Adapting any video game into a movie is a monumental task. But to adapt Minecraft — a game that thrives on creative liberty and features no clear-cut storyline — into a studio blockbuster seems nearly impossible on paper. Luckily for filmmaker Jared Hess of “Napoleon Dynamite” fame, there’s something modern audiences crave from a film like this that’s easy to deliver on: the high you get from watching an awful movie ironically. This notion is crucial to appreciating the glory of “A Minecraft Movie,” released on April 4 to rowdy moviegoers nationwide.
In this way, despite Warner Bros.’ latest film being primarily aimed towards children, Hess has conjured up a large fan base of teens and young adults willing to cough up their cash for a morsel of nostalgia. It offers them an opportunity to relive their childhood while simultaneously lambasting the film and its shortcomings. Because despite the Minecraft game being a groundbreaking pop culture monolith, this film adaptation was destined to be nothing more than inherently uninspired studio sludge from the very beginning.
The film follows Steve, the cubic mascot of Minecraft, only here he’s a curvaceous, middle-aged man (Jack Black) who’s unhappy with his life. He slaves away at a 9-to-5, even though he’s yearned for the mines since childhood. Yet when he explores the mines at last, he’s accidentally transported to the Overworld — the sandbox map from the game. It’s a terrifying scenario to find yourself in, yet Steve’s ecstasy radiates off the screen as he’s hit with a sudden wave of euphoria from the infinite possibilities now at his disposal — just like we felt as kids while loading our first-ever world seed.
This dense exposition, which Hess crams into an impressive five minutes, encapsulates why many players adore Minecraft to begin with. In a bleak, systematic society, being able to escape to a boundlessly creative world sounds rather enticing. This notion motivates former gaming legend Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Jason Momoa), social media correspondent Natalie (Emma Myers), her brother Henry (Sebastian Hansen) and real estate agent Dawn (Danielle Brooks) to explore the Overworld as well after being dragged there.
Very quickly, the dark side of the Overworld reveals itself in the form of the Nether realm. It’s here where the main antagonist, Malgosha (Rachel House), resides. Her pursuit of the Orb of Dominance — which is responsible for transporting Steve and company to the Overworld in the first place — is what drives most of the plot. It’s a loose story that seems to prioritize cheap easter eggs and opportunities for Jack Black to be a goofball on screen over any sort of originality.
While the film has sprinkles of Hess’ trademark quirky film style, the overall product unfolds as one might expect a studio blockbuster to in 2025. Its style is a garish-looking, unharmonious blend of conflicting tones. The film’s substance doesn’t fare much better, juggling too many side characters and unnecessary subplots to form anything truly striking. Instead, what we get is another high-budget film aspiring to be nothing more than mind-numbing entertainment.
It’s that pursuit of Cocomelon-esque idiocy that makes the film its own unique masterpiece, however. Jack Black over-explaining “Flint and Steel” and “Big Ol’ Red Ones” to the audience is so laughably awful that it forces them to revel in its stupidity. While it lacks the sincerity to be one of the all-time best worst movies, the film’s self-awareness of its fan base makes it undeniably fun to watch — especially in a packed theater.
This notion becomes clearer the further into the film you get. Hess is always one step ahead of audiences when it comes to ridiculing his own work. A subplot involving Henry’s principal, Marlene (Jennifer Coolidge), falling in love with a villager (Matt Berry) is one such instance. It’s completely frivolous yet quite hysterical to watch. Furthermore, among its endless sea of memeable quotes, one sticks out as particularly ludicrous. As if scribed by the same wordsmith responsible for “It’s Morbin Time,” Jack Black says with all his obnoxious prowess, “First we mine, then we craft. Let’s Minecraft!” If that isn’t cinema, then I don’t know what is.
This foolish ethos is what drives not only the film but also the unique impact it will undoubtedly have. While it may not define a generation like Minecraft the game did, there’s no denying that — despite its flaws — kids will look back fondly on the film in due time, while teens can reminisce about how they all shouted “Chicken Jockey” in the theater. Because like Hess’ other film, “Nacho Libre,” this has the makings of a cult classic comedy scattered all over it.
The artistry of “A Minecraft Movie” transcends a measly star rating. This film isn’t something you fully understand but rather feel. You’ll either love or hate it, but one thing is certain: Cinema does not get more brain-rotted, goofy or susceptible to mockery than this. It is a defining film of 2025 — the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” of the TikTok era. That’s why you might as well get involved in the bit, as — just like the game that inspired it — the hype surrounding this film won’t die anytime soon.
Jacob Bernardino is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the spring 2025 quarter. He can be reached at bernarj2@uci.edu.
Edited by Alaina Retodo and Jaheem Conley