Philosophers said it should not be done. Scientists said it could not be done. But Hollywood said, “Can we get Jack Black and Jason Momoa?” And, as a result, A Minecraft Movie was born. From the creative genius of Jared Hess comes a movie about four eccentric individuals: Garret “The Garbage Man” Garrison, Henry, Natalie, and Dawn. They find themselves fighting with their personal problems in the real world when they are pulled through a mystical portal into the Overworld, more commonly known as the Minecraft world, the blockiest place on this side of the internet. In order to get back home, they have to conquer this strange new world and protect it from evil. While on this quest, they meet a master of mining and crafting, Steve. Together, they embrace their creativity and use teamwork in order to make it back to the real world.

     A Minecraft Movie was released on April 4, 2025, and it quickly became an extremely popular movie among viewers. In its first weekend, the Minecraft movie made $163 million, making it the highest-grossing opening weekend for a video game adaptation (Rotten Tomatoes). Some would argue that Minecraft should not have been made into a movie, and did not translate well into a live-action film. Junior, Jed Frey stated, “Some in-game aspects do not play well in the live action.” Minecraft is known for having few non-speaking characters, so when they announced a movie was coming out, many were confused about how Hollywood could make this into a good movie. There have been many video game-based movies in the past, such as Sonic, Super Mario Bros., Five Nights at Freddy’s, and now, Minecraft. These films prove the industry can make video game-based movies, but it does not mean they should. Junior, Trey Johnson states his opinion, “Some games should just not be made into movies, such as Minecraft.” Therefore, Minecraft being made into a movie was a rather controversial topic.

     Based on enjoyment, A Minecraft Movie was truly a toss-up. When asked his opinion on the movie, Jed said, “I did not really enjoy it. The movie was made for the younger generation of Minecraft players.” The movie was clearly a big hit for young viewers and quickly became very popular on social media. While numerous longtime users were puzzled by the many new additions brought to the movie, the younger generation immediately went crazy with the memes. The “Chicken Jockey,” “Flint and Steel,” and “I am Steve” memes immediately blew up on many social platforms. The memes were initially what brought many viewers in to see the movie. Trey shared that he only attended the movie because of the Chicken Jockey scene and left quickly after.

     Jed, a longtime Minecraft player, rated the movie a 4/10 because “There really was not much of a plot. Too much was based on the current players, and there was nothing nostalgic.” Jed did not enjoy the younger generation being the target audience of the film. Many older viewers were shocked to find out that many aspects of the movie were not included in the game, as well as many in-game features not being included in the movie. “Growing up playing Minecraft, the older generation’s stories, like Hero Brian, were not included. The Woodland Mansion and the Hoglands were more geared towards the younger generation of Minecraft. Some things were straight-up not in the game, like the main villain (the Witch-Lady) is not even in the game.” Some aspects of the game were included in the movie, but the movie was still not super accurate. Trey says, “The only accurate part was him (Steve) explaining the crafting table and other items. Other than that, it was not accurate at all.” 

     With opinions split and clashing expectations between viewers, young and old, A Minecraft Movie has proven to be more than just a film adaptation; it is a reminder that not every block can be placed perfectly under Hollywood lights. It may have broken box-office records, but it also broke the hearts of longtime fans with big expectations. In the end, A Minecraft Movie gave us Jack Black in square armor, Jason Momoa in a pink leather jacket with fringe, chicken jockeys, and a villain who apparently was never featured in the game. While it may not have stayed true to the original pixels of the classic game, it definitely crafted a mess worth talking about. Whether it becomes yet another internet meme or a cult classic, A Minecraft Movie has placed its blocks in the hearts of viewers everywhere.