A Minecraft Movie: A Film that Failed Successfully

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HE… IS STEVE: Jack Black plays “Steve” in the film adaptation of Minecraft. Throughout the film, Jack’s “memed” quotes caused chaos in theatres. Many were seen throwing their concessions at the screen. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

By: Hannah Sosa and Templar Henry

“A Minecraft Movie,” starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa was released on April 4th. It proceeded to earn $313 million dollars worldwide during the opening weekend alone. Even though the film was successful monetarily, it performed poorly with critics, earning a mere 48 percent from Rotten Tomatoes and a six out of ten from IMDb.

The story was focused on four people who would find their way into the realm of the Overworld, where everything is made of blocks and cubes. The group meets Steve (Jack Black), one of the main characters from the original Minecraft video game, and go on a crazy adventure to save the alternate world Steve calls home from an invasion of hellish pig-people known as Piglins. Along the way they have to mine and craft to survive, a quote they use in the movie to allude to the name of the film and game.

When the movie was confirmed, the Minecraft Movie became one of the most anticipated movies online. Minecraft holds a special place in the hearts of many people, especially young adults and children. So, when the news arrived that the beloved video game would be getting a theatrical adaptation, there was ostensible excitement online. However, when the first trailer dropped and the world learned that the movie had taken the route of live-action filming, the hype took a sharp dive.

Though the visuals were admittedly stunning, it just felt jarring to see real people standing in a realistic version of Minecraft’s blocky world. Many felt that taking this direction hurt the movie’s chances at first when one would consider the fact that most video game film adaptations prefer to take the route of animation. Also, many people were disappointed to see that the legendary “Steve” was just Jack Black in a blue shirt and jeans. There was a massive wave of memes and online posts making fun of the movie, especially one moment where Black dramatically delivers the line, “I… am Steve.”

A BLOCKY WORLD: A villiage from Minecraft. A similar settlement is showcased in the live-action adaptation of the hit game. Screenshot taken with Minecraft: Education Edition.

However, as more trailers and previews were made, more people became more accepting of the fact that the movie was going to look like how it did. Scores of people began to gather around the movie again, bringing anticipation en masse around every corner of the internet. A multitude of posts were made about clips from these trailers, with a particular trend following Black shouting or naming things straight from the game. Lines like “Flint and Steel,” “This is a Crafting Table,” the aforementioned “I… am Steve,” and “Chicken Jockey,” went viral, propelling them into the heights of meme culture and brainrot.

When the movie came out, it was a box office smash, raising $167 million domestically and $313 million worldwide on its opening weekend. This made it the most successful video game adaptation opening of all time, even surpassing the Super Mario Bros. Movie. Video clips surfaced of entire cinemas shouting the viral lines in unison with Black, then promptly cheering and throwing their concessions at the screen. There were multiple occasions where police were called because of the raucous crowds.

Looking back, the movie was an adequate film. It wasn’t bad, but there wasn’t anything too memorable to take away from it. A lot of the movie’s story was predictable and cliche. There were multiple times where the green screen was visible, or the CGI was less than serviceable. Many expected a little bit more from director Jared Hess, who is also known for co-writing and directing cult classics like Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre. However, it’s definitely a fun romp through the world of one of the most iconic video games of all time. It has good jokes and humor that’ll land on just about any age group. While the characters sometimes randomly burst into song, the music is catchy. It all emanates the magic of Minecraft.

A cameo by deceased Youtuber Technoblade’s famous pig avatar softened many critical thoughts of the movie. When Technoblade passed due to Cancer in June 2022, the Minecraft community was devastated. “Is that a king? No, it’s a legend.” was a line that appeared in the cameo, immortalizing him in the form of the film.

The Minecraft movies’ silly lines and plot might not be as easily understood by someone who hasn’t grown up playing Minecraft. The target audience was most definitely aimed toward young people who grew up with or play the original game, and the community made the movie more entertaining than it actually was. Just like the original game, it’s better with friends, or at least a theatre full of like-minded individuals.