TL;DR: Don’t feel like reading the full review?

Listen to our TechIn5 Special Edition about A Minecraft Movie for the quick-hit breakdown, our reactions, and whether it’s worth seeing. Spoiler: it totally is.

Last night, I finally did something I haven’t done in years: I went to the movies. And not just any movie—A Minecraft Movie. I saw it with my best friend and business partner Erik, and for us, this wasn’t just a night out. It was a personal, nostalgic return to one of the things that built our friendship from the ground up—literally.

When Erik and I first met, Minecraft quickly became the foundation of our bond. We spent hours—days, really—on our own private server, building sprawling bases, exploring far-off biomes, and getting into the kind of dumb, hilarious adventures that only Minecraft can serve up. It wasn’t just a game for us. It was where we talked, connected, failed gloriously, and built together. So when A Minecraft Movie was announced, we knew we were going, no matter what.

The Setup: Dine-In Chaos and a $20 Popcorn Crisis

We watched it at the AMC Dine-In theater in Bridgewater, New Jersey. It was busy—surprisingly so for a dine-in spot, which usually has fewer walk-ins thanks to the price tag. Between the tickets, a couple of burgers, and some snacks (not including popcorn—more on that in a sec), we were out over $100 by the end of the night.

And yeah, we skipped the popcorn. Not because we don’t like popcorn—we’re not monsters—but because when a large popcorn is over twenty dollars, that’s when the “back in my day” reflex kicks in hard. The grass really did feel greener when we were younger—and a movie night didn’t feel like buying concert tickets.

So… Was the Movie Good?

Let’s get to the real reason we’re here: the movie itself. And yes—we loved it. It’s weird. It’s chaotic. It’s ridiculous. But it’s Minecraft, and that’s the point.

Spoiler Warning: Plot details ahead!

A Minecraft Movie is a 2025 fantasy adventure comedy directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre), starring Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, and Sebastian Hansen. The story revolves around Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Momoa), a washed-up arcade champ who, along with three misfit companions, gets sucked into the Overworld—the blocky, imaginative realm of Minecraft. They join forces with Steve (Jack Black) to stop a full-on piglin invasion led by the creativity-hating Malgosha.

There are creepers, redstone traps, minecart chases, and more. It’s a wild ride. The humor is self-aware, the references are spot-on, and the animation blends Minecraft’s visual DNA with just enough polish to make it cinematic.

The performances are exactly what you’d hope for. Jack Black’s Steve brings big energy without ever feeling over-the-top, and Jason Momoa is just having the time of his life. They’re an unexpected pairing, but they totally carry the film. The chemistry works, the jokes land, and they bring the characters to life in a way that really sells the entire world.

Wait—What Even Is Minecraft?

Just in case you’re not deep in the pixelated trenches like we are, here’s a quick rewind. Minecraft started in 2009 as a humble indie game, created by one guy—Markus “Notch” Persson—in his spare time. The early builds were rudimentary: a flat, blocky world where you could place and destroy cubes. No story. No objectives. Just pure, open creativity.

From those simple beginnings, it exploded. By 2011, Mojang (the studio Notch founded) officially launched the full game. It became a cultural phenomenon—YouTubers, kids, adults, schools, modders—everyone was getting into Minecraft. And in 2014, Microsoft bought it for a staggering $2.5 billion. Today, it’s one of the best-selling games of all time and a full-blown brand empire.

The Crowd Was On Fire

Now, here’s something I wasn’t expecting: the crowd. I’ve been to Marvel premieres where people clap at big moments, sure—but this? This was next level. The theater was electric. People were cheering when Steve showed up. Laughing loudly at inside jokes that only Minecraft players would catch. Clapping every few minutes at references that probably flew right over a non-player’s head.

I’ve never been in a theater that rowdy for something so niche—and that’s when it really clicked. This movie wasn’t trying to appeal to everyone. It was made for us. For the people who spent years living in this world, whether solo or with friends. It was a massive, goofy celebration of everything that made the game special.

Critics Just Don’t Get It — And That’s Okay

Naturally, after the movie, I checked out what the critics were saying. A few got it. Most didn’t. And some? Some seriously missed the point.

There’s a recurring theme in the reviews: A Minecraft Movie is “a mess,” “formulaic,” “a corporate cash grab.” The AV Club called it “hotel artwork for a four-quadrant IP extravaganza.” And the New York Post? They went full nuclear, saying the movie felt like a “101-minute lobotomy,” and even bizarrely describing a flying scene between Steve and Garrett as “suggesting a sex act.” I mean… what?!

Here’s the thing: I actually think it was a sex joke. And guess what? It was one of the funniest moments in the movie.

And this is where these critics just don’t get it. They’re trying to review the movie in a vacuum. Like it’s some standalone, high-brow fantasy epic meant to reinvent cinema. But Minecraft has always been weird. It’s always been messy, chaotic, full of inside jokes, and yes—sometimes very dumb in the best way.

And when critics say the movie is some kind of “corporate cash grab,” it just doesn’t make sense. Minecraft is already a multi-billion dollar game. Microsoft doesn’t need a cheap film to push toy sales. That’s not what this was. And if you know the history of Minecraft—the game that started in a basement by one guy and turned into a global creative platform—it makes those criticisms feel especially lazy and out of touch.

If you don’t think kids—or adults—are cracking sex jokes while playing Minecraft with their friends, you’re just not paying attention. That’s the culture. That’s how people actually play this game. I vividly remember waking up after just three hours of sleep from playing Minecraft all night, logging back into our server, only to see the whole thing absolutely wrecked by some random player who found it. Lava everywhere. Penises made out of wool and cobblestone. Just total, glorious chaos. And yeah, it sucked—but it was also hilarious. That’s gaming culture. That’s Minecraft.

So when a moment like that flying gag happens in the movie? It doesn’t feel out of place—it feels real. It feels like something that would 100% happen in a late-night gaming session between friends who are just there to have fun, build stuff, and mess around.

Maybe the scene was meant to be suggestive. Maybe it wasn’t. But it fit. Minecraft isn’t just about building perfect castles—it’s about the mess, the pranks, the laughs, and the unpredictable moments you can’t plan for. The movie embraces that spirit. It doesn’t try to sanitize it for critics—it celebrates it for the fans.

So if you’re sitting there trying to deconstruct A Minecraft Movie like it’s a Christopher Nolan film, you’re kind of missing the entire point. This wasn’t made to win over the uninitiated. It was made for us. The people who played, built, broke stuff, and came back for more—no matter how many times a creeper blew up our base.

Final Thoughts

The theater was clunky. The food was overpriced. The popcorn was absurdly expensive. And the movie? A chaotic, colorful, sometimes nonsensical trip through a world we spent years in—and I wouldn’t change a thing.

This wasn’t just a video game adaptation. It was a celebration. A thank-you note to the fans. And for me and Erik, it was like opening a portal to the past. A reminder of those long nights on our server, building castles, falling into lava, and laughing until sunrise.

If you’re a fan of the game—even casually—this is the kind of movie that’ll make you smile. If you’ve never played Minecraft? It might not make sense. And that’s okay. This one wasn’t made for you.

Oh—and one more thing. If you think TechInform should launch its own Minecraft server… let us know. We just might have to get that spun up.

What did you think of A Minecraft Movie? Was the crowd in your theater just as wild? Did you catch the Technoblade tribute? And be honest—did you buy the $20 popcorn? Hit us in the comments.