Take heart, parents: “A Minecraft Movie” isn’t near as bad as the trailers make it out to be.
Based on the wildly popular video game, the fantasy comedy film (now in theaters) is a deeply strange fever dream that also gets a few genuine laughs. That isn’t terribly surprising when you realize it was directed by Jared Hess (“Napoleon Dynamite”) and stars Jack Black, who fully commits to all the gobbledygook about magic orbs and killer pigs.
Despite lukewarm reviews, “Minecraft” is expected to top the box office this weekend as the rare family film in the marketplace this spring. But just how safe is it for your kids?
We break down everything you need to know before bringing your brood to the big-screen adventure:
What is ‘A Minecraft Movie’ about?
Four misfits – a young science wiz, Henry (Sebastian Hansen); his older sister, Natalie (Emma Myers); a real estate agent, Dawn (Danielle Brooks); and a video-game store owner, Garrett (Jason Momoa) – are pulled through a mysterious portal that transports them to the Overworld, a cubic land that puts your imagination to the test. The motley crew endures a series of tasks in order to get home, teaming up with master crafter Steve (Black) along the way.
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What is the ‘Minecraft’ movie rating?
“A Minecraft Movie” is rated PG for violence/action, language, suggestive/rude humor and some scary images.
Is the ‘Minecraft’ movie kid-friendly?
For the most part, yes, although children ages 8 and younger might be frightened by some of the action sequences. In an early scene, Garrett, Dawn and the kids are chased by skeletons shooting flaming arrows and riding enormous spiders. A bunch of zombies are briefly shown ripping a pink sheep to shreds, before Steve swoops in and lights all the monsters on fire.
There’s a, well, creepy scene with a mob of Creepers, which are essentially dead-eyed plant creatures. And an innocent chicken becomes lunch after having hot lava poured onto it. Not to mention all the characters in the Overworld have giant, blocky heads, which are initially jarring if you’re not at all familiar with the game.
Who is the ‘Minecraft’ movie bad guy?
The film’s main villain is Malgosha (voiced by Rachel House), a Piglin queen and evil sorceress who’s aided by an army of hulking, hoglike soldiers. She’s totally ridiculous and kind of fierce, although little kids might be afraid of her glowing eyes and tusks. Malgosha uses her staff to zap her porcine minions when they disobey, causing them to disappear. She also stabs a cute little piglet when he draws her a picture she doesn’t like. It’s quick, but honestly still mildly disturbing.
Is the ‘Minecraft’ movie inappropriate?
Not particularly. Like a lot of children’s movies, there are many jokes that use the word “butt,” and at one point, Dawn says, “What the hell?” Aside from Black’s deranged performance, the highlight of the film is Jennifer Coolidge, who plays a lubricious vice principal named Marlene. In classic Coolidge character fashion, she freely talks about her recent divorce and falls in love with an Overworld villager after hitting him with her car. There’s some light sexual innuendo throughout, but most all of it will go over kids’ heads.
