding of the game Minecraft so while I might throw out some game terms here and there, I have what barely qualifies as a surface level understanding of the game and the fifteen years of history, inside jokes, and memes that come with it. So, if I say something weird or incorrect, feel free to email me at Fascinating@TellMeMore.gov

My nine-year-old daughter, like most nine-year-olds¹, loves playing Minecraft. She also plays Roblox and for the longest time, I’ve been the Roblox parent while her mother plays Minecraft with her. Just recently, I decided to download the game myself and start learning how to play so we could bond over that as well.

Also, I’m not sure if you’ve heard but there is a movie currently in theaters about Minecraft movie called A Minecraft Movie. I assume it’s titled that way to allow for different stories to be told within the Minecraft universe although with the amount of money this movie is making², I imagine there will be a sequel that brings back at least Jason Momoa. We’ll just have to see what lessons Warner Brothers takes from this to find out.

The other reason I’ve been interested is because it’s directed by Jared Hess, one of the minds behind movies like Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre. The latter starred Jack Black, who’s back with Hess for the first time since then. Minecraft is another piece of IP being turned into a movie so more than anything, I was curious to see if Hess’ sensibilities would come through in any way. Calling his movies quirky feels like an insult, but they’re off-center in a way that either works for you or doesn’t. What I like though It happens to work for me and there were a few moments where that weirdness shined through.

For starters, Jason Momoa is having the time of his life playing Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison, a video game champion who’s past his prime and trying to recapture the glory. When Garbage Man finds the Orb of Dominance and the Earth Crystal while raiding a storage unit, it unlocks the Minecraft world where the rest of the movie takes place.

Momoa is basically playing a character from a Jared Hess movie, like Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite talking about how he could’ve gone pro. Garbage Man just wants a taste of the glory he used to have and goes to absurd lengths to get it. It’s the kind of performance you see from people like Jack Black, who’s have equal amounts of fun. You expect Black to understand the assignment, as I heard some kids say, and it’s fun seeing Momoa in the same mode. They don’t step on or outshine the other. It’s part of the story that these two keep big-dogging each other before reaching a begrudging mutual respect. It’s two actors taking the silliness very seriously, the secret sauce to all of Hess’ movies.

I have nitpicks but this is the kind of movie where I feel stupid picking the nits because the details I bump on are simply shortcuts to get to Minecraft world quicker. It starts with the rest of the cast, namely the siblings who cross paths with Momoa. They’re thinly written characters that leave me with questions like how is she financially providing for both of them on a social media manager salary? A pretty fragile position that would get cut immediately during a first round of layoffs? If she’s her brother’s legal guardian, why was she not immediately notified when he sets off a jet pack at school? Then there’s Danielle Brooks, a very talented and funny performer, relegated to being the Mom of the group. When we first meet her, she’s a realtor who sells the siblings a house in Chuglass, Idaho, and because selling houses doesn’t pay all the bills, she runs a mobile petting zoo on the side. There are hints and teases at the weird inner workings of Chuglass that I feel like could’ve been fleshed out better. God, I love that they named the town Chuglass, it’s so good. Chuglass.

The reason all these nitpicks are stupid is because it’s a Minecraft movie, not a Chuglass movie. Every sloppy and half-baked detail is all in service of getting us to Minecraft world where they have to rescue Steve and restore order once and for all. The tweens were teetering during the opening, but the rounds of applause started happening pretty readily once we entered the Overworld. At one point, a small Frankenstein-looking zombie climbs on top of a chicken and the screams I heard could’ve powered a small city.

There’s a lot of neat little touches like this that I googled later with search terms like “why the hell is Frankenstein riding the chicken and why do kids love it.” The reviews have been mixed in a way that is understandable for a product like this. It’s definitely closer to The Super Mario Bros. Movie than it is Barbie in that’s more interested in playing with the IP instead of deconstructing it.

I feel gross even typing “IP,” which is what I do at the urinal. But movies driven by existing properties are the way we’re headed with all of this and before long, the snake will begin eating its tail.

But A Minecraft Movie is fun! It’s the best possible outcome with this kind of product. We will no doubt watch it again multiple times when it hits streaming. Honestly, that might help me make the case for Jason Momoa’s Oscar campaign that will definitely happen in 2026.

1. Apologies to any nine-year-olds or parents of nine-year-olds reading who do not engage with Minecraft. The rest of this might be a tough read then. Or possibly educational. Doubt that. I’m not the expert so take all this with a grain of salt. I’m still in creative mode.

2. 557.7 million, to be exact.