A Minecraft Movie is filled with references and connections to the video game, but as someone who never played it, the Easter eggs I really enjoyed were references to some mid-2000s comedies. For anyone who played the games, there are plenty of A Minecraft Movie‘s Easter eggs and references to catch. Everything from the water bucket release to chicken jockey have become moments audiences familiar with the IP are cheering about. But if you’ve never attempted to play Minecraft like me, their significance goes right over your head.
A Minecraft Movie is definitely made with the video game community in mind. However, there are still elements to enjoy for casual moviegoers who are not completely in the know. I was still interested in seeing the movie to see Jack Black and Jason Momoa’s comedic abilities on display once more. There’s also the element of Jared Hess directing the film that made me curious. While I may not have played Minecraft before, I have seen Hess’ earlier movies, Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre, multiple times. Hess sneakily references them both in A Minecraft Movie, and I loved it.
A Minecraft Movie Includes Several Napoleon Dynamite References
Jared Hess Made His Directorial Debut With Napoleon Dynamite
Over 20 years before doing A Minecraft Movie, Jared Hess made his feature film directorial debut with Napoleon Dynamite in 2004. The movie became a surprise success and is one that I still fondly remember all these years later. I watched it repeatedly as a kid and teenager, so it was not lost on me when A Minecraft Movie started to have a few subtle references to Napoleon Dynamite. The biggest is the importance of tater tots, which is Napoleon’s favorite snack and a meal with a deeper connection to Henry and Natalie in A Minecraft Movie.
The tots are the most direct reference to Napoleon Dynamite in A Minecraft Movie, but there are more I believe. Dawn has a llama as part of her petting zoo side hustle, and while llamas are creatures in the Minecraft video games, it’s also impossible for me to overlook that Napoleon Dynamite had a pet llama named Tina. I also can’t help but think the dance performance in Malgosha’s backstory is a reference to Napoleon’s school dance. Additionally, Natalie opening up a self-defense dojo in A Minecraft Movie‘s ending calls back to Napoleon going to Rex Kwon Do.
A Minecraft Movie Even References Nacho Libre
Jack Black Gets To Wrestle Again
As if the Napoleon Dynamite references were not enough, A Minecraft Movie even includes a nod to Jared Hess and Jack Black’s prior collaboration in Nacho Libre. The now-famous chicken jockey scene in A Minecraft Movie comes as Garrett and Steve are put in a wrestling ring to fight the animal and its baby zombie companion. While Steve is tied up for a large portion of the fight, Jack Black’s character gets involved in the fight briefly after breaking free.
This allows Jack Black to return to his wrestling roots from Nacho Libre. He’s not masked up like Nacho, nor does he do one of Nacho’s signature moves. But, the decision to put Jack Black back in a wrestling ring had to be intentional I believe. It becomes another subtle way for A Minecraft Movie to reference Jared Hess’ first two feature films that helped launch a career that eventually led him to the Overworld.
