Is it a valid reason to refuse to go and see a film adaptation of a video game if you have either never played it or played it too much?
The taboo surrounding film adaptations of video games has been broken by a Minecraft Movie, a fantasy adventure film directed by Jared Hess.
After a series of dimensional crises and demonic invasions in Minecraft’s sandbox universe, a group of marginalised, somewhat out-of-touch, lost protagonists come together to form a survivalist club. Its members are Garrett, a hardcore gamer who runs a video game store as a tribute to his glory days as a young player; Dawn, a real estate agent who runs a mobile zoo; Henry, a science-loving teenager who has just started at a new school after moving house; and Natalie, Henry’s sister and legal guardian, who works in a potato crisp factory.
Will Steve’s sleepless nights pay off?
The ability of these individuals to survive the Minecraft experience — a magical construction territory for all and a deadly territory at night due to wolves and zombies — was not necessarily at its maximum. However, Steve, a Minecraft veteran, grinding ace, compulsive hoarder and former prisoner of war of the Overworld piglins, will explain the tricks of the trade of mining and building in Minecraft to the four friends.
Steve spent many short, sleepless nights building his kingdom with blocks, the basic building blocks of Minecraft structures. Of course, his taste in architecture and urban planning won’t appeal to everyone. Some, like Henry, will also learn the basics of the game through experience.
The construction aspect looks great on screen.
The construction aspect looks great on screen. The sandbox universe, in which players can build or fuse objects together to create handcrafted or magical items, is extremely fluid and dynamic. The logic of the building blocks is also visually well represented.
The authors, Allison Schroeder, Chris Bowman and Hubbel Palmer, opted for continuity between dimensions. Although the principles of reality and Minecraft are different, the two universes skilfully touch and interconnect in the image. The journeys of certain secondary characters between the two universes reinforce the idea of continuity, as does the visual compatibility of the zany heroes with the virtual universe in terms of their clothes, appearance and posture. The viewer experiences a film, a video game and a cartoon simultaneously.
The cast is a mix of good nature and friendliness.
The cast is a mix of good nature and friendliness. The bearded nerds, fake geek twins, real estate agent and children gradually develop a sense of chemistry under the influence of crises.
From the school principal, Marlene, to the evil leader of the piglins, Malgosha, the egocentric personalities bordering on the ridiculous add spice to the story. The piglins of the Overworld, a sort of proletariat of Hell, convince us once and for all.
A Minecraft Movie openly mocks the pitfalls of other blockbusters.
The screenwriters don’t punish viewers by pulling out the usual Hollywood conventions that plague almost all American blockbusters… They even openly mock the pitfalls of other blockbusters. They specifically included a grotesque flirt with subtle eyebrow movements in the film.
The characters are more complex and thoughtful than they seem. Ultimately, these eccentrics, who are all victims of the system, share the same goal: to overcome their loneliness and achieve great things.
Released on April 4, 2025.
Running time: 101 minutes
Based on the video game Minecraft by Mojang Studios (2011)
Photo credits © Warner Bros. Pictures – Legendary Entertainment – Mojang Studios – Vertigo Entertainment – On the Roam
