A Minecraft Movie (2025)

Five writers worked on this screenplay. FIVE. And someone else helped two of those writers to come up with the story idea. So that's six people who had a helping hand in getting this into something resembling a movie. And the best they could come up with was a fan-pleasing collage of absolute nonsense that will leave viewers wondering why everyone involved just tried to remake The LEGO Movie, but make it shit.

Jack Black plays Steve, a man who is happy to find himself in the Overworld (AKA Minecraft world). Unfortunately, his happiness is curtailed when he is transported to the Nether, ruled over by a Piglin leader named Malgosha (voiced by Rachel House). Steve hides away the powerful artefacts that Malgosha wants to own, which are then found by young Henry (Sebastian Hansen) and a down-on-his-luck ex-videogame champ named Garrett (Jason Momoa). Henry is followed by his sister, Natalie (Emma Myers), and a friendly realtor named Dawn (Danielle Brooks). Meanwhile, one of the Overworld inhabitants ends up in our world, where they end up on a date with Vice Principal Marlene (Jennifer Coolidge).

Trust me, that made about as much sense to me while I wrote it as it did to you while you tried to read it. That paragraph may seem like a mess, but it's nothing when compared to the mess that is this movie. It's worth saying right now, however, that my own negative opinion of the film is redundant. It's already been a huge success, I am sure it will continue to be beloved by the fanbase for some time to come, and I am at the disadvantage of viewing it as someone with only the most cursory passing knowledge of the videogame it is based on.

I'm still allowed to complain about the time I wasted on this though, and complain I bloody well will. I'll give most of the blame to the writers, but there's a large part of me that suspects I should also save some finger-pointing for anyone who encouraged Black and Momoa to basically fool around in front of the cameras while they came up with numerous extra references and gags. This is a loud and busy film, for the most part, and Black and Momoa are the main reason for that. Whether you're a fan of the game or not, I'd love to hear from anyone who listens to the opening exposition dump from Jack Black's character and wants to try telling me how that was the best way to open this film. And yet . . . that opening soon becomes the only time that has Black being bearable.

Director Jared Hess can do quirky, of course. He's made it his brand for the past two decades, and a couple of the writers here are used to that (having worked with him on a couple of his previous projects), but A Minecraft Movie isn't the kind of quirky that we've seen in his better films. It's quirky in a way that feels far too random and incoherent, barely holding together as the thin plot moves from start to finish. Which may feel appropriate for those who know that Minecraft isn't really a story-driven game, but falls down for those after a movie experience that they can get their head around.

Hansen is decent as the one lead who feels like a fairly normal human, and Myers is really good as his concerned sister. Brooks is a lot of fun in her role, and manages to show how to be funny without shouting over everyone around her or gurning through an amusing selection of facial expressions (a la Coolidge, who I still enjoy here, but it's not her finest hour). House is always a fun addition, and her vocal performance is entertaining, and that covers the main performers who seem to stay at least somewhat tethered to something resembling a constructed reality. Momoa and Black are orbiting one another in a separate solar system from everyone else, a vacuum that ensures a deadening of their constant stream of blurted game-related terms and unfunny gags.

The score is bad, the visuals are . . . in line with the game (which gives them a great excuse), and the only time I really chuckled was during scenes with Coolidge falling for the odd-looking "escapee". Nobody will care about this dissenting opinion though. I'm not the target audience, and I'm not going to change the mind of anyone who IS. I've said it many times before though, you're allowed to enjoy something tailored to your own tastes and preferences while also wanting something that has been made with care and passion. This feels like it lacks both of those qualities, and I am surprised that Minecraft players have helped to make it such a resounding success.

3/10

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Soul (2020)

Jamie Foxx plays Joe, a music teacher who regrets the fact that he never managed to pursue his love of jazz fully enough to make it a career. He lives and breathes jazz, and when playing his heart out we get to see him go into the zone. But everything might change when he's given the chance to play for the legendary Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett). Which is when he dies. And that really puts a spanner in the works. Working his way through the afterlife, the soul of Joe teams up with the soul of someone just named 22 (Tina Fey) for a plan that may benefit both of them. 22 doesn't really want to go down to Earth and start life, Joe wants to get back. If they swap places then everything might work out. But it's not going to be that simple, of course.

Despite the love I have seen heaped upon this film, and despite the fact that this is the first Pixar movie with an African American protagonist, Soul is yet another Pixar movie that is simply okay. They seem to have plateaued for a while now, with both this and Onward being technically wonderful animated movies that lack something in the plotting department. This is better than Onward, it has something at the heart of it that feels a bit less cynical and more worthwhile as a life lesson, but it just doesn't quite come together fully. There are times when this feels very Fantasia-like, times when it will remind you of Inside Out, and times when it is overshadowed by the live-action movies it was so obviously inspired by (It's A Wonderful Life being a key touchstone). It's a shame that there are very few times when it is just able to entertain and wow viewers while being itself. The fact that the best moments accompany the times when Joe is playing his beloved jazz music is telling.

Pete Docter and Kemp Powers do a good job with the directing duties, having also worked on the script with Mike Jones, and there's an obvious feeling that every scene has been crafted with great care and affection. It's no great return to form for Pixar though, largely due to the fact that the third act fumbles things when it could have done so much better. It was interesting to me that 22 was initially supposed to be the main character, and then they created and developed Joe as the guide to life on Earth, because that indecision is clear when you get to the resolution (or lack of resolution) for the two leads.

Foxx and Fey both do well in their roles, with the former hitting a particular sweet spot as someone who has spent a lot of his life ineffectively trying to control his enthusiasm for jazz music. It's strange to hear Graham Norton pop up, but his role is a good one, and his voice does suit it, but the cast is also filled out by the likes of Rachel House, Alice Braga, Richard Ayoade, and Phylicia Rashad. Although she may not say much, Bassett once again reigns supreme as the cool Dorothea, and she's a welcome addition to any film, even if it's just her voice.

Soul is a good film, and it's a real treat for Disney+ subscribers to have access to it immediately, without any extra charge to watch it. There are times when it is a very good film. I just wish we'd been able to go on more of a journey just with Joe. It's his story, he is a very likeable central character, and his viewpoint that shows all of the small pleasures in life that are too easily taken for granted, but there are too many times when it doesn't feel like it. That's the biggest mistake, big enough to stop this from being great, although it's still absolutely worth a watch.

7/10

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