- S: Being a kids movie that takes place mostly in a video game world, the film gets away with a lot. However, a jet-pack construction in the real world,
a lack of building in key combat moments, and the choices the characters made with the tools available to them.
- C: Animation and cgi are quite good, but the style choices are pretty disappointing when looking at the visuals of the Minecraft game. The biggest issue is probably that lots of the
film doesn't really look like Minecraft.
- E: The lack of narrative direction and the exorbitant amount of time spent in the unsubstantial real world make this film a bit slow, especially at the start. The film
also spends far too much time giving Jack Black the singer/song-writer spotlight when the film should be focused on the game's creativity.
However, the theater experience definitely made this movie more bearable. This
is the first time in a while where I been in a packed theater with people laughing and cheering with the film.
- N: Given how creative Minecraft is, the story is rather unimaginative. There are so many tools and capabilties in the game, but the writers felt it necessary to make something up like
a tater tot gun? The story is silly and fun, but that's about it. I expected the dialogue to be corny, but it reached a level that almost made the film ironic. The real-world set up is
so derivative and uninspired that it makes the film's message about creativity fall flat. There are huge portions of the film dedicated just to humor, but when there is so little
narrative substance to begin with, these moments are a drag rather than a reprieve.
- T: The film received one bonus point for a double-take joke involving a hidden knife.
Overall, light-hearted, fun watch. The film felt a bit like the Jack Black show for large portions, which is disappointing given how much content in Minecraft there is
to draw from.
Number of Watches: 1
