Of Enderman and creepers: Minecraft movie is a romp

From zero knowledge of Enderman, zombies, creepers, evil pigs, and villagers to understanding Minecraft. You can do it in two hours flat and collect talking points with your gamer kids. A Minecraft Movie is a romp and a half, and keeps youngsters nailed to the screen for its entire duration. The IMAX version in 3D leaves them spellbound.

Critics will immediately tell you that the film feels like an instalment of the Jumanji franchise, that the plot is thin and feels cobbled together, that it’s a so-and-so blah-blah ponytail. But the fact of the matter is that Minecraft is entertainment and bringing to life one of the most complex and popular sandbox games must have been one helluva challenge.

Minecraft movie loads of popcorn fun

After all, there are only a few basic narratives any film can follow; the way the story is told is simply a bit different. But who cares whether it’s a formula or not, it’s loads of popcorn fun.

Jack Black plays Steve, the iconic character that every kid wants as a plushie. He’s a former doorknob salesperson with a childhood dream and a penchant for stumbling into quests. He finds two enchanted relics in an old store. One is a glowing orb and the other a mystical crystal. They open a portal to a pixelated universe called the Overworld.

There, Steve builds his dreamland, but it’s not long before he’s dragged into the Nether, ruled by the sinister Piglin queen Malgosha, who wants to kill creativity and blanket the world in darkness. Before being captured by her, Steve stashes the artefacts back on Earth, quite literally under his bed.

Fast-forward a few years and enter Garrett, a has-been 80s gamer turned small-town junk shop owner who ends up with Steve’s old stuff. A school mishap involving a flying contraption leads local kid Henry and his crew, including a wannabe zookeeper and sister, straight through the portal into the cube world. There they meet Steve, still kicking Creeper and Zombie butt. They all team up and together they go on a quest to disarm Malgosha.

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There’s the big battle, iron golems, triumphs, the baddie is banished, and everyone returns home with a new lease on life and a shared set of memories that becomes the next bestselling video game. That’s pretty much the plot in a few lines.

Simple formula, great outcome

But what critics don’t tell you is that the songs Black sings are straight from the game. I watched my kids singing aloud in the cinema to the tunes. Almost all the kids in the audience yelped and shrieked and called out names of characters as they appeared on screen. Most kids also stayed until the end of the credit roll.

And isn’t that what a movie is supposed to be about? A bit of escapism with a set of 3D glasses, popcorn and a slushie? Not every film is destined or even intended for Oscar glory, and so what if producers are accused of trying to cash in. It’s the experience that matters, and there’s a lot to be said for that.

Vintage Jack Black

Jack Black is his vintage self. The supporting cast and characters created to carry the narrative are more than adequate for the purpose. The movie has adult jokes, a Hollywood trademark to make kids movies bearable for parents, lekker slapstick and a good laugh. But they were not even necessary. The action is there, and there isn’t a single moment that yawned out anyone in the audience.

A Minecraft Movie is like fudge. Moreish and fun. Who cares what the ponytails think because for families, it’s a winner – especially in 3D on an IMAX screen.

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