A Minecraft (2025)
A Minecraft (2025) Full Review
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| Image Source: IMP Awards |
Title: A Minecraft Movie
Director: Jared Hess
Release Date: April 4, 2025
Budget: $150 million
Box Office: $876.2 million (as of May 2025)
Main Cast: Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Production Companies: Warner Bros., Legendary Pictures, Mojang Studios
Runtime: 101 minutes
Language: English
"A Minecraft Movie" is a 2025 live-action adventure film directed by Jared Hess, known for his work on "Napoleon Dynamite." The film features an ensemble cast including Jack Black as Steve, Jason Momoa as Garrett Garrison, and Danielle Brooks as Dawn. It is an adaptation of the immensely popular sandbox video game Minecraft, developed by Mojang Studios.
Plot
The narrative follows four misfits—siblings Natalie (Emma Myers) and Henry (Sebastian Eugene Hansen), estate agent Dawn (Danielle Brooks), and former arcade champion Garrett Garrison (Jason Momoa)—who are unexpectedly transported through a mysterious portal into the pixelated realm of the Overworld. There, they encounter Steve (Jack Black), the game's original player character, who becomes their guide. Together, they embark on a quest to thwart the villainous Piglin queen, Malgosha (Rachel House), and find their way back home.
Cast and Characters
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Jack Black as Steve: The original player character of Minecraft, serving as the group's guide in the Overworld.
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Jason Momoa as Garrett "the Garbage Man" Garrison: A former gaming champion turned video game store owner, offering a humorous foil to Steve's boundless confidence.
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Danielle Brooks as Dawn: A mobile petting zoo operator who becomes an integral part of the group.
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Emma Myers as Natalie: A young woman caring for her brother Henry following their mother's passing.
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Sebastian Eugene Hansen as Henry: Natalie's younger brother, who joins the adventure in the Overworld.
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Rachel House as Malgosha: The villainous Piglin queen ruling the joyless Nether.
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Jennifer Coolidge as Vice Principal Marlene: A character from the real world who adds to the comedic elements of the film.
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Jemaine Clement as Daryl and the voice of Bruce: Contributing to the film's humor and adventure.
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Matt Berry as a Nitwit Villager: Providing comic relief through his portrayal of a quirky villager.
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Kate McKinnon as Alex: A new inhabitant of Steve's former home, introduced in a post-credit scene, hinting at potential sequels.
Production
Principal photography for "A Minecraft Movie" took place in New Zealand from January 18 to April 12, 2024. The film was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures in collaboration with Legendary Pictures, Mojang Studios, Vertigo Entertainment, On the Roam, and Domain Entertainment. The production aimed to translate the open-ended, creative essence of the Minecraft game into a structured cinematic narrative, a challenge given the game's lack of a predefined storyline.
Marketing
The marketing campaign for the film began with the release of the first teaser trailer on September 4, 2024, set to The Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour." The teaser received mixed reactions, with some viewers criticizing the character designs and CGI. A second trailer, released on November 19, 2024, garnered a more positive response, and the final trailer was unveiled on February 27, 2025.
Release
The world premiere of "A Minecraft Movie" took place at a theater in London on March 30, 2025. The film was released in the United States on April 4, 2025, including IMAX formats. The release date had been postponed multiple times from its original May 24, 2019, schedule due to various production delays and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Box Office Performance
In the United States and Canada, "A Minecraft Movie" was projected to gross between $65–70 million from 3,400 theaters in its opening weekend. The film surpassed expectations, earning $10.6 million from Thursday night previews alone, setting a new record for video game adaptations. It went on to achieve a three-day total of over $135 million domestically, marking it as the year's biggest box-office opening.
Critical Reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 51% based on 85 reviews, with an average rating of 5.1/10. Metacritic assigned the film a score of 49 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews."
Dan Jolin of Empire Magazine criticized the film as "a hyperactive hot-pink mess of a movie, which fails to elevate its cubic source material and revels in that failure like it's achieving something." Conversely, Kyle Smith of The Wall Street Journal praised the film, stating that "Mr. Hess and his five screenwriters have mined childhood to craft something that’s alive with imagination."
Jesse Hassenger of IGN noted that "Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess puts a surprisingly specific and funny comic spin on A Minecraft Movie’s kid-friendly adventure, especially in its less antic first half,"
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| Image Source: IMP Awards |
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