After 11 long-awaited years, the Minecraft Movie finally entered theatres on April 4. There is no denying the wacky world Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures created.
In February of 2014, one of Minecraft’s co-creators, Markus Alexej Persson (“Notch”), hinted on his Twitter page at a possible Minecraft Movie. Notch said he would be up for a potential partnership between Warner Bros Studios and Mojang (Minecraft’s parent company). Mojang continued this idea and made their official announcement on June 27, 2016 the title A Minecraft Movie, sparking excitement across the globe. The creators of Minecraft had originally announced, along with a small script from the film, that the movie would be released May 24, 2019, though many know that date was pushed back six years to April 4, 2025.
The movie stars actors Jack Black (Steve), Jason Momoa (Garett ‘Garbage Man’ Garrison), Sebastian Hansen (Henry), Emma Myers (Natalie), Danielle Brooks (Dawn), and Jennifer Coolidge (Vice Principal Marlene) as they experience the world and characters of Minecraft in their own ways. A Minecraft Movie also gave brief cameos to famous YouTubers in the Minecraft community. Creators Aphmau, DanTDM, LDShadowlady, and MumboJumbo make a small appearance in the film, though none of the four have any dialogue. In addition to the cameos, there is a certain scene in the movie that pays homage to the late Minecraft YouTuber, Technoblade, who died in June of 2022. Recently, fans learned it was actually actor Sebastian Eugene Hansen, who plays Henry in the film, that suggested to the filmmakers to include the tribute. The inclusion of Technoblade warmed the hearts of many, including Champaign Central High School Senior, Clowie Love, who “thought it was really sweet that Technoblade was really able to touch as many people as he did that he was a part of the real Minecraft Movie”.
Former and current CCHS students, Fernando Macedo and Wren Hults, went to see the movie together. However while both were excited, they walked out of the theatre with differing opinions. Macedo thought the movie was “great…funny, dramatic, and entertaining,” then adding that “even though you could tell there were a lot of green screens and CGI involved, it still had its redeeming moments.” Macedo even made the astounding comment that “it was the best movie I’ve ever seen.” In comparison, Hults claimed that the movie was “pretty cringe.” She does mention how “the intro was actually pretty good,” and that “the CGI was okay.”
So whether or not you’re a Minecraft fan, after looking at the different opinions of the movie and what happened behind the scenes to make it the film it came to be, it is up to you to ultimately decide to go see it or not.
