By the time everything is said and done, A Minecraft Movie will not only end up being one of the biggest 2025 movies, an all-time great video game adaptation, and a pop culture phenomenon that resulted in millions of teenagers causing a ruckus in packed theaters around the world. Here’s the thing… I wasn’t one of the critics who went crazy about it, I didn’t contribute to the massive box office receipts, and I didn’t expect this to be one of my favorite movie experiences of the year when it hit VOD services. But then I watched it with my kids…
Let me tell ya, not only did my kids go crazy for it, my wife and I had just as much fun (and possibly more). This movie, as I should have known from all the buzz, was fun, heartfelt, exciting, and over-the-top in all the best ways. Is it my favorite film of the year? No, but it was so much fun, and I hope I’m the only one who made the mistake of putting this off for so long.
I Didn’t See A Minecraft Movie In Theaters And Didn’t Have High Hopes For It
I admit I didn’t have high hopes for the level of enjoyment I would have watching this movie, but that tone changed almost immediately after it started. Unlike a lot of my colleagues, I haven’t played Minecraft for thousands of hours, dived into the lore of the franchise, or really spent much time with the game outside of watching my kids build farms and lock up all the animals (I should be worried, right?).
A Minecraft Movie just didn’t feel like it was geared for someone like me, someone who never played the game, prefers quiet moviehouse experiences, and is a bit too cranky at times. I had plenty of chances to see it on the big screen, but I just sat it out.
But Let Me Tell Ya, This Movie Had Me Laughing, Stomping, And Yelling ‘Chicken Jockey’
After watching A Minecraft Movie, I honestly feel like I made a big mistake not seeing this on the big screen. Yeah, a bunch of broccoli-haired teenagers yelling and throwing popcorn doesn’t sound fun, but this movie, as the kids say, slaps! My wife and I were laughing, we were stomping, hell, we were even yelling “Chicken Jockey” in that hilarious fight sequence (a callback to Jared Hess’ Nacho Libre, maybe?). We were along for the ride, and what a ride it was.
I Also Came Out Of The Experience Understanding My Kids A Little Better
I love watching movies with my kids. In fact, my wife and I try to have a family movie night every Friday to kick off the weekend. Watching A Minecraft Movie with them provided a much-needed escape from the world for a couple of hours, and it also allowed me to have a better understanding of my kids, especially when it comes to their favorite video game not named Roblox.
The little jokes, the random shouts about creepers, and other bursts of excitement from my three kids made the experience all the better, and a whole lot more fulfilling than I ever could have imagined. Seeing them find references to the game was awesome; there’s just no way of getting around it.
Though A Minecraft Movie isn’t one of the new and recent movies streaming just yet (it’s available on VOD right now), I don’t think we’ll have to wait long for it to be available with a Max subscription. I guess I’ll watch it again when that happens…