The highly anticipated cinematic tribute to an iconic video game, “A Minecraft Movie” was released in theaters on April 4. However, instead of a creative homage to one of the most iconic games of our generation, audiences were presented with a chaotic, soulless attempt at cashing in on nostalgia.
The movie follows Callie (Danielle Brooks), a teenage girl from the Overworld, as she embarks on a mission to save her pixelated universe from destruction. Right away, the plot is paper-thin as it follows a generic hero’s journey trope with minimal creativity. The movie barely attempts to use what makes the original video game special. There is little to no creativity in how the world is built or explored. Instead of embracing the adventurous spirit of the game where players get to create their own adventures, the film plays it safe with a tired hero’s journey and generic “chosen one” tropes.
The characters are forgettable and stereotypical due to a lack of effort in giving them development arcs. Even the villains, who could have potentially had a fun creeper or Enderman energy, are reduced to boring exposition machines.
From a visual aspect, the movie sticks to the signature blocky style of the game and is afraid to push the aesthetic beyond basic fan service. The action sequences are cluttered and lack any real stakes from a visual standpoint. In comparison, The Lego Movie did a remarkable job of taking the stiff style of the Lego blocks children love and turning it into a seamless animation complete with fast-paced action sequences. For a universe that is meant to be limitless, the world feels empty.
The most disappointing part of the film is that “Minecraft” is an extensive and imaginative world. In the video game, players have built sprawling mansions, famous landmarks like the pyramids of Giza and even pixel art, and yet the movie barely scratches the surface of possibilities. The writers could have taken the movie in so many different directions, such as a silly comedy about players breaking the game’s rules or an adventurous world-hopping journey, but instead the movie remains bland.
In short, “A Minecraft Movie” is a missed opportunity. It reduces a limitless video game world that has stood the test of time to a boring theater experience littered with clichés.
