Summary
- A Minecraft Movie has a divisive Rotten Tomatoes score of 53%, lower than expected.
- Some critics found the film fun and great for families, while others felt it lacked creativity.
- Critics have mixed opinions on the movie’s entertainment value, but audience reception may differ.
A Minecraft Movie is coming out this weekend. However, early reviews have been released online and they are perhaps more divisive than fans of the sandbox game were hoping for.
A Minecraft Movie is a live-action fantasy adventure comedy film based on the hit 2011 video game Minecraft developed by Mojang Studios. The movie, directed by Jared Hess, features a star-studded cast, including Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, and Sebastian Hansen. Expectations are high because Minecraft has millions of fans worldwide and they can’t wait to see how it translates the game’s elements in live-action. Although it is still a day before its official release, the early reviews are available online.
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A Minecraft Movie’s Rotten Tomatoes Score, Explained
A Minecraft Movie’s Rotten Tomatoes score is already out and it is surprisingly divisive. As of this writing, it has received a 53% rating from 53 critics. The score is lower than expected, considering the hype surrounding the movie. The critics have mixed opinions about the project. Leo Brady, a critic from AMovieGuy.com, found the film fun and a great choice for the whole family because it “taps into the wild energy of creativity.” However, Globe and Mail’s Radheyan Simonpillai didn’t agree with the observation. For him, while the Minecraft game stirs creativity, the movie “is where that creativity goes to die.”
A number of critics found the movie hilarious and the adventures delightful. For them, the movie will be great for kids regardless if they love the game. Some also believe it will entice those who haven’t tried the game to play it to unleash their creativity. Among the things they loved was Momoa and Black’s tandem. For The AU Review’s Peter Gray, the pair was “the comedic duo we didn’t know we needed.” However, for others, the pair wasn’t enough to make the movie entertaining. Among the things the unhappy critics pointed out was the live-action’s failure to keep the elements that make Minecraft appealing to fans. Polygon’s Cass Marshall said the movie “fails to capture any of the joy and adventure of Minecraft.” Top critic Clarisse Loughrey of the Independent (UK) gave it a thumbs-down. According to her, “As an adaptation, it’s flawed from the ground up.”
It’s clear that critics have different takes on A Minecraft Movie. While others enjoyed it, some were visibly disappointed, and this is evident in its poor rating. The audience may have a different perspective of the film, and they might give it a higher rating. It’s not unusual for movies with a low score from critics to receive a higher rating from the audience. For instance, Captain America: Brave New World only received a 48% rating from critics but a slightly higher score from the audience at 79%.
The differences are due to how critics and audiences view movies. The former analyzes the film based on storytelling, cinematography, direction, and musical score. Most of the audience prioritizes entertainment value, action, humor and nostalgia. If the movie successfully hits these elements, most of the audience will probably approve. This is why some movies are not critically acclaimed but commercially successful. Based on the current reviews, some critics were satisfied with the movie, so fans might like it too. Also, Black admitted in a previous interview that they were not able to mimic every element of the game. However, he also mentioned that the live-action features tons of things that game enthusiasts love about Minecraft, which is promising. So, this is down to fans giving it a chance after learning that critics have mixed opinions about the movie.
A Minecraft Movie hits theaters on April 4, 2025.
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Source: Rotten Tomatoes