Set to release on April 4, 2025, “A Minecraft Movie” stars Jason Momoa as Garrett Garrison, Jack Black as Steve, Emma Myers as Natalie, Jennifer Coolidge as VP Marlene, Danielle Brooks as Dawn, and Sebastion Harrison as Henry in a live-action adaptation of the beloved game. Directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite), the film’s trailer came across as poorly scripted and storyboarded, but this could be a deliberate misdirect for what might be an all-time comedy.
Right away, the film introduces Black as the main character of Minecraft, Steve. Black as one of the main characters already affirms the film’s comedic status, due to over three-fourths of his roles being comedy films. With Hess directing the film, it will almost certainly have an eccentric and dry comedic style. His previous work, Napoleon Dynamite, and Nacho Libre, thrive on their awkward yet endearing humor, often leaning into absurdity. If “A Minecraft Movie” follows a similar style to Hess’ previous films, we could see a good mix of deadpan delivery, ridiculous scenarios, and self-aware jokes that poke fun at the game’s mechanics and logic.
The trailers shed some light on this comedic tone by showing the characters hilariously struggling with the game’s mechanics, such as Steve struggling to punch a tree, Garrison crafting a useless bucket-and-chain nunchuck-esque weapon, and Henry struggling to fly an Elytra. The comedic approach with these actions not only reflects the film’s style but also the absurdity of Minecraft’s mechanics and first steps. Some examples include trying random crafting recipes and attempting to see what works, breaking your first tree with your fist, and the struggle of guiding an Elytra during flight, while attempting not to nose-dive into the grass.
As for the plot, the details are still scarce, but the film seems to follow a group of unlikely heroes attempting to save the Overworld from destruction. Momoa’s Garrett Garrison appears to be the rugged, yet lower IQ leader, while Black’s Steve embodies the classic adventurer type, likely with his over-the-top, bumbling twist being the pronunciation of every Minecraft item. Myers’ Natalie and Brooks’ Dawn may serve as the group’s strategists, and Coolidge’s VP Marlene hints at a potential corporate or political element in the story where she is the Vice President.. Harrison’s Henry seems to take on the role of an eager but inexperienced player, mirroring many newcomers to the ever-growing “Minecraft.”
For the movie’s visuals, its attempt to translate Minecraft’s blocky aesthetic into live-action is highly sought but polarizing. While the costumes and set designs do their best to resemble the game, the CGI has been met with skepticism. Although realistic Minecraft was every young child’s dream at one point, some of the blocks seem too smooth, the mobs look overly realistic, and the attempt to blend real-world textures with Minecraft’s simplistic design feels jarring at times. The film may be struggling with the same issue that plagued live-action adaptations of other animated shows and films: finding a balance between authenticity and realism without alienating every fan.
While long-time players have griped about making this film live-action instead of animated, many believe that the movie’s direction will be a greater overall choice across a wide range of people. “A Minecraft Movie” establishing itself as a comedy makes it more accessible for viewers who have never played the game before, taking it from being potentially forgetful and requiring extensive previous knowledge, to a film that even parents can enjoy without a history of playing the game. With the film explaining the interesting in-game mechanics with Black’s hilarious narrating and Hess’ background, it’s certain that “A Minecraft Movie” is mining for gold, and that gold is comedy.
