A Minecraft Movie was released in theaters on April 14, 2025, and the film was an instant box office hit, grossing more than $720 million. The film stars Jack Black, who plays the “legendary builder” Steve, who must help four “misfits,” a former video game champion Garrett Garrison (Jason Momoa), a real estate agent named Dawn (Danielle Brooks), and a brother and sister duo Henry and Natalie (Sebastian Hansen and Emma Meyers), navigate their way around a video game dimension, known as the Overworld, where they find adventure and must overcome trials and tribulations in their quest to get home.
Writer and director Jared Hess took the popular video game and launched it into the world of film when he began the project in 2023. The original video game, created by Markus Persson, was first released on May 17, 2009, and its full version, Minecraft 1.0, was later released on November 18, 2011. The movie is based on this beloved video game. Although the movie has just recently made its way into theaters, its original release day was intended to be May 24, 2019 but was delayed; it was again due to come out on March 4, 2022, but was delayed once again.
Capturing both the imagination and fun of the original game, the movie is intended for all ages and is sure to please the whole family. Kelly Quarry, mother and West Springfield resident, says, “My kids loved it almost as much as the game.” Some viewers even found the film to be enlightening for younger audiences. For example, West Springfield High School student, Zion Rivera, says, “I like how the movie brought the game to life. It really brought the audience into the characters’ perspectives.” In addition, fellow West Side student, Finn Hernandez, loved the fun and playfulness of Steve’s Lava Chicken song. And Gunelle Aslanova and Isah Umarov found Jack’s Black’s performance to be “enthusiastic” and “passionate” and the film’s themes to be “realistic” and “relevant” for today’s kids.
However, other reviews were more critical. For instance, both KSL News and The New Yorker claim that the movie does not capture the true “magic” of the game. Some reviews argued that the computer-generated images were too bright while others criticized the characters’ over-exaggerated roles. Some critics even said that the storyline lacked depth.
Despite the mixed reviews, the movie was a blockbuster and was well received by fans all over the world. In fact, A Minecraft Movie is the most successful video game adaptation in movie history! If you have not seen it yet, I recommend that you do. It’s sure to leave you yelling “chicken jockey!”
