A Minecraft Movie: A Mom's (Spoiler-Free) Honest Review

Are you ready for A Minecraft Movie? Enter a wonderland where creativity and teamwork is essential to survival, much like the game we all know and love. Four misfits find themselves struggling with ordinary problems in the real world, when they are suddenly pulled through a strange portal into the Overworld (a cubic landscape that thrives on imagination). To get home, they’ll have to master this world (and protect it from evil mobs like creepers and zombies, too) while embarking on a magical quest with an expert crafter named Steve (played by Jack Black). From director Jared Hess and starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black, A Minecraft Movie is the first-ever big screen adaptation of Minecraft, the single best-selling video game of all time. Read on for my (spoiler-free!) review of the film, and to see the latest trailer.

Disclosure: The information in this post comes directly from the press release from Warner Bros Pictures. Photos property of Warner Bros Pictures. All opinions are my own.

About the Plot

Welcome to the world of Minecraft, where creativity doesn’t just help you craft, it’s essential to one’s survival! Four misfits—Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Jason Momoa), Henry (Sebastian Hansen), Natalie (Emma Myers) and Dawn (Danielle Brooks)—find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they’ll have to master this world (and protect it from evil things like Piglins and Zombies, too) while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve (Jack Black). Together, their adventure will challenge all five to be bold and to reconnect with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative…the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world.

Watch a Trailer from the Film

Check out the latest trailer for A Minecraft Movie on YouTube below:

About the Cast

A Minecraft Movie was directed by Jared Hess and features music by Mark Mothersbaugh (you might remember him from Devo or his numerous TV and movie compositions or maybe his fun appearances on Yo Gabba Gabba). The film features Jack Black as Steve and Jason Momoa as Garrett, but it also features a talented cast including Emma Myers (“Wednesday”), Oscar nominee Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”), Sebastian Eugene Hansen (“Just Mercy, “Lisey’s Story”), with Jennifer Coolidge.

The Jersey Momma's Review of A Minecraft Movie

Never fear, this is a spoiler-free zone! A Minecraft Movie was a lot of fun, especially if you're a Minecraft fan or have ever played the game. There was nothing frightening (unless you're scared of Creepers, skeletons and Endermen) and language was mild. There are occasional butt jokes, but overall, the movie itself was pretty clean. Our theater was filled with Minecraft fans (including me) who were clapping, laughing and cheering. I loved the score by Mark Mothersbaugh, the songs by Jack Black and the fun old favorites they included (particularly 'My Own Private Idaho' by the B-52's). It was fun to be with other Minecraft fans who understood all of the game references and appearances. Jason Momoa and Jack Black are truly a wonder duo- they are both so funny in this film, and I think Jason Momoa as Garrett really stole the show (he's truly a nod to GenXer's and old school gamers of the 80's). And Garrett's high-pitched scream during dangerous situations in the movie made me laugh every time.

If you're not really a Minecraft fan, I think you'll still enjoy the film- it has a great message and the special effects, characters and Overworld are awesome. But the movie is really geared towards kids (and they will love it). It's silly and fun and just what we need in today's serious society. There is a great reminder in this movie, too, about the importance of creativity and how it's okay to stand out from the crowd in a creative, unique way. Expressing our creative side is not always easy- it opens us up to criticism, judgement and ridicule. But creative people make the world a better place- creative people are needed in real life. There was a subtle reminder in the film: Bring your Minecraft creativity to the real world, and don't hide it all in the game. As Steve said, "If you're brave enough, you can make the real world your Overworld."

And one last note: be sure to stay for the end credits (yes, all the way to the end) for some added scenes that you definitely won't want to miss.