When this electronic game never had a properly defined mythos during its initial launch, I didn’t play for long. Other than creating random items for no purpose at all, I wondered when elements from Doom or Unreal Tournament would get incorporated. Thankfully, this cinematic treatment is quick to define all that because without a solid threat to face, and understanding the foundation this Swedish product developed from, not everyone will be interested in this film.
After Steve (Jack Black) from the video game gets a backstory that explains his impulse to build, this individual gets whisked away to an eight-bit world where everything is shaped like a cube! Pretty soon, he gets captured by Malgosha. This similarly shaped piglet who rules the Nether wants the magical macguffin this human has and he refuses. He gets his pet to hide it in the real world, and for the most part, all is well.
When fully assembled, the Orb of Dominance and the Earth Crystal is like the Piece of Resistance in The Lego Movie. And when it shares properties like the Cornerstone in Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, anyone who holds it can remake reality! This Nether overlord wants to leave her realm just like Garmadon in Ninjago wanted to combine the four elemental weapons, and do some bad things!
However, this movie is not about Steve. It would be great to focus on him, but there are far too many plots going on at the same time. When he’s bringing in the reason for being hero like Po from Kung Fu Panda and loves to inspire like Dewey from School of Rock, I had to wonder if this actor is putting in too much effort into the role that he’s hoping to add to his character resume?
While Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Jason Momoa) is next to be introduced, this near do well can’t do bupkis. He was once a world famous gamer who still holds the world record score for a cabinet game, but those times mean nothing in the present. Unless he can get a loan to save his video game store from receivership, nothing can save him. I feel Momoa is struggling to find roles which suit him and this work is not one to be proud of.
When another tale gets piled on top regarding two teens, Natalie (Emma Myers) and Henry (Sebastian Hansen) who only have each other to support themselves, the similarities are getting recognizable! Like Nya and Kai, Natalie and Henry’s involvement to what’s going on feels similar. As for why everyone will go rescue Wu (Steve), at least those motives are clearly defined.
When most of the events are concerned about preventing these Underdark denizens from invading the daylight world, what’s presented is a mix of trying to wow audiences with how the world can look if made realistic over its age-old look.
Ultimately, this work is about introducing this IP to newcomers and showing why fostering creativity is important. Unfortunately, by not introducing Henry next, the idea falls apart. While establishing this digital world is important, just why some elements are important over others really depends on what this film promotes. Is it the game or simply being another movie to cash in on, like Pixels? While I enjoy hearing Black sing, that can’t save a film.
The only aspect I’m thankful for is in how this film makes Minecraft resemble a MMORPG. However, it’s too late to get me playing again. Had it been offered during the IP’s peak popularity, I might be interested in resuming building my Mayan fort, and playing storm the castle again.
3 Stars out of 5
A Minecraft Movie Trailer
