When the first trailer for A Minecraft Movie was released in September of 2024, the reactions of internet sleuths were mixed. The CGI was criticized for looking nothing like the actual game in an utterly unacceptable fashion. Jack Black’s ‘Steve’ appeared to just be Jack Black in a blue unisex blouse. And yet, the fact that they were making a movie about Minecraft, the most goated videogame of all time, other than maybe Tetris, was definitely something. As more and more teasers and clips blessed our feeds, outrage was beginning to amplify, but so were the feelings of anticipation for millions worldwide. By the time April 2025 rolled around, a month that will perhaps go down in infamy, there was truly no way to predict how good Mojang Studios’ brainchild would actually be. But take Titanic, The Shawshank Redemption, Superbad, or any truly great film for that matter – their greatness would go on to be measured by the theater experience.
In order to document this historic cinematic event, the Taft Papyrus dispatched us on a quest of fate to AMC Southington 12 for research. We arrived on location expecting mostly empty seats, which is unfortunately pretty standard for central Connecticut movie theaters. But that’s a discussion for another time and place. Anyways, we were sorely mistaken. Our first clue that we were dead wrong was when the assignment had to be postponed a day due to the AMC being sold out. The next day, the boys arrived at a different theater (but just as good), and we immediately recognized that literally every single person on the premises was there to watch the main event. The room was abuzz with downright shameless and borderline depressing excitement as grown men walked by dressed as Steve, the film’s protagonist and the character portrayed by Black. By the time the trailers and automotive commercials ended and we were greeted by the iconic Warner Bros logo, we knew we had completely underestimated how freaking electric the next hour and forty minutes of our lives would be. Within ten minutes of Jack Black opening the movie with critical exposition, we were bombarded by ballistic Skittles from juveniles in the back row. Keep in mind that this theater had thirty rows, and we were somewhere situated in the middle (which was actually really nice since we got a great deal). In conclusion, these kids had absolute cannons. However, being the mature adults we are, we continued to attempt to watch the Minecraft Movie in peace and absorb the layered plot as it unfolded. The peace didn’t last long, though, as when Jack Black uttered the well-known phrase “flint-and-steel,” the theater erupted into a scene that can honestly best be described as reminiscent of a Playboi Carti concert. From then on, there was never a dull moment. From Jason Momoa delivering the defining performance of his career to Jack Black’s impeccable delivery of lines such as “I am Steve” and “chicken jockey,” we were immersed in a life-changing experience. It was truly a “tell your grandchildren” moment.
Coming back to Earth and leaving AMC Plainville 20, the best way to describe our condition was stunned into silence. We were speechless, but what could have even been said at that point? Whether or not you’ve played a minute of Minecraft in your life (chances are you have, you nerds), we cannot emphasize enough that you have to see this movie at some point in your life. Perhaps the Beatlemania-esque hype will die down in a few months, but for now, we can honestly say that our perspective on life was never shifted more at a movie theater than in this moment. Frankly, we have never seen a better movie than this. A Minecraft Movie is unprecedented.