It’s no secret that live-action adaptations of animated movies and games have been plaguing cinema in recent years. Remakes and spin-offs have made up a majority of “new” movies, and very few recent releases have been original content. One of the most controversial reveals of new movies coming out was the Minecraft movie. From the casting to the concept and CGI, as well as the animation style. However, public opinion of the movie seemed to flip the second it aired in theaters.
The thing that makes Minecraft so challenging to put into film is the open world concept of the game. The fact that there are so many directions the plot of a Minecraft movie could go makes viewer expectations much higher than they typically would be for an adaptation of a movie or game with a set plotline and style. That being said, there are videos and story-motivated games, such as Minecraft Story Mode, that have already been made using the Minecraft animation style, and most, if not all, have been very well received by audiences. The style of Minecraft is also tricky to capture in a live action film setting, and that’s most likely why there’s never been a non fully animated Minecraft adaption despite the game being extremely popular since it release in 2011 and currently being the second most sold game of all time only topped by Tetris, according to Gamespot.
Despite the initial hatred and criticism of the announcements that Minecraft was in the works, there turned out to be several unusual reactions to the movie’s release. The movie’s current ratings as of May 2025 are 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, 5.7/10 on IMDb, and 3/5 according to Common Sense Media. One of the most notable things about the outcome of the movie is the Google reviews listed. Every single review is the same copy-and-paste article stating the greatness of the movie. The review is not simply one to two paragraphs, it’s eight total paragraphs consisting of a range of star ratings and posted over and over again. It is the only review visible on the Google review page.
The first paragraph of the review starts as “Absolutely unforgettable! From the very first frame, A Minecraft Movie had me completely captivated. As someone who’s loved the game for years, I walked in with high expectations—but what I witnessed far exceeded them. This isn’t just another game-to-film adaptation; it’s a heartfelt celebration of Minecraft’s spirit—creativity, exploration, and limitless imagination. It’s a visually breathtaking, emotionally rich, and wildly entertaining adventure that speaks to both hardcore fans and total newcomers alike.”
Another bizarre incident that happened during the movie was the infamous “chicken jockey sense”. As ridiculous as it sounds, a very common problem theaters across the country experienced was people throwing popcorn, screaming, and even bringing live chickens into the theater. The scene was so minimal in the movie, it’s insane how the public reacted so extremely, and the large problems it caused for theater workers.
Comic Book Resources reports “Instagram user @chucknadauld posted a video to the social media site showing the fan wearing a Minecraft-inspired mask, going to a farm, purchasing a chicken, and then sneaking it into the movie theater. When Jack Black’s A Minecraft Movie character, Steve, yells “chicken jockey” during a scene in the movie, the fan, sitting on another moviegoer’s shoulders, hoists the chicken above his head and the theater goes crazy.” Movie-goers were kicked out following this incident
As for my personal review of the movie(spoiler-free), the trailers and the “spoilers” I witnessed online prior to seeing the movie did not reveal the plot of the movie, and it was less predictable than I originally intended. I enjoyed it, and the CGI and portrayal of the game in movie form were not accurate, but well done. There was a fair amount of inaccuracy in the movie compared to the game. Despite this, the movie on its own does stand out as there are plenty of references to the game throughout the movie while also being an independent story-wise. Having original characters through the real and game worlds, following a plotline that completely strays from the typical “ending” of the game. I think it’s an interesting take to not follow the obvious chronological order of the game that many were expecting following the announcement of the movie. That being said many vital parts of the game were not included; however, as previously mentioned, an infinite style game with tons of things and directions the plot could be taken in, so it’s not fair to take off points for that because it’s almost impossible to include it all.
Overall, the movie was enjoyable; however, the most memorable part of it is the reactions from the viewers. The social media attention was also unmatched compared to most other movie releases, only because of how unserious it was. The film brought in a total of $301 million on its opening weekend, breaking the record for best domestic opening weekend for any video game movie ever, according to vulture.com, as well as breaking multiple other box office records, and plans are circulating for a sequel due to the success of the movie’s release.
