A Minecraft Movie Review: GenX vs GenZ In A Visual Spectacle

A number of variables will determine how much you will enjoy the Minecraft movie:

1) Do you enjoy playing computer games?

2) Do you have younger siblings who enjoyed the computer game or still do?

3) How much silliness can you take?

Even though I'm not very interested in computer games, I was anticipating the A Minecraft movie with a mixture of excitement and scepticism. How can one transform a game renowned for its inventiveness, flexible gameplay, and animated appeal into an engaging film? The movie has attempted to venture into the unknown with some bold scenes. Though it doesn't quite meet the benchmark of awe-inspiring films, it does present something unique.

Less narrative, more experience

It's straightforward, yet sometimes it seems hurried or overly formulaic. It seems like several sequences were overly forced to include a "Minecraft moment" instead of allowing the narrative to unfold organically. Also, some of the references and timing will be a bit confusing to non-fans.

All of the Minecraft universe has always been a bit Lynchian, from those creepy Unibrow "villagers" and their strange tongue. It sounds like something out of Twin Peaks' Black Lodge. He is the recipient of a very laugh-your-belly-out running gag in which he gets sent back to reality and finds himself on a date with the vice principal, courtesy of a circumstance too ridiculous to reveal.

Teenage Henry (Sebastian Hansen) must visit there because his older sister Natalie (Emma Myers) recently began managing social media for a regional crisp business to increase the business' following to over 75. They have been forced to move and pretty much look after themselves since their mother died recently; it's all very Generation X of them. It doesn't matter; therefore, I'm hardly trying to reiterate the tale. There is no heed to character journey or a consistent narrative. That the crystal box you place it in and the cube-shaped ball which opens the portal to the world of Minecraft are both called "thingys" speaks volumes. The director, Jared Hess, and the (many) writers are aware of how ridiculous the entire undertaking is, and they struggle to play along. The result is at least bearably funny, which may come as a shock.

A Visual Spectacle Involving Gen Z and Gen X Facing Off in a Familiar World

The movie features a group of unlikely heroes within a creatively reimagined but instantly familiar Minecraft world. It focuses its quest on friendship, teamwork, and, naturally, surviving creepers and other such classic mobs, although it does not strictly follow any one point of the game's plot (because, of course, Minecraft doesn't have one). It finds a balance between making quietly referenced touches that experienced players will appreciate and being a fun, family-friendly game. When Henry, Natalie, Garrett, and Dawn (Danielle Brooks), a neighbourhood realtor and proprietor of a mobile petting zoo, are contrivedly established enough in the world of Minecraft, Generation X and Generation Z come together. A group of random characters and references to mainstream tropes populate the cast.

The film perfectly captures the visual style of Minecraft. The level of detail is astounding, ranging from blocky landscapes to pixel-perfect renditions of well-known items and mobs. It does a great job of keeping the visuals loyal to the original game and cinematic. The animation is lively, fluid, and full of fan-friendly visual humour. The Gen X theme was unexpectedly referenced in a few of the jokes. Additional laughs can be found in some of the voice performances, such as Matt Berry's funny one throughout the credits and Rachel House's excellent performance in Taika Waititi's best film, Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016). House gets to voice the character of Malgosha, the evil "piglins" from the "nether" that serve as the movie's antagonist. The characters' progression within the story even has some depth to it; it's no Oscar-winning fare, but it is more than I had expected.

The movie is good fun, but not quite great either. What most impressed me about the film was how closely it stuck to the basic tenets of Minecraft: creativity, discovery, and embracing the unknown. Like the game itself, it relies on the viewer to understand the experience rather than trying to explain everything mechanically (thank goodness). Despite all the chaos, the movie has a message that celebrates creativity and is ideal for youngsters at a time when the miserable AI industry threatens to crush young people's creative ambitions like Malgosha's.

Views expressed by the author are their own.