A Minecraft Movie (dir. Jared Hess)

By: Adam Freed

The pilot episode of the outstanding Seth Rogan series The Studio, parodies the mind numbing extent to which desperate studios will obtain intellectual property for the opportunity to cash in on the all consuming predetermined IP marketplace.  In the case of Rogan’s Max streamer, his fictional Continental Studios absurdly invests heavily in Kool-Aid brand drink mix’s mascot and hero, Kool-Aid Man for the purpose of film franchise entertainment.  While the satirical show successfully lands its intended punch, its existence seems ill timed for the release of Warner Bros. and director Jared Hess who, with a straight face, release A Minecraft Movie, a $150 million IP implosion of a film that is likely to only mildly entertain even the most devout players of its video game source material.  Minecraft, the video game originally released in 2009, and sold to hordes of rabid fans the allure of free creativity in an endless world of cube shaped objects and inventions.  For millennials without children, think of the artistic freedom of limitless Legos constructed in a three dimensional digital platform.  Sadly though for the WB shield and for Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre) the film based on a game that rewards endless creativity, offers very little of its own.  From its paper thin premise to a simplistic point A to B plotline, A Minecraft Movie would be one of the year’s worst to date, if not for the comedic heroics of its star Jack Black.

What makes Black (Kung Fu Panda, School of Rock) so perfectly adept at carrying a film as ridiculous as  A Minecraft Movie, is that he has never been a performer accused of taking himself too seriously.  The production-saving gift this provides the lackluster film is that Jack Black’s hyperintense performance allows audiences to witness a man just as in on the joke as they are.  Anyone familiar with the work of Jack Black can attest that the comedian has never been accused of providing a half effort.  Even in films that have attempted to constrain his madcap ability, Black’s musical prowess and joyful eruptions have a way of bubbling to the surface for all to enjoy.  Not many screen comedians are as one of a kind as Jack Black, which is precisely what keeps A Minecraft Movie from bottoming out completely.  Although billed as an ensemble cast, Jared Hess’ film is anything but. Yes, recognizable names like Jason Momoa (Aquaman, Fast X) and Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus, American Pie) adorn the film’s poster, but neither of the recognizable performers add any value to the proceedings.  Coolidge is given a nothing part in the film, one that wastes her comedic gifts completely.  Which leads to Momoa, who is given the lion’s share of screen time in Warner Bros. massive budgeted IP project and yet, if it weren’t for Gal Gadot’s abysmal stint as The Evil Queen in Disney’s Snow White, would be the front runner for most unwatchable performance of the year.

Ultimately, the ability to enjoy the proceedings in A Minecraft Movie will probably run parallel to one’s level of familiarity with the globally successful game. There is very little imagination or intrigue in a story that is driven completely by a two piece macguffin, that when combined, provides an unexplainable power to its holder. If not for the heroic efforts of Jack Black reminding the adults in the room that it's ok to laugh at the silliness of the proceedings, director Jared Hess would be responsible for another in the long line of video game film adaptation disasters.  With all of this considered, A Minecraft Movie is likely to open with a box office north of $100 million, all but guaranteeing that the existence of future IP nightmares like The Kool-Aid Movie are a certainty.

Target Score 3.5/10 - Based on the globally successful video game of the same name, A Minecraft Movie is a nightmarish explosion of nonsense wrapped in disaster.  If not for the efforts of Jack Black, the film would be a completely lost cause.  Jason Momoa continues to prove that his “style before substance” approach to performance will be rewarded for years to come.  Unless living in a household with passionate Minecraft fans, this is a film to skip.