When “A Minecraft Movie” was initially announced, I had concerns that it was going to suffer the same fate as the “Borderlands” movie, which is currently sporting a ten percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Not only was it a box office flop, but it also seemed to tank the idea that audiences were interested in movies based on video game series. However, “A Minecraft Movie,” which also ironically stars Jack Black, has two things that “Borderlands” didn’t: a younger audience and a thriving IP.
Minecraft Is Still Alive and Well In Today’s World
With a budget of $150 million, it’s clear that Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures executives were sweating a bit when the film was released theatrically on April 4. Although it garnered mixed reviews from critics, younger audiences flocked to the movie and gave it an overwhelming two thumbs-up.
Not only did it gross over $300 million worldwide, more than doubling its budget, but it also became the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2025. That number is expected to grow as word of mouth continues to spread. While “Borderlands” was a bit adult for younger audiences, “A Minecraft Movie” was only rated PG, giving parents somewhere to take their kids on a rainy weekend.
Minecraft Has A Younger Audience And A Thriving IP
As the movie showed, Minecraft is really what you make of it, which is why it appeals to so many people of all different age groups. Simply put, it’s a game where you place blocks and create your own adventure. You can craft weapons and hunt monsters. You can build houses, cities, or even mechanical devices: the choice is yours.
The problem is, with such a big sandbox, how would writers be able to tell a story that both explained the concept of the game well enough to welcome those new to the franchise and satisfy fans who have been playing for decades? Currently, it’s a mixed bag among critics as to whether or not they successfully managed to pull that off.
What Other Stories Are Waiting To Be Told?
Considering that it is an open-world game, studio heads were very aware that their movie was just one of thousands of possibilities. Director Jared Hess told Variety that “We’re not the official story,” adding, “We’re not canonizing anything. We’re just one of a zillion stories.”
Mary Parent, chairman of worldwide production for Legendary, echoed this, stating, “We’re calling it ‘A Minecraft Movie’ because we’re respecting the fact that there’s no one story that drives the game.”
That being said, Hess does have ideas for more stories. Hess told Games Radar, “Oh, it’d be so much fun” if he was asked to direct another film. "I mean, look, there's the world's infinite, so many amazing mods and characters and biomes we haven't explored yet, so it'd be amazing."
Is ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Worth Watching?
Personally, I enjoy Jack Black’s sense of humor and was familiar with the game, so I was right in line with the target audience and did enjoy the film. However, there were elements of the plot that were confusing and appeared to mainly be glossed over in favor of a comic distraction.
The acting was spot-on, but there seemed to be too much of an emphasis on Black and Jason Momoa, in my opinion. The ever-funny Danielle Brooks almost seems to be wasted once the story really gets going.
Stephen Thompson of NPR seemed to agree. In his review, he states, “Turning Minecraft into a movie presents a challenge, because the film has a lot of character development to catch up on. But, as The Lego Movie and Barbie have demonstrated, it's possible to get it spectacularly right.”
One Critic Accused The Movie Of ‘Hollowing Out A Name Brand’
Considering that the movie seems primarily targeted to children, it was never going to appeal to everyone. Maxwell Rabb of the Chicago Readergave a particularly harsh review, writing, “A Minecraft Movie feigns creativity by hollowing out a name brand and inserting a zombified story that does little more than capitalize on (or cannibalize) the name.”
Dan Jolin of Empire Magazine also felt that the film fell flat, writing, “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.”
Although “A Minecraft Movie” may not appeal to all audiences, the endless creativity of the video game itself does inspire the idea that there are more movies yet to come. And, if nothing else, its success at the box office all but confirms that in a world of dying IPs, Minecraft is still shining like its coveted diamond armor.
