GVN Interview: ‘A Minecraft Movie’ – A Teen’s Perspective

A Teen’s Perspective

Since its inception in 2009 and full release in 2011, Minecraft has continued to enchant both longtime fans and newcomers to this iconic world-building game. It is now recognized as the best-selling computer game of all time, with over 300 million units sold. With that kind of popularity, it was no surprise that in 2014, the idea of bringing Minecraft to the big screen was first discussed.

Now, after 11 years of development, A Minecraft Movie has hit the big screens with its US release on April 4th. You can read GVN’s official review of the film here. After speaking with my 15-year-old grandson about his friends and their plans to see the film, I began to wonder what young people thought of it—especially those who have been playing the game for a long time. Here are the thoughts of my 15-year-old Grandson who was genuinely invested in the film and how it portrayed his beloved game.

Minecraft: The Game

GVN: Thank you for sharing your thoughts on A Minecraft Movie, George. But let’s start with the game itself. Generally, how long have you been playing Minecraft, and what aspects of the game appealed to you?

GEORGE: Well, I started playing Minecraft when I was around 4. What drew me to it was it allowed your creativity to really spread out. You can do just about anything you want in the game, creation-wise and that really got me into it.

GVN: Which did you prefer, single-player or multi-player modes?

GEORGE: It definitely started out more as a single-player preference. I loved single-player and just having my own world and doing my own thing. But recently, maybe because I have played the game for so long, it has gotten much more exciting to play on servers with my friends.

GVN: So, when you play multiplayer, it is just your friends or does that include players outside of your inner circle?

GEORGE: Basically, it’s just me and my friends. Which consists of around 8 players.

Thoughts Going In for “A Minecraft Movie”

GVN: Before you saw A Minecraft Movie, did you have a preconceived notion of the film, and what was it that formed that early opinion?

GEORGE: The trailers, the iconic trailers. Just from watching those, we all agreed (he and his friends) that the movie would be terrible. But we still wanted to see it, mainly because we had been waiting for this movie for a long time. And If for no other reason than to all laugh at it. Al least that’s what we thought going in.

Opinions of the Film Afterwards

GVN: After watching the film, what are your impressions, both positive and negative?

GEORGE: Well, it was definitely a LOT better than we thought and it was actually a pretty good movie. “A Minecraft Movie” was a fun film that didn’t take itself too seriously. Which is what I think really saved it. Because it could have gone the other way, especially with Jack Black announcing every single Minecraft item. But because it didn’t, that definitely saved it. There were a lot of funny scenes.

Probably the only negative thing I would say was that the characters, meaning three of the main characters in the film, didn’t have much character building for them. As such, they really didn’t do anything; despite the fact they were “main characters.”

Visual Effects

GVN: Were you pleased with the film’s visual effects, and how well did they represent the Minecraft game for you?

GEORGE: I think it was good, for what they were trying to do as a realistic approach to Minecraft. It wasn’t like a carbon copy of the game. But I’d say it was loyal to the game as far as designs went. It did look different at times, and they definitely changed some things. But for the film’s purpose, it was good.

Is Familiarity with Minecraft a Necessity?

GVN: Do you think it’s necessary for someone viewing the film to have familiarity with Minecraft, or does the film effectively welcome those unfamiliar with the game?

GEORGE: I definitely think…you could watch the film without having played Minecraft or having prior knowledge of the game. But it would be a very different experience than if you HAD been familiar with the game going in. Because they made a lot of references, and call-backs to the game itself and the history of Minecraft. There were also references to YouTubers who focused on the game. Plus, the features they show, they don’t explain them so without having knowledge of Minecraft, those could be lost to an audience. Overall, it was obviously targeted to a Minecraft familiar audience.

Recommending the Film

GVN: Finally, would you recommend “A Minecraft Movie” to others?

GEORGE: I would certainly recommend it to people who haven’t seen the film.  I would describe it as “an experience.” And in our case, the theater was full of Minecraft fans who reacted to familiar scenes as they appeared. Very boisterously so. Which added to the fun for those who saw it when we did. But as they say, “Your experience my Vary.”

Foot Note:

I had wanted to get the opinions of George’s friends about the film but as many parents and teachers know, getting 15-year-olds to do homework is problematic at best. I do thank George for sharing his thoughts, which from what he says, are fairly consistent amongst his buddies. “A Minecraft Movie” is now showing in a theater near you.