A Minecraft Movie

has now debuted on Rotten Tomatoes, and critics aren’t thrilled with the video game adaptation. Directed by Jared Hess, the upcoming family-friendly adventure film, which is based on Mojang Studios’ popular game franchise, follows four misfits as they converge for an epic quest in a cubic wonderland called the Overworld. The A Minecraft Movie cast features an impressive lineup of Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, and Sebastian Hansen, but trailers for the movie have thus far been somewhat divisive with audiences.

As critics’ thoughts on the movie now start to emerge online, Rotten Tomatoes reveals that A Minecraft Movie has debuted with a lackluster score of 53% from 53 reviews, as of writing. This score, which earns the movie a “rotten” designation, could fluctuate as more reviews are added, though. An audience score hasn’t yet arrived, but one should take shape following the movie’s theatrical release this weekend.

What This Means For A Minecraft Movie

Will The Video Game Adaptation Be A Success?

Though a 53% score isn’t technically negative, it is decidedly mixed, with some critics feeling that the film’s quirky tone and colorful depiction of the Overworld elevates the material, while others feel that A Minecraft Movie lacks the feeling of endless creativity that the games provide. In her A Minecraft Movie review for ScreenRant, Mae Abdulbaki awards the film a lackluster 4 out of 10, praising the inventive villain Malgosha (Rachel House) while taking issue with the shallow hero characters and lack of an emotional core to the story. She writes:

There are occasionally fun moments, but what the film ultimately lacks is heart. None of the character dynamics are given enough time to flourish and their arcs are so underbaked they’re practically neglected. There’s very little care or effort put into these characters, which makes all the heartfelt moments feel tacked on rather than a natural progression of their stories.

In terms of the mixed reception’s impact on box office, this remains to be seen. The Super Mario Bros. Movie reviews, for example, were also mixed from critics, and that film has a 59% critics score. That video game adaptation, however, scored 95% from audiences and went on to gross $1.360 billion worldwide. A Minecraft Movie won’t be reaching these same box office heights, but it could certainly succeed if it strikes a chord with the game’s mᴀssive fanbase and general movie-goers.

Our Take On A Minecraft Movie’s Rotten Tomatoes Score

It Marks A Partial Redemption For Jack Black

Given the response to many of the trailers, it’s not surprising that A Minecraft Movie has gotten off to a poor start on Rotten Tomatoes. At the very least, though, it’s off to a much better start than Black’s previous video game adaptation, Borderlands, which has only a 10% score and was a mᴀssive box office bomb. Though projects like The Last of Us and Fallout are a step in the right direction when it comes to Hollywood video game adaptations, it’s clear that getting these types of movies and TV shows right is still a major challenge.

Even if A Minecraft Movie falls short when it comes to character and theme, a compelling and colorful presentation of the Overworld and plenty of video game Easter eggs could certainly be enough to make it a fun movie theater experience. At the end of the day, that might be worth the price of admission, especially for families and younger audiences.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes