A Minecraft Movie, director Jared Hess’s live-action adaptation of the hugely popular video game, is a laugh-a-minute riot that is sure to appeal to young and old fans of the game.
Hess, known for directing the indie classic Napoleon Dynamite and buddy comedy Nacho Libre, had a considerable task on his hands to bring this sandbox game to the big screen, but he, crucially, manages to bring his signature quirky, absurd sense of humour to the project.
An exposition-heavy opener sets the scene – Steve (Jack Black) is an overgrown kid who finds the portal into the magical Minecraft world, where everything you can imagine you can create. However, he soon becomes trapped in the hellish Nether, ruled by the vicious pig queen Malgosha (Rachel House), who is on a quest to destroy creativity (yes, really).
Back in the real world, orphaned brother and sister Henry (Sebastian Hansen) and Natalie (Emma Myers) have moved to a new town where they encounter Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Jason Momoa), the nerdy, flamboyantly-dressed ‘Gamer of the Year 1989’ who now owns a rundown local game shop, and Dawn (Danielle Brooks) an eccentric realtor/petting zookeeper.
When this ragtag bunch of misfits find themselves accidentally pulled through a portal into the Overworld, they must team up with master builder Steve to survive.
It’s just as outrageously silly as it sounds. But A Minecraft Movie succeeds by not taking itself seriously and allowing its excellent cast to run riot in this colourful and strange world.
Watch RTÉ Entertainment’s interview with Jennifer Coolidge and Jason Momoa below
Jack Black and Jason Momoa go for broke here and their jocular bro rivalry injects fun in every scene. The always brilliant Jennifer Coolidge has a small but no-less memorable role as self-confessed “open-book” Vice Principal Marlene, while Flight of the Conchords star Jemaine Clement puts in an enjoyable cameo.
There are plenty of sharp one-liners, (Momoa telling Coolidge: “Whoever divorced you is a complete idiot” is a highlight), and enough depth, heart and goofy charm to keep viewers interested. As you’d expect, the film is filled with plenty of Minecraft lore and Easter Eggs to please diehard fans.
Although some might be put off by the frenzied pace and unrelenting silliness, in its essence A Minecraft Movie is a sweet, cheerful and inventive ode to creativity and finding your own path.
We need your consent to load this YouTube contentWe use YouTube to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
