Fans of the popular video game “Minecraft” have eagerly awaited the release of “A Minecraft Movie” for over a decade since talks of the adaptation began back in 2014. With over 300 million copies of the game sold, the franchise has amassed quite the following, making it no surprise that theatres have been packed since the film’s release, and fittingly earning over $300 million globally in just the opening weekend. While “A Minecraft Movie” seems on track to exceed commercial expectations, the critical conversation is just slightly more controversial.
“I think it was one of the worst things I have ever seen,” says Bug Neidorfler ‘27, a film major at Drexel University, “I thought it was absolute cinematic drudgery.” The critics don’t disagree, as seen in the film’s 46% Rotten Tomatoes critic score. These critics have colorfully described the film as disappointing, heartless, and “a 101-minute lobotomy.” Sam Gregg ‘25, another film major and writer for “The Triangle,” describes his experience seeing the movie as “[sitting] for however long the movie was, an hour and a half—it felt like three hours—with my mouth agape at the horror I was witnessing.”
Despite the film’s questionable quality, A Minecraft Movie is not without its fans. The 87% Rotten Tomatoes audience score speaks to the film’s ability to at least entertain dedicated fans of the video game. Stevie Vago ‘27, a film major and self-proclaimed Minecraft fan, states that when he watched the movie, he “had a great time.” He continued, stating that “It was about what [he] expected and yet somehow more enjoyable,” despite also believing that the movie did not do justice to the source material. Vago isn’t alone in this sentiment either. The prevailing opinion seems to be that in spite of the film’s flaws, “A Minecraft Movie” is an entertaining and enjoyable experience; the film offers a particularly unique moviegoing experience altogether.
In the age of social media and internet connectivity, it is not unusual for an upcoming blockbuster to form a presence in popular culture even before the film publicly releases. This was absolutely the case for “A Minecraft Movie.” The particular trend that took over the internet in the aftermath of the release of trailers and teasers for the movie was the use of particular words and phrases from the marketing being mocked and used repetitively. The popularity of these phrases may be partly attributed to the particular cadence with which Jack Black, star of the movie, delivers certain lines such as “The Nether,” “Flint and Steel” and, of course, “Chicken Jockey.” This has resulted in a theatre experience which, at best, results in hordes of excited fans clapping and cheering at these moments in the film, and at worst, has resulted in disruptive waves of overzealous moviegoers throwing their popcorn and drinks towards the screen. Fortunately, it appears that the former is the more common reaction; however, the internet is not without reports of the latter being a prevalent issue. Minecraft fans would be advised to treat theater workers politely and respectfully, and to watch out for any agitated moviegoers looking to cause a scene.