Jason Momoa shines in ‘A Minecraft Movie'

Boston Globe

02-04-2025

Jennifer Coolidge in a scene from "A Minecraft Movie."
Kristy Griffin/Associated Press
If you've never heard of 'Minecraft' — or its denizens like Creepers, Piglins, Villagers and Endermen — you are in big trouble. Consult with the closest 10-year-old immediately. (I have one and he noticed a sweet nod to the late YouTuber Technoblade, an Easter egg of sorts.)
The movie is faithful to the world of the game, while adding some things — orbs and crystals — to aid the plot. But if you come in cold and spot pandas and folks punching through earth, you'll likely side with one human character who says: 'This place makes no sense.'
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A scene from "A Minecraft Movie."
Uncredited/Associated Press
Our travelers — a sweet brother and sister (Emma Myers and Sebastian Eugene Hansen), their nutty real estate agent
From left, Sebastian Hansen, Danielle Brooks, and Emma Myers in a scene from "A Minecraft Movie."
Uncredited/Associated Press
If it does anything, 'A Minecraft Movie' marks the comedic coming of age of Momoa, who has shown glimpses of his chops in the
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'There's no 'i' in 'team' but there are two 'i's in 'winning,'' Momoa says as Garrett 'The Garbage Man' Garrison, who is fond of fingerless gloves and a
A scene from "A Minecraft Movie."
Uncredited/Associated Press
The screenplay written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, Neil Widener, Gavin James, and Chris Galletta is as loosey-goosey as you'd expect from five different voices, with a traditional Marvel-style battle at the end fueled by plenty of 'Let's do this!' declarations but with a surprisingly goofball first half.
Like countless films before it, 'A Minecraft Movie' is all about the quest to go home, which in this case means navigating zombies, skeletons shooting fire-tipped arrows and a place called The Nether, a perpetually dark hell where horrible creatures mine for gold. For some reason, the ruler there, a piglike witch, has glowing eyes and a British accent.
The writers make some 'America's Got Talent' jokes, Black has a few songs — including a bizarre 'Steve's Lava Chicken' — and we spend an inordinate of time focused on Momoa's butt, but it all ends in a dance party. The movie has a 'Dark Crystal'-meets-'Transformers' vibe, a too-subtle message about financial failure and something about friendship.
A scene from "A Minecraft Movie."
Uncredited/Associated Press
The filmmakers do have characters throw eggs —
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Hollywood's embrace of gaming has been yielding hits such as HBO's
As for 'A Minecraft Movie,' the advice is this: Come for the Piglins, stay for Momoa, whom you will see spectacularly failing at being bilingual and jujutsu-ing opponents dressed like a member of Skid Row. It's everything you ever needed.
★★½
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Directed by Jared Hess. Written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, Neil Widener, Gavin James, and Chris Galletta. Starring Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Sebastian Hansen. At AMC Boston Common, Alamo Drafthouse Seaport, AMC Causeway, Landmark Kendall Square, suburbs. 101 minutes. PG (violence/action, language, suggestive/rude humor and some scary images)