A man is straddling the sidewall of a boxing ring. The camera cuts to a box, a box that drops a zombie. It cuts again, this time to another man. He looks left, he looks right and with a worried smile, he says, “Chicken Jockey.”
“A Minecraft Movie” was first teased in theatres a little over a year ago, and it immediately captivated the attention of audiences worldwide.
The movie was never supposed to be good. The simple idea of a Minecraft movie is rather redundant and, for many moviegoers, downright stupid. Regardless of how juvenile it is, there was a spark behind this movie.
When it officially opened in theatres on April 4, 2025, the movie was a smashing success. According to CNN, the film grossed $550 million in revenue worldwide, including a record-breaking $162.75 million domestically in its opening weekend alone.
The film has received mixed reviews regarding whether the movie is family-friendly, and some theatres have even gone as far as banning unaccompanied minors from seeing the show.
Between violence, sexual innuendos and pure childhood nostalgia, “A Minecraft Movie” cannot simply be a children’s movie.
“A Minecraft Movie” was undoubtedly a downright hilarious film. While the kids were giggling at the straightforward, silly jokes, the older audience in the theater found their own clever humor to enjoy.
Many jokes in the film have a double meaning or a more profound understanding. Jennifer Coolidge’s line, “You can bag me up and take me to the curb anytime,” isn’t inherently inappropriate. Still, there are sexual innuendos implied with this line that had only older audiences laughing in their seats.
“As much as a kid would like cute jokes about creepers,” DualShockers said. “The scene with Jason Momoa and Jack Black sixty-nine positioned mid-air while flying on an elytra absolutely cracked me up as a gamer old enough to know the joke.”
The movie hid violence within its humor. Within the first half hour, we had already seen several stabbings, a sheep being ripped apart and a full-on explosion.
While yes, this violence was played off lightheartedly, it definitely highlighted from the beginning of the movie that the film was intended for an older audience.
Going into the film, I hadn’t seen the trailer or wasn’t expecting anything other than a funny movie about my favorite childhood game. But the moment Jack Black appeared on screen as Steve, it felt like my childhood imagination became a reality.
Sitting on the couch with my iPad, playing Minecraft in creative mode, building houses and towers across a multitude of worlds, I remember battling creepers and zombies in survival mode, struggling to survive the night.
“The Minecraft Movie” brought back memories for a whole generation, allowing them to relive their childhood adventures. Although the plot might not have been the most exciting, the nostalgic feelings it evoked truly made it a standout film.
“It truly captured a fandom that felt lost, gathered my Gen Z brethren for one last hurrah (or the start of many more) in a movie that, as goofy as it is, genuinely made me believe in the power of Minecraft again,” according to a movie review by DualShockers.
While the film appeared to be targeted at children, after further investigation, I believe the Minecraft movie was created for young adults or, more specifically, Gen Z, who played the game growing up.