“A Minecraft Movie,” which debuted on the big screen on April 4, 2025, became a viral topic across social media platforms– but not for the right reasons. TikTok was flooded with videos of people throwing popcorn and bringing live chickens to the theater to mock the film’s clunky dialogue, while X threads tore apart its missed opportunities. Despite the internet “hype” surrounding its release and Minecraft’s global legacy, the movie failed to live up to expectations, leaving fans of all ages (but especially older ones) disappointed.
The film follows Steve (Jack Black), an adventurer in the pixelated Overworld, as he joins a group of rebels in attempting to save their world from destruction at the hands of the mysterious Ender Dragon. What could have been a creative dive into Minecraft’s infinite universe is a flat ride slowed by uninspired dialogue and a directionless story.
Right from the very first scenes, the film attempts to catch viewers off guard with visually stunning landscapes and an over-the-top quest introduction. But instead of tapping into Minecraft’s open-world creativity and player-driven storytelling, the movie plays safe with a basic formula of “chosen one” conventions and ordinary quests. The movie’s main bad guy, a generic evil overlord with a weak motivation, is much less scary than he should be. The Ender Dragon is there but is an afterthought rather than a genuine menace, taking what could have been a thrilling conclusion and leaving it a mundane, foregone fight.
Unlike well-executed video game translations that capitalize on character development and world-building, “A Minecraft Movie” loses the game’s soul. The emotional scenes are more awkward checkpoints than big moments. Steve’s identity crisis and attempts to figure out his purpose in a procedurally generated world could have worked if they had not been sacrificed to weird gags. Side plots, such as Alex (Emma Myers) and the wisecracking pig sidekick (Keegan-Michael Key), are not used to their fullest potential.
Another big issue is the clunky pacing and lack of character chemistry. Dialogue between Steve and his buddies is not realistic, instead sounding like a boring Saturday morning show and not a summer blockbuster. Even moments that try to squeeze some emotions out of the audience, like a goodbye between Steve and a beloved villager, come off as lightweight. Beyond that, the gags rely mostly on poor internet meme culture references and moments that have not been funny since 2021.
The cast of actors is undoubtedly good, but even they cannot improve the movie’s mediocrity. Jack Black is energetic, but he is handicapped in a character who cannot be taken seriously. While he has made that work before, his specific character in the Minecraft game does not have an established personality, so his performance feels forced. Emma Myers barely registers with a bad script, and Key’s sense of humor is lost on bad one-liners.
One saving grace is the animation. Some may disagree, but the animators did a decent job of capturing the look of Minecraft’s blocky appearance with impressively high-detail textures and smooth cuts between action sequences. The visuals, while not groundbreaking, do passable work in bringing the game’s world to life. The set pieces are colorful and imaginative, and it is just a shame that the story built around them does not match its vibrance.
Ultimately, “A Minecraft Movie” is a letdown. For a video game that has been hailed for imagination, freedom and boundless exploration, the movie version feels stiflingly formulaic. Instead of pushing the envelope, it rehashes tired clichés and a thin story. Kids might get some laughs out of it by yelling “chicken jockey,” but dedicated fans of the franchise will leave the theater feeling like this movie failed to meaningfully take the things that made Minecraft special and bring them to life.
