A Minecraft Movie: A Lively Adaptation in Want of a More Creative Story (Blu-ray)

The Film:

Ever since "Minecraft" came out way back in 2011, it's been a massively popular game for anyone looking to indulge their creativity by crafting & building anything their imaginations can come up with, while also having the option to compete against hostiles or other players. This wide scope of activity seemed to make it a prime candidate for an eventual film adaptation, an idea that was toyed around with for about a decade before finally coming to fruition in just the last couple of years. We all know that video game adaptations are a rather dicey area, with the majority usually failing to live up to expectations, but with the only limitations here being the reach of the filmmakers' imaginations, perhaps there was just cause to be slightly optimistic for once.

As the film opens, we meet Steve (Jack Black), a doorknob salesman who always had a strange desire to explore mines. When he finally fulfills his wish, he discovers the Orb of Dominance and the Earth Crystal, which opens a portal to The Overworld, a land in which he can craft & build pretty much anything he wants. Later on, he finds another portal to a land called The Nether, where evil pig beings led by Malgosha (Voice of Rachel House) are obsessed with finding gold. They capture Steve, but his dog Dennis escapes with the Orb and Crystal back to the real world so that Malgosha won't be able to use it to conquer The Overworld.

Meanwhile, former video game champion Garrett Garrison (Jason Momoa) wins an auction for Steve's storage unit and discovers the Orb and Crystal. We also meet Henry (Sebastian Hansen) and his sister/guardian Natalie (Emma Myers), who've moved to Idaho after their mother's death. Through a series of events, Garrett, Henry, Natalie, and the latter two's real estate agent Dawn (Danielle Brooks) get sucked into The Overworld, where Malgosha learns of the Orb's return, prompting her to release Steve to retrieve it in exchange for releasing Dennis, whom she claims to have. He eventually joins with the four newcomers and offers his help to get them home, putting them on a dangerous quest to acquire an item they need to accomplish their goal.

As mentioned, video game adaptations are typically a rather tumultuous area that most people tend to expect the worst from simply because a lot of them don't turn out very well. This can be for a variety of reasons, including it just being a poor adaptation of the material, a poorly-made film in general, or it could just be that the filmmakers didn't do as much with it as they could. When it comes to "A Minecraft Movie," the last of these reasons would be the best description of the final product, which, as was also mentioned earlier, was over a decade in the planning and eventual making.

There was really no limit as to what kind of story the filmmakers could tell, especially with the game being one in which the player is allowed to do so much and be as creative as they please, but this only makes it all the more disappointing that they chose to do what is best described as a very basic story, one in which our heroes are trying to stop a villain and get back home. It's a very similar result to what we got with the recent "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," in which the filmmakers also chose to tell what was pretty much the most basic story they could with the material.

That said, it's certainly not as bad as some would have you believe. It's bright, lively, and the performances are enjoyable enough to the point where young children will likely have a good time with it, and even fans of the game who go in not expecting very much might find some pleasure in it for at least trying to bring the world of "Minecraft" to life, but most others will likely be left wishing that they had told a story that was a little more involved and more memorable than just a simple heroes vs. villains set-up. Overall, it's a decent effort, but it ultimately leaves one with the hope that they'll try a little harder when it comes to the inevitable sequel's narrative.

Video/Audio:

"A Minecraft Movie" comes to Blu-ray in a 1.85:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of excellent quality. The picture is bright & vibrant throughout the entire 90-minute duration, highlighting the film's extensive special effects & production design. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos-TrueHD audio track is fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in outstanding quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has done a wonderful job in both departments for the film's physical release.

Special Features:

Building the World of Minecraft: Block Party (14 Minutes)

Creepers, Zombies and Endermen Oh My! (13 Minutes)

A Minecraft Movie: Pixel Pals (14 Minutes)

A Minecraft Movie: Block Beats (9 Minutes)

Marlene + Nitwit (5 Minutes)

The Blu-ray comes with five featurettes, totaling nearly an hour, that take you behind the scenes of the film, focusing on areas such as the production design, the creatures, and the working relationship between Jack Black & Jason Momoa. There's definitely plenty of great material here for fans to dig into to learn more about the making of the film.

Conclusion:

"A Minecraft Movie" is a bright, lively adaptation of the popular game that may be appealing enough for young children and fans who are not expecting very much from it, but most others will likely be a little disappointed that they didn't try a little harder when it came to telling a more creative story, ultimately making for a decent effort, but not a particularly memorable one.

Score: 3/5

Available on Blu-ray starting tomorrow.

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