For a few years I thought my name was "Dad... in Minecraft". Why the confusion? Well for at least 2 years my son would begin literally every sentence he said to me with "Dad... in Minecraft". And yes he did add the pause every single time. It's almost like the ellipses were in his blood.
Like every parent a decade ago, my children were obsessed with Minecraft. They played it every day, and watched videos of other people playing it on the rare occasion they were not playing it themselves. Although I would have preferred my kids had been playing outside, I couldn't be too mad about their game of choice. Minecraft is one of the most amazing games of all time. I cannot believe how much a kid could do with it. It seemed the only limitation of the game was a child's imagination. To me it seemed like digital LEGO... and being a LEGO addict as a child who was I to judge?
But this is about the movie, not the game. One of my favorite things in the world is when the makers of a kids movie actually put in time and effort into a story. There are some things so wildly popular that a movie studio could slap the name on any piece of garbage and it would be guaranteed a profit. A Minecraft Movie could have easily done this and been a wild success. It could have been a vapid money grab, but it wasn't. Instead it was a clever homage to the game, its players, and the millions of parents like me who were forced to hear about it, watch their kids play it, and admire the wonderful creations made by their children. Actually "forced" is probably the wrong word. I honestly feel lucky that my kids had a passion they wanted to show off. I actually miss the words "Dad... in Minecraft".
First of all, the special effects and animation in A Minecraft Movie are incredible. Sadly I did not see it on the big screen, now I wish I had. Although I have a very nice TV, I know it would have been far more beautiful in the theater. Luckily for me, the movie was not just eye candy. It actually had a story and it was very entertaining. Although it seemed a little bit too much like Jumanji (an adult is trapped in a game and kids go into it to save or be saved by him) it was till original enough that I did not mind. There are lots of full on belly laughs... if you know enough about the game to get them.
They did a great job with the casting. Jack Black, filled with childish wonder, was highly entertaining as Steve. Allowing Jack Black to sing some very catchy and funny songs really helped the entertainment value. Danielle Brooks is incredible as always. She is one of my favorite parts of Peacemaker and she did not disappoint in this movie. But by far the best part of the movie was Jason Momoa as Garrett. another one of my favorite things is when action hero actors don't take themselves too seriously. I love when they are willing to poke fun of themselves and the entire genre. Momoa does that expertly in A Minecraft Movie. It is like he is playing a caricature of Randy Macho Man Savage and it is hilarious. Many of the belly laughs come from Momoa rather than Jack Black.
Ok. This is getting way too deep about a fun popcorn movie about a kids game. So should you see it? Well if you are a fan of the game, you absolutely must see it. Although my kids tell me not everything is 100% accurate, there are tons of Easter eggs for true fans. The second tier is parents like me who had non-stop second hand Minecraft buzzes for a good part of the last decade. If you know what a creeper, villager and diamond armor is, you will definitely be entertained by this movie. Now if you have no experience with Minecraft (first... how is that possible?) this might not be the movie for you. I would imagine the inside jokes would be lost on you if you are a complete blank slate.
Did you see this? Did you like it? I'm especially interested if you are a Minecraft blank slate and you saw the movie.