With a truly dominant start to its theatrical run, it’s now safe to say that Warner Bros.’ A Minecraft Movie has been a roaring success. But there must have been some hearts in mouths when the film’s initial trailer was met with widespread derision, even amongst the staunchest of Minecraft fans. The hugely popular game has now been part of the cultural fabric of growing up for almost fifteen years, but there are arguments in some quarters that the meme-ification of certain moments from the trailer has helped contribute to its enormous success. Whilst that’s almost certainly helped, it may have been that it was simply too big to fail.

Landing in the same release slot that saw The Super Mario Bros. Movie smash its way to box office records just two years ago, A Minecraft Movie is yet another sign—along with Paramount’s strong Sonic franchise success—that the comic book movie has finally been supplanted by the video game adaptation. After a hairy few years that included a global pandemic, major distributors can now look to the video game world with the same dollar-sign eyes that fell upon DC and Marvel’s back catalogues in the early 2010s. Whilst the world of video games has always proved fertile ground to mine, there probably hasn’t been a better time to cash in.

A Minecraft Movie‘s only hurdle was its open ‘sandbox’ format. It offers players a huge degree of freedom to be as creative as possible, but doesn’t necessarily lend itself to narrative storytelling in the same way Sonic or Mario titles do. But when millions of dollars are on the table, these are minor quibbles, and the story—10 years in the making—sees struggling former 1980s video game champion Garrett ‘The Garbage Man’ Garrison (Jason Mamoa) stumble into the Overworld, alongside newbies Natalie (Emma Myers), Henry (Sebastian Hansen) and retail agent Dawn (Danielle Brooks). They find Steve (Jack Black), who’s been stuck there since discovering the world through his childhood obsession with the mines. The story is loosely based around the idea that the Piglins, inhabitants of the hellish Nether, seek to control the Overworld by using the Orb of Dominance, and it’s something Steve is intent on stopping. A familiarity with Minecraft may help parents understand a little better, but the plot is fairly nonsensical and honestly, who cares? If anything, it’s ideal for 13-year-olds to pick apart.

The film itself is a chaotic 90 minutes, both charming and ugly, where the overarching tactic seems to have been more. More villagers, more chicken, more Jack Black, more everything. The result is a complete mess, and it’s probably better for it. It’s endearingly bad. Departing completely from the peaceful aesthetics and soundscapes of its source material, A Minecraft Movie has far more in common with the Marvel blockbusters that once sat atop the box office for weeks on end. It’s explosive and stupid fan service.

And yet, some of its heart does shine through. There may be some nostalgia at play here: amongst millennial adults in Jack Black’s School of Rock-style riffing, and amongst young adults with the game’s most recognisable elements on the big screen. Despite its blatant cash-grab qualities, there are people behind the camera with a genuine passion for Minecraft. That may be hard to admit for some people, but seeing this film play to a packed auditorium of expectant children is the purest of vibes. It might just be true…the kids have saved this one!

A Minecraft Movie is in cinemas now.