MOVIE TITLE:    A Minecraft Movie

This goofy video-game movie by Warner Brothers Pictures is now playing in theaters, as well as on Fandango at Home.

RATING:    PG

LENGTH:   1 hour 41 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE:    C

SPONSOR of Today’s movie review:

 Nerf Minecraft Firebrand, Dart-Blasting Axe:  https://amzn.to/3XOuJnt

IN A NUTSHELL:

I’ve never played Minecraft, but I have 4 sons who were obsessed with the game for years.  No, the movie isn’t the greatest film ever made, but Minecraft fans will be amused by the worldbuilding and the enthusiastic, goofy performances by Jack Black and Jason Mamoa.  As expected, film critics hate it by awarding it a low 49% score on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences are showing some love with a score of 87%.

The action comedy was directed by Jared Hess.  He also voices the character General Chungus. Writing credits go to Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, and Neil Widener.

The story is about four misfits who are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they’ll have to master this world while embarking on a quest with an unexpected, expert crafter.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

• Talk of the death of a mom
• Some profanity like “OMG”.
• Violence with Minecraft “creatures”
• Various weapons are used
• Lots of destruction
• People are in perilous situations
• Two men hang on to each other in a suggestive manner
• Jason Mamoa’s character uses a lot of Spanish phrases incorrectly

THEMES:

• Friendship
• Second chances
• Imagination
• The challenges of being a Creative

THINGS I LIKED:

• Jack Black.  You love him or hate him.  Personally, I get a kick out of him.  Like most of the movies he’s in, he sings quite a few times, which always makes me laugh. He definitely brings The School of Rock vibe with him in this one.
• Who doesn’t love Jason Mamoa?  I loved the little details of his character, including the chipped, black fingernail polish and bangs.  I love that he never takes himself seriously.
• Other cast members include Kate McKinnon, Jennifer Coolidge, Jemaine Clement, Rachel House, and Danielle Brooks.  Speaking of Jemaine Clement, he was the voice of Aquaman in the DC League of Super Pets in 2022, while Jason Mamoa played Aquaman in the movies.
• The young cast members include Sebastian Hansen and Emma Myers.
• There are a lot of cute Easter eggs for fans.  For example, when we see a pig wearing a crown, it’s a respectful shoutout to Technoblade, a popular YouTuber who featured Minecraft in his videos.  Jack Black’s character points out that “He’s a legend.”  Sadly, Technoblade passed away in 2022.  The Minecraft company’s home screen wrote, “Technoblade never dies” on its home screen. Sweet.
• Kids might get excited about a cameo performance of Aphmau.
• There were quite a few moments that made me laugh out loud.
• You can never go wrong with a llama.
• There’s almost non-stop action.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

• The first 8 minutes are a whole lot of exposition.  I didn’t really mind though because it filled me in on how Minecraft works…sort of.
• It’s extremely obvious that the actors worked in front of a green screen for 80% of the movie.  I was surprised at how bad it looked.
• This movie would have been more successful if it came out about 10 years ago.
• Parents may get tired of all the mayhem and loud music.

FUNNY LINES:

• “It was the kind of life that makes a man stare into his potatoes.” –  Steve     (Jack Black)
• “I mined my brains out. I found this thingie and that thingie.” –  Steve    (Jack Black)
• “If you make this happen for me, I’ll seriously consider hanging out with you.” –  Garrett   (Jason Mamoa)
• “This man has no respect for the storage community.” – Storage guy
• “You know the fire went out in our marriage 20 years ago, but we stuck it out for the dogs.” –
• “My dad says math has been debunked.” – Trevor’s friend  (Frankie Creagh-Leslie)
• “I have a small business too, but one thing I do is have my jingles not suck butt.” – Garrett  (Jason Mamoa)
• “Are you finished?” – waitress  “No, I think he’s Swedish. But we’re done with our meal.” – Vice Principal Marlene  (Jennifer Coolidge)
• “First we mine, then we craft.  Let’s Minecraft!” – Steve  (Jack Black)

INTERESTING LINES:

•  “Creativity in this world is the key to survival.” – Steve  (Jack Black)
• “It is harder to create than destroy.” – Steve  (Jack Black)
• “You can create the life you dream of.” – Steve  (Jack Black)

MOVIES LIKE THIS By Jared Hess YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE:

• Napoleon Dynamite (also directed by Jared Hess):  https://amzn.to/43H0F0X
• Nacho Libre (also directed by Jared Hess, starring Jack Black): https://amzn.to/42HYTKX

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