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The Minecraft Movie is so bad it’s actually good
I went into A Minecraft Movie as a total skeptic, having rolled my eyes whenever I saw the preview, but I left humbly reminded that it's always best to reserve judgment. It surprised me in all of the best ways, and now I'm convinced it's so bad that it's actually somehow good. A Minecraft Movie is surprisingly funny, self-aware, and charming. It's just a genuinely good time from start to finish with a stellar cast who own their roles and an unexpectedly strong message about the importance of creativity. Image via Warner Bros. The cast makes this movie, and the plot falls into the background by comparison. Jack Black and Jason Momoa commit to their roles as Steve and Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison 110 percent, and you just know every line they utter will stick with you. Black's lines, especially, are so over-the-top and dramatic that you can't get them out of your head, no matter how much you try. I saw the film with my brother, and we've been quoting him nonstop since we left the theater. "Chicken jockey," "Flint and steel," and "I...am Steve" are our favorites. These might sound like simple lines, but Black's delivery makes them iconic and unforgettable. Of course, there's also the line "First we mine, then we craft, let's Minecraft!" which has to be one of the most absurd things Black has ever said. It's this absurdity, though, this self-awareness, that had me laughing every few seconds and enjoying the entire runtime of the film. Image via Warner Bros. In a subplot that is somehow one of the best parts of the film, Jennifer Coolidge owns the role of Marlene, a recently divorced vice principal who falls in love with a lost Minecraft villager after accidentally hitting him with her car. Cooolidge's character loves what a great listener the villager is, which is hilarious since he spends all but one scene uttering the signature villager "hmm" sound in response to everything she says. It's exactly this kind of humor and nonsense that makes A Minecraft Movie so enjoyable. The rest of the cast is memorable, too, but heavily underutilized, which is my only big gripe with this film. Emma Myers's Natalie, Sebastian Hansen's Henry, and Danielle Brooks's Dawn are all compelling and necessary for the plot, but they don't get enough screentime compared to the big guns. Image via Warner Bros. Pixels is a decent comparison. That video game-centric film is also held together by its cast, especially Peter Dinklage. Pixels is a decently good time, but it ultimately falls short because it takes itself too seriously. A Minecraft Movie, on the other hand, knows how absurd it is, and because of that, it absolutely shines. This ridiculousness is captured best when Black's Steve takes down Malgosha, the evil Piglin sorceress and main antagonist. After she's been defeated, she tries three times to lure Steve closer so she can pull out different tiny knives to kill him. Steve literally asks her if that's her plan before going in the first time, but does it anyway, and it somehow gets funnier with each additional knife she tries to use against him, predictable as it may be. The direct Minecraft references are pretty solid, too. When Jack Black's Steve called a crown-wearing pig a "legend" as a homage to Technoblade, I genuinely teared up. It was also fun to see DanTDM, LDShadowLady, and a few other prominent Minecraft creators in the spotlight. These added to the film's overall feeling of being one giant, silly, ridiculous love letter to Minecraft. Image via Warner Bros. I also really enjoyed the strong pro-creativity and individuality message featured in the movie. In our AI-infested zeitgeist, games like Minecraft, where you're only limited by your own imagination and where originality is encouraged, are so important. This film recognizes this idea and builds the entire plot around it, even including a line that mentions how much harder it is to create than it is to destroy. The film ends on a high note with Steve setting out to bring creativity back to the real world, and the post-credits scenes only made me love this film even more. It certainly doesn't seem like the end of the story, and I'm fully ready to grab my pickaxe and return to the Overworld to experience more. If I had to rate it, I'd probably give this movie around a seven out of 10 with the acknowledgment that A Minecraft Movie certainly isn't for everyone, but it's exactly the film I needed right now. It might be what you need right now, too, so I urge you to give it a shot if you're a fan of Minecraft. Make sure you bring a loved one along for good measure so that you can enjoy quoting the best nonsensical lines to each other afterward. Otherwise, who else will you say "They love crushing a loaf" to? The post The Minecraft Movie is so bad it’s actually good appeared first on Destructoid.
I went into A Minecraft Movie as a total skeptic, having rolled my eyes whenever I saw the preview, but I left humbly reminded that it's always best to reserve judgment. It surprised me in all of the best ways, and now I'm convinced it's so bad that it's actually somehow good.
A Minecraft Movie is surprisingly funny, self-aware, and charming. It's just a genuinely good time from start to finish with a stellar cast who own their roles and an unexpectedly strong message about the importance of creativity.
The cast makes this movie, and the plot falls into the background by comparison. Jack Black and Jason Momoa commit to their roles as Steve and Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison 110 percent, and you just know every line they utter will stick with you. Black's lines, especially, are so over-the-top and dramatic that you can't get them out of your head, no matter how much you try.
I saw the film with my brother, and we've been quoting him nonstop since we left the theater. "Chicken jockey," "Flint and steel," and "I...am Steve" are our favorites. These might sound like simple lines, but Black's delivery makes them iconic and unforgettable.
Of course, there's also the line "First we mine, then we craft, let's Minecraft!" which has to be one of the most absurd things Black has ever said. It's this absurdity, though, this self-awareness, that had me laughing every few seconds and enjoying the entire runtime of the film.
In a subplot that is somehow one of the best parts of the film, Jennifer Coolidge owns the role of Marlene, a recently divorced vice principal who falls in love with a lost Minecraft villager after accidentally hitting him with her car.
Cooolidge's character loves what a great listener the villager is, which is hilarious since he spends all but one scene uttering the signature villager "hmm" sound in response to everything she says. It's exactly this kind of humor and nonsense that makes A Minecraft Movie so enjoyable.
The rest of the cast is memorable, too, but heavily underutilized, which is my only big gripe with this film. Emma Myers's Natalie, Sebastian Hansen's Henry, and Danielle Brooks's Dawn are all compelling and necessary for the plot, but they don't get enough screentime compared to the big guns.
Pixels is a decent comparison. That video game-centric film is also held together by its cast, especially Peter Dinklage. Pixels is a decently good time, but it ultimately falls short because it takes itself too seriously. A Minecraft Movie, on the other hand, knows how absurd it is, and because of that, it absolutely shines.
This ridiculousness is captured best when Black's Steve takes down Malgosha, the evil Piglin sorceress and main antagonist. After she's been defeated, she tries three times to lure Steve closer so she can pull out different tiny knives to kill him. Steve literally asks her if that's her plan before going in the first time, but does it anyway, and it somehow gets funnier with each additional knife she tries to use against him, predictable as it may be.
The direct Minecraft references are pretty solid, too. When Jack Black's Steve called a crown-wearing pig a "legend" as a homage to Technoblade, I genuinely teared up. It was also fun to see DanTDM, LDShadowLady, and a few other prominent Minecraft creators in the spotlight. These added to the film's overall feeling of being one giant, silly, ridiculous love letter to Minecraft.
I also really enjoyed the strong pro-creativity and individuality message featured in the movie. In our AI-infested zeitgeist, games like Minecraft, where you're only limited by your own imagination and where originality is encouraged, are so important. This film recognizes this idea and builds the entire plot around it, even including a line that mentions how much harder it is to create than it is to destroy.
The film ends on a high note with Steve setting out to bring creativity back to the real world, and the post-credits scenes only made me love this film even more. It certainly doesn't seem like the end of the story, and I'm fully ready to grab my pickaxe and return to the Overworld to experience more.
If I had to rate it, I'd probably give this movie around a seven out of 10 with the acknowledgment that A Minecraft Movie certainly isn't for everyone, but it's exactly the film I needed right now. It might be what you need right now, too, so I urge you to give it a shot if you're a fan of Minecraft.
Make sure you bring a loved one along for good measure so that you can enjoy quoting the best nonsensical lines to each other afterward. Otherwise, who else will you say "They love crushing a loaf" to?
The post The Minecraft Movie is so bad it’s actually good appeared first on Destructoid.
