I’m a huge fan of video games, so I've seen most of the best video game movies. Usually, I just wait until I can watch at home, so I would have seen A Minecraft Movie eventually.
That said, my children are massive Minecraft fans, so there was no waiting this time. We had to see it ASAP. However, even though I know quite a bit about the game because I’ve watched my children play it endlessly, I’m not a player myself. If I’m being completely honest, I find it kind of boring.
While I know the popular game is huge, it wasn’t until I saw the recent movie that I realized just how huge it actually is. So, here was what it was like for a non-Minecraft player to be crammed inside of a theater full of fanatics.
Oh, and minor spoilers up ahead.
Fans Were Getting A Bit Antsy In The "Ordinary World" Section Of The Movie
Now, the audience I sat with was almost entirely kids. And, I’m talking young kids. Like, 9 or 10-years-old. It’s almost like their parents bought them tickets, and then skedaddled.
Well, anyway, here I was, sitting with a bunch of 9 and 10-year olds (plus a smattering of parents), and I could tell that a lot of the kids were getting antsy in the beginning of the movie. That’s because even though we’re introduced to the Overworld and the Nether in the first few minutes, it takes a surprisingly long time to get back to it.
Personally, I found myself enjoying the sections in the “ordinary world,” because all of the characters were Jared Hess (of whom I’m a big fan–especially Nacho Libre)-quirky. In fact, there’s one part involving a storage unit where I was the only person laughing, which was kind of embarrassing.
I could tell that a lot of the kids weren't into it. The child behind me kept kicking my seat, and another kid nearby whispered, “This is taking too long.”
There was just a lot of rustling, and an overall sense of boredom, but that all changed once the actual Minecraft stuff started happening…
The Crowd Erupted When Jack Black Appeared And Said His Name Was Steve
Okay, now I love Jack Black, and he was expectedly off the wall in A Minecraft Movie. But, I honestly didn’t think the fans would be fond of his manic performance, because Steve in the game is…well, he’s kind of plain.
I mean, even in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where he’s a playable character, I always see people changing his costume to be an Enderman, or Alex. In truth, Steve just doesn’t seem to have much of a personality in the game, and Black is ALL personality.
But, let me tell you. When Black first appeared in the movie, the audience went BALLISTIC.
It was a collective enthusiasm. It wasn’t just some kids going nuts for the sake of going nuts. My audience was truly pumped once he arrived. When he gave that pregnant pause before he said his name, the excitement was palpable. Kids were literally on the edge of their seats waiting for him to say, “My name…is Steve.”
And, oh Lord. The crowd got so loud once he said that. It was cute, but also madness. I mean, all he said was his name! However, that wasn’t the only moment that made the crowd go crazy. Not by a long shot.
In Fact, The Crowd Cheered A LOT
Now again, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t really “get” Minecraft. My son will talk about it for hours, and because I’m trying to be a good dad, I’ll listen for a while until I eventually say, “Okay, that’s enough now.”
So, I honestly did not get ANY of the references in this movie, but I definitely knew when something major happened, because kids would whistle, bounce up and down, and howl, which always made me lean over to my son and ask, “What just happened?”, and he’d always explain.
For instance, upon entering a village, Steve casually says, “Villagers love bread,” and the crowd EXPLODED with cheers. Because villagers…love bread, I guess? There’s another scene where a pig with a crown trots in, and some people went, “Oh, my God!” When I asked my son what was the significance of a pig with a crown, he told me, but I’ve already forgotten.
Seriously, the whole movie was like this. Something strange would happen, and then the crowd would get excited. The biggest reaction involved a baby zombie on a chicken, to which I’ve never heard such thunderous applause. It was like I was at a sporting event. My son said that “the chicken jockey” is one of the rarest things in Minecraft, so I’ll just have to take his word for it.
In the end, it was like a fever dream. I loved The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and there were a lot of easter eggs in it, but nobody in the crowd screamed when something familiar came on the screen. I’ll tell you. You Minecraft folk…you’re a different breed, and I like it!
My Son, A Devoted Minecraft Player, Was A Bit Miffed At Times, Though
My daughter was the one who first got into Minecraft, but my son was the one who fell in love with it. He doesn’t just play the game. He obsesses over it. In fact, my dad printed out a list of game trivia, and my son got all 50 questions right.
Lots of times, my son will yell at the top of his lungs as if he’s hurt, only for me to run into the room to find him on his Switch, playing Minecraft.
If anybody was going to have complaints with this movie, it’s him. For the most part, he was pretty cool with it. He said that Black did “the water bucket clutch” properly, and he was also impressed by the attention to detail in the film.
That said, there were a few instances where my son was doing some armchair quarterbacking. For instance, even though he approved of the water bucket clutch, he also said that at one point, Jason Momoa should have done the “ladder clutch”...whatever that means.
He also didn’t like a part where they threw some jelly thing on a bridge and jumped on it. He said there was another solution, and was quite adamant that they “messed up” that part of the film. So, yeah. My son–the Minecraft expert–had some notes that I’m sure he would have given to the screenwriters if he had a chance.
All The Same, My Kids Gave It Five Stars, And The Audience Gave It A Standing Ovation
Even though Momoa’s character didn’t do the ladder clutch, my kids overall loved the movie, and gave it five stars (as opposed to the critics, who have a wildly different opinion on the film). My daughter even said that it’s her new favorite movie, overtaking Trolls Band Together, which was her previous favorite film.
Despite my son’s few complaints, he agreed. It kind of broke my heart that he enjoyed it more than Godzilla Minus One, but, you know. I love Godzilla. He loves Minecraft. It makes sense that he much preferred this.
He wasn’t the only one, though, since the kids in my theater clapped at the end. Many of them stood up to applaud, only to sit back down at a scene that had kids saying, “He can talk?!” (I won’t tell you who “he” is).
As for my thoughts on the film? It was okay. I actually think the best part was the stuff before they all got to the Overworld, but again, I seemed to be the only one, since nobody else laughed.
Even so, I’m happy that the kids loved it, and that the audience had such a good time. That made my heart glad.
What do you think? Did you see A Minecraft Movie with fans? I’d love to hear about your experience.
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