Minecraft in Cinema: A Blocky Adventure That Falls Flat
Steve (played by Jack Black), a guy who dreamed of working in the mines since childhood, faces obstacles on his path to happiness, first in the form of an aggressive miner, then a humiliating office job. At some point, Steve’s passion for creativity takes over, and he abandons everything, rushing underground where he discovers an artifact that opens a portal to the Upper World — a dimension where everything is made of cubic blocks, and the possibilities for creation are limited only by imagination. Years pass, Steve explores his domain inside and out, and suddenly stumbles upon another portal leading to the Nether — a world where pig-like monsters, led by the creativity-hating Malgosia (Rachel House), mine gold. The villainess craves Steve’s artifact to enslave the Upper World and destroy all creativity.
Jack Black as Steve in a still from “Minecraft in Cinema”
The salvation of the cubic world falls on the shoulders of the most ridiculous team (after Team America). Garrett Harrison (Jason Momoa), nicknamed Scavenger, is stuck in the 80s, the era of his arcade fighting champion glory: he runs a useless store, suffers from loneliness and lack of funds. Natalie (Emma Myers) and her inventive brother Henry (Sebastian Eugene Hansen) move to a new city after the death of their mother (whom viewers will only hear about once and forget forever). The house is sold to the kids by the imposing Dona (Danielle Brooks), who, in her free time from real estate activities, works in her own petting zoo, most of whose inhabitants fit in her car.
Still from “Minecraft in Cinema”
At the wave of the hands of the team of screenwriters led by Neal Widener, the fates of the characters intertwine when Scavenger finds the very cube-shaped artifact that opens the portal to the Upper World. The characters (some willingly, some for selfish reasons, and some completely by accident) embark on a journey that will change their lives, and turn the lives of viewers into a moderately fun attraction for an hour and a half. “Minecraft in Cinema,” the production history of which began back in 2015, turns out to be either a prolonged advertisement for an energy drink (the likely source of Jack Black’s unbridled energy), or a selection of scenes with mandatory fan service for dedicated gamers.
Jason Momoa as Garrett in a still from “Minecraft in Cinema”
Somewhere between the explosions, Easter eggs, and self-deprecatingly cringeworthy Momoa, director Jared Hess actually tries to say something thoughtful. On one of the deeper levels, “Minecraft in Cinema” talks about the importance of creativity, friendship, and the perception of video games by adults. However, in the minimal moments of seriousness, the attention of viewers is instantly clouded by another farce, the boundless antics of Steve, or sketches from the life of cubic pigs. Hess and his team, however, were able to accurately convey the basic mechanics of Minecraft: the heroes actively master the very crafting, creating both objects and buildings and even golems, and the first meeting with a creeper will definitely tug at the heartstrings of fans of the original, as will the escape along an underground road powered by “redstone,” or the battle with the Enderman.
Still from “Minecraft in Cinema”
Lost in Fan Service
In the endless pursuit of fan service, both the essence of the film and the characters are lost. Closer to the finale, it even seems that the characters had little impact, although they received conditional development, which needed to be emphasized with a bland epilogue. In the end, in the culminating battle (suspiciously reminiscent of “Warcraft” — another adaptation of a cult game), the strength and skill of one Steve would probably have been enough to win, all the zeal of the main villain went to a couple of dubious speeches and the destruction of her own subordinates.
Standout Performances
Steve, despite the abundance of other characters and the relatively short running time, steals the attention of viewers completely, turning into the diamond of the entire film. Jack Black, in his characteristic Mad Hatter manner, mugs, fools around, shouts out the names of key game items, and even performs songs that have already been added to dictionaries under the definition of the expression “cringe.” Steve’s charisma is quite enough to dedicate an entire film to this character, but the universe is not yet ready for this. Another comedic find is Jennifer Coolidge’s character, a recently divorced school principal where Henry enrolls, who considers it necessary to report her marital status even to a teenager. Her relationship with a randomly encountered villager (a neutral NPC from the game) who entered the human world through a portal turns into the best romantic story since “Roman Holiday.” It is a pity that this line was given criminally little time.
A Block Too Far
“Minecraft in Cinema” initially took on too much. Adapting such a complex game (Minecraft has long gone beyond entertainment content — the project is used as a full-fledged engine by teachers, architects, and engineers) is an extraordinary task, and attempts to simplify the source material to the level of a blockbuster are a doomed endeavor. That is why Jared Hess’s film fails in several directions at once: the basic adventure plot does not keep up with the potential of the original, the characters turned out to be cardboard, and the fan service is too convex. “Minecraft in Cinema” simply does not grab viewers, the cube turned out to be a square, and even Jack Black’s angelic voice is unlikely to save the situation.