On Apr. 4, A Minecraft Movie premiered in theaters across the world. After nearly a decade of delays, the highly anticipated film decimated the box office in its opening weekend, becoming the second highest grossing video game movie in history. The story centers around the classic sandbox game Minecraft in which players can build structures, fight monsters, explore vast caves, and more.

Prior to the movie’s release, fans of the popular game franchise were ecstatic to see their favorite characters come to life. Steve (Jack Black) is Minecraft’s default avatar, evoking a strong sense of nostalgia in many players. Likewise, many of Black’s lines as Steve in the film have gone viral on social media sites. The comically-timed phrases “I am Steve” and “chicken jockey,” along with more references to the game demonstrate the movie’s care and appreciation of loyal Minecraft fans. Moreover, a group of beloved Minecraft influencers made special appearances within the movie itself, including Daniel Robert Middleton (DanTDM), Jessica Bravura (Aphmau), Elizabeth Dwyer (LDShadowLady), and Oliver Brotherhood (Mumbo Jumbo). These creators’ content helped popularize the game in its early years, laying the foundation for its now massive fandom.

In addition to Steve, A Minecraft Movie also follows the story of Natalie (Emma Myers) and her brother, Henry (Sebastian Eugene Hansen), after they move to Steve’s hometown of Chuglass following their mom’s death. Amidst its humor and silliness, the film portrays their struggles in a seemingly heartfelt way. However, Natalie and Henry’s grief acts as a side plot to Henry’s budding friendship with professional gamer Garrett Garrison (Jason Momoa). Since the film is only one hour and 41 minutes long, the movie has little time to flesh out its emotional aspects, leaving most of Natalie’s character unexplored.

To the surprise of many audience members, A Minecraft Movie included multiple musical numbers. Steve’s Lava Chicken, a short tune about Black’s character’s signature dish, made waves across the internet similar to other witty dialogue from the film. Black — known for School of Rock and his two-person rock band, Tenacious D — also performed a rock number with Momoa with dance moves resembling Tenacious D music videos.

While the film draws most of its content from the Minecraft game, there are many inconsistencies in the motion picture that do not align with the source material. For instance, elytra wings are an accessory from the game that players can use to glide in the air or fly with the addition of firework rockets. Players can only acquire these wings through voyaging to the End, a dimension never mentioned in the movie, yet multiple characters don the wings in the film. Moreover, Steve, Henry, and Garrett are able to fly upwards without the use of firework rockets while wearing elytras, and Steve has the ability to fly without one entirely, which creates even more plot holes, since the movie is presumed to take place in the vanilla survival mode.

For casual enjoyers of the franchise or new fans entirely, A Minecraft Movie is a comedic, lighthearted film perfect for a free afternoon. While diehard Minecrafters and movie buffs might not derive much enjoyment from it, the movie undoubtedly accomplishes its goal of forming a fun story from the beloved game.

(Sources: GameRant, IMDb, Variety)