So, the long-awaited Minecraft Movie. It’s out, I watched it, and I have two words: Absolute Cinema. Jokes aside, I did really enjoy the movie. More than I expected to. I’ve spent the past couple weeks trying to lower my expectations for this film, but once I actually finished it, I realized that it was an alright movie. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t great. The characters didn’t develop much over the course of the film, the storyline wasn’t intense with symbolism of a wider theme everywhere, but it was fine. I left the movie with a smile on my face.
To me, this movie has something that most people can enjoy. The kids are excited to see a Minecraft film, and the plot is simple enough for young children to understand it. The adults who are dragged along can have a bit of a chuckle at some of the more mature jokes that are cracked, especially at the beginning of the movie. And for the Minecraft fans, there are some references to things that most people wouldn’t get, whether it be builds in game or cameos from famous Minecraft YouTubers, like Mumbo Jumbo, DanTDM, and LDShadowLady.
One thing that stood out to me especially during my first watch was the soundtrack. A lot of the pop-culture songs that they put in the movie I wasn’t crazy about, but the ones that I enjoyed were the orchestral and choral remakes of classic songs from the Minecraft Soundtrack. I’ve been playing Minecraft for close to a decade at this point, it’s been a relatively major part of my creative journey and the soundtrack is very nostalgic and sentimental to me, and hearing those remakes of the original soundtrack was heartwarming for me. Plus, Steve’s Lava Chicken is just a banger.
Overall, I’d give A Minecraft Movie a solid 7.5/10. I really enjoyed it, and while I didn’t take anything away from it (the message of the film is to be creative), I didn’t really expect to. The characters were fun enough, and there was enough humour and references to carry the parts of it that were a little boring in my eyes. I do recommend that you go see it if you have an interest in Minecraft, or take your kid to go see it if they’ve been bugging you about it. And don’t forget, Chicken Jockey!
-Liz
