A Minecraft Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

A Minecraft Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Now you can throw popcorn at home!

Reviewed by Randy Miller III June 22, 2025

A profoundly disappointing but profitable video game adaptation (see also 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie, or a half-dozen others), A Minecraft Movie is based on the hugely popular sandbox title by Mojang. That company's creative director, Tori Frans Olafsson, explains in an included featurette that much of the game's appeal comes from lo-fi visuals, which allow creative players' imaginations to fill in the blanks. So what's a Hollywood movie studio to do? Why, develop a big-budget adaptation with the least creative story possible, of course! Round it out with generic human characters and you've got a recipe for mediocrity, so much so that the first trailer was believed by many to be a prank.

A Minecraft Movie stars Jack Black as "Steve", who fans of the game know to be its perpetually silent main character. Here, he basically plays the same amped-up cartoon character we've seen in a dozen or more films (not to mention his years as part of Tenacious D), a whirling dervish of energy and enthusiasm as our de facto tour guide whose main job is providing exposition. A lot of it is right up front as Steve details his trip to the game's blocky world through a mineshaft where he discovered both the Orb of Dominance and the Earth Crystal. Transported to the lush, green Overworld where he could build and create to his heart's content, Steve's peace ends after discovering the Nether, an underworld ruled by piglin empress Malgosha (Rachel House) who'd just as soon use his Orb and Crystal to enslave the Overworld. He escapes with the help of his trusty wolf Dennis, who hides both treasures in Steve's house back on Earth.

Not content with keeping things simple, A Minecraft Movie's story soon awkwardly pivots to other people in Steve's hometown, including washed-up 1989 video game champion Garrett Garrison (Jason Momoa), creative teen outcast Henry (Sebastian Hansen), Henry's older sister Natalie (Emma Myers), and real estate agent Dawn (Danielle Brooks), a studio-mandated diverse group of misfits who collectively end up in the Overworld after events too convoluted for their own good. The point is that A Minecraft Movie's clunky, character-driven story is now set in motion with exactly zero great characters, only colorfully different demographics designed to be entry points for the audience. They collectively limp through a thin plot that involves a chance meeting with Steve, Malgosha's invasion, a trip to a Woodland Mansion (which, according to my daughter, looks nothing like the real thing), at least one training montage, and of course, a climactic showdown to ensure the Overworld's survival courtesy of these five soon-to-be best friends.

Words can't express how much A Minecraft Movie's human components work against it. Black is pretty fun as always, but everyone else ranges from occasionally annoying to insufferable or, worse yet, completely forgettable. Their weak attempts at character growth don't belong in a video game that's exploration-driven, not character-driven and, though the admittedly great production design by Grant Major (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) and polished CG animation brings certain elements of Minecraft to convincing life, having real people walking around in it just feels wrong. So does the extremely weak script, which is mostly jokey but rarely generates any great jokes. So does the direction from Jared Hess, who's of course best known for Napoleon Dynamite but serves up work more on the level of Nacho Libre. So does the mostly orchestral score by otherwise reliable Mark Mothersbaugh, especially since the mostly electronic work of original game composer Daniel Rosenfeld ("C418") is so closely tied to Minecraft's unique atmosphere.

In short, A Minecraft Movie feels like most paint-by-numbers video game adaptations: a bland product developed by committee rather than made by fans for fans. It's not a great movie, and it sure as hell isn't a great Minecraft movie. But if you saw and enjoyed this one in theaters (word has it that some of those packed shows got especially rowdy), Warner Bros.' separate 4K and Blu-ray editions at least offer existing fans their choice of solid home video packages. And if you really liked it, a separate Steelbook combo pack and various retailer exclusives are also available.

A Minecraft Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are sourced from the Blu-ray, released separately and reviewed here.

This native 4K production obviously looks pretty great in UHD, as WB's 2160p/HDR10/Dolby Vision presentation delivers plenty of visual finesse even when the real-world and CGI components don't blend all that seamlessly. Fine detail, textures, color, black levels, contrast, and stability are all right on par with expectations, with HDR providing a nice boost to black-adjacent hues and image depth that both pull their own weight. The encoding of this dual-layered disc is very good; not quite exemplary, but serviceable enough during complex visual moments that typically run at a high supportive bit rate. I can't imagine many fans being disappointed in the least since, even on the largest screens, this 4K disc should provide visual merits that come awfully close to providing a theater-grade experience.

A Minecraft Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This Dolby Atmos presentation runs more or less parallel to the visuals, remaining largely impressive from start to finish but rendered at a volume that's several decibels lower than my typical reference levels. Once you make that slight upward adjustment, though, A Minecraft Movie sprints for home with a generally well-produced and effective mix that combines object-based surround placement with clear dialogue, outstanding use of the height channels when appropriate, and an overall smooth atmosphere which clearly replicates the "sonic bubble" that Atmos is typically associated with. Occasional moments of slight patchiness -- and that curiously lower default volume level -- prevent a truly perfect score, but again it's an otherwise perfectly satisfying presentation that fans will enjoy.

Optional subtitles, including English SDH, are included during the film and all extras listed below.

A Minecraft Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with a matching slipcover, Digital Copy code, and a few extras.

• Building the World of Minecraft: Block Party (14:18) - Mojang creative director Tori Frans Olafsson, producer Cale Boyter, director Jared Hess, production designer Grant Major, Jack Black, set decorator Amber Richards, and others talk about the unique challenges of bringing the world of Minecraft to life.

• Creepers, Zombies and Endermen Oh My! (13:17) - Many of the same participants return for a like-minded chat about interpreting the game's famous (and not-so-famous) creatures via practical puppets and CGI.

• A Minecraft Movie: Pixel Pals (13:56) - A look at the cast, from Jack Black and Jason Momoa's smoldering bromance to a private server set up for the actors to play Minecraft in their down time.

• A Minecraft Movie: Block Beats (9:05) - The cast and crew pay tribute to Jack Black's musical talent.

• Marlene + Nitwit (5:12) - Jared Hess and company give a tongue-in-cheek account of the romantic side story involving vice principal Marlene (Jennifer Coolidge) and a wayward Villager in the Overworld.

A Minecraft Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

According to most figures, Minecraft is the most popular game of all time, even toppling decades-old giants like Tetris, Mario, Grand Theft Auto, and Pac-Man. With that in mind, even a two-hour "Let's Play" delivered to theaters would've generated loads of ticket sales and, while A Minecraft Movie isn't that lazy, it's lazy in a totally different way. Featuring a bland story and characters focus-grouped within an inch of their lives, it's just about the least creative end result achievable for a game built on creativity. Warner Bros.' separate 4K and Blu-ray editions serve up great A/V merits and decent extras for those who enjoyed it in theaters, but this isn't a recommended blind buy.