By Jacob Ying
Pop culture is having a…moment right now. From the AI mashups of Italian Brainrot to the inescapable question of whether 100 men could defeat a gorilla, the FYPs of TikTok and Instagram are quite ridiculous.
Amongst this chaos, a nostalgia-provoking film has pervaded popular culture. Indeed, Jared Hess’s A Minecraft Movie perfectly captures the zeitgeist of generations Z and Alpha.
Sure, Hess’s work draws significantly from the childhood memories of my generation. Gen Z rep Cameron Morrison liked “that there were references to my childhood, and it gave me nostalgic feelings from the music to the diamond armor full set,” adding, “Although the game was made such a long time ago, its relevancy has been maintained by its community.”
But the film transcends nostalgia, embodying an absurdity that reflects an attitude of carefree, harmless fun.
The main character, the iconic Steve, claims, “As a child, I yearned for the mines.” Yes. The movie contains that line. Meanwhile, a baby zombie riding a chicken is described as “chicken jockey.” Cue the screaming of hordes of high schoolers. These moments are “cringe” for sure, but they are apt for the time we live in. When students argue what Trippi Troppi Troppa Trippa looks like, a movie that inspires cringing fits right in.
As a narrative, A Minecraft Movie feels disjointed. The key plot points are hard to follow. For instance, the villainous backstory of Malgosha being mocked in a dance competition feels placed for its insanity, not logic. “I didn’t like that they added a random enemy,” Cameron said, adding, “It kept feeling like they tried doing a remake of Jumanji but failed.”
Yet somehow, the flawed characters feel relatable. Each one is fighting to find their place in the world. Whether it’s Steve’s disillusionment with the 9-5 grind, Garrett’s struggle to maintain his business, Henry’s attempts at navigating high school, or Natalie’s responsibility to take care of her brother, all feel real to many young people.
Leaving the theater, I simultaneously felt like I had a good time, yet I lost two irreplaceable hours of my life.
Like everything“kids these days” are into, the grown-ups hate A Minecraft Movie. Movie critics rate it 48% on Rotten Tomatoes.
One grown-up who didn’t hate the movie? English teacher Carrie Morris. “I went with five under 10s and they were purely delighted,” she said. “I thought it was really funny because it’s campy, and the humor is funny for both adults and kids. But it’s not gross. It was just a purely delightful experience. I would totally go again. In fact, I have already promised to go again twice this summer.”
I, myself, will probably not see it again. The logical part of me agrees with those Rotten Tomatoes critics. But if I’m bored on a Saturday afternoon someday and decide to stream it, I’ll still scream “Chicken Jockey!” during the wrestling scene.
Oh, and FYI, I didn’t throw any popcorn.
